A middle school teacher, JaQ Lee, recently made headlines after a video of him letting some of his female students remove his braids went viral on social media. Lee, who is a science teacher, had broadcast a livestream of the girls preparing him for his upcoming hair appointment. However, this act of kindness and bonding landed him in hot water, with some critics slamming him for allowing his students to remove his braids. But Lee, in his defense, argued that he was simply rewarding his “best friends” for showing good behavior in class.
Despite Lee’s explanation, he faced heavy criticism from the public, with many people claiming that his actions were inappropriate and went beyond the professional boundaries between a teacher and a student. However, Lee responded to the criticism in a video he posted after going viral, where he expressed his disappointment that people considered his interaction with the girls too intimate.
In the video, Lee emphasized the need to abandon the idea of sexual intimacy being tied with getting one’s hair done. He explained that there was nothing suggestive going on, and that it was like a family or community-oriented activity, which was completely wholesome and innocent. Lee also clarified why he didn’t prepare his hair for his appointment the night before, saying that they had a camera crew coming in to shoot a promotional video, and he had to look presentable, so he had to take his hair out. He added that he didn’t have the time to do it all by himself.
As Lee continued to defend himself, he called out the critics for their hypocrisy. He noted that if he were a female teacher, people wouldn’t be making such comments about his actions being inappropriate. Lee believed that there was nothing weird about his interaction with his students, and that for him, it was literally just hair. He argued that some people have never had cool teachers, and it shows.
For Lee, the main objective of his interaction with his students is to build a strong bond with them. He takes the time to get to know his students outside of academics because caring for the whole child is what’s essential. Despite the backlash, Lee also received praise for his teaching methods. Many of his followers wrote raving comments, saying that the teacher didn’t do anything wrong and deserved praise for showing real love to his students.
Lee strives to be the type of teacher who will have a long-lasting impact on his students. He aims to be the teacher he wished he had growing up. Lee’s goal is to be the teacher that makes his inner child happy, someone that his inner child will be proud of. He wants to be the teacher that his students reflect back on 20, 30 years down the line and think, “Dang, that teacher I had in middle school, he was the s**t.”
In conclusion, JaQ Lee’s action of allowing his students to remove his braids may have been met with criticism, but it also highlighted the importance of building strong bonds with students. Lee’s intention was to reward his students for their good behavior and show them that he cared about them. While some may argue that his actions were inappropriate, Lee’s approach to teaching is centered on caring for the whole child, and his methods have been praised by many of his followers. Ultimately, Lee’s goal is to be the kind of teacher that his students will remember fondly years down the line, and that is a noble aspiration.