WINLOCK, Wash. -- As adults, it's easy to forget just how hard kids have it sometimes. Luckily, one Washington State 4th grade teacher didn't forget, and went out of her way to turn a student's day from "worst day ever" to "best in the world."
Tori Nelson is a teacher at Winlock Miller Elementary School in Winlock Washington. On Monday, a 9-year-old student named Matthew came to school extremely upset. Matthew had gotten a haircut over the weekend, and an older student at the school had made fun of a bald spot at Matthew's head just as he arrived.
The timid 4th grader was torn apart by the older student's remarks, Nelson told Q13 FOX News.
"The comment crushed him," Nelson said. "He refused to come into our classroom and would not remove his hat."
Seeing tears in Matthew's eyes, Nelson decided to make the boy a promise. If you come in my class, Nelson said, I'll cut my hair, too.
"After talking to him for a while, I finally said, 'If I let you cut my hair so it's just like yours, will you come learn with us and take your hat off?'" Nelson told Q13 FOX.
Hesitant at first, Matthew made Ms. Nelson promise. I'll run home and get the clippers at lunch, Nelson said. With a big grin on his face, Matthew finally came in to learn.
And of course, after lunch, all of Ms. Nelson's 4th graders gathered around while Matthew made the teacher "his twin," Nelson said. Clippers behind his ears, Ms. Nelson told Matthew, "Now if anyone makes fun of you, they're also making fun of me."
Matthew was an immediate rock star, to Ms. Nelson's delight.
"Today I heart being in a situation where I can help other succeed," Nelson wrote on her Facebook page. "He cut my hair after lunch and now no one is ashamed or embarrassed... except maybe my mom. I'm sorry mom!!"
Nice work, Ms. Nelson. And we're sure after your mom hears the story, she'll love your haircut, too.
