Western teacher Cicily Bullard came up with an idea to help her students.
By Dyuce Woodson
March 20, 2023—On a Friday at Western High School, Cicily Bullard's ninth-grade English class is excited about the upcoming weekend.
As the fourth-period class lets out, a new wave of excitement begins, but this time, her classroom is the source of this positive energy.
On the first-year teacher's desk, there's a card that reads, "Never underestimate the power of a caring teacher," with "caring teacher" highlighted in yellow.
Her students call her Ms. B, and during her prep period on Fridays, it's clear that she's the epitome of a caring teacher.
A few weeks ago, Ms. B had a dilemma.
"I'm a step team coach, and I bought in another coach, and we had some team building one day," she said. "She wanted them to stand up and introduce themselves, and one of her requirements was for the gentlemen to take their off their hoods."
It was a simple request, but for one of the students participating that day, there was a reason he was wearing his hood and why he was hesitant to take it off.
"When he did, everybody started laughing because his hair was beaded up, and he hadn't had a haircut in months," she said.
So, Ms. B created a Facebook post asking for donations, and one of those responses came from her childhood friend, Ro Da Barber.
"She had said something about one [student] who was insecure about his hair, so he always wore a hood and all that," Ro Da Barber said. "I don't want these kids to feel like that. So, if I got to come and give you a haircut every day for you to feel good and confident about yourself, that's what I'm going to do."
Ro Da Barber has been cutting hair professionally for 17 years but started when she was 10.
She says the best part about barbering is making people feel better -- all with just a trimmer and some clippers.
"When they get up out my chair, and they smile, they snapping it up, just making the person feel good," she said.
While the confidence is restored to the children who come out of the chair with a fresh cut, it's what happens during the haircut that means a lot.
"Barbering is like counseling, therapy, you know. I can talk to them," Ro Da Barber said. "When they get in my chair, I let them know what we talk about stays between us, you know. You can tell me anything, then it makes them feel good about themself."
Ms. B's philosophy behind starting this initiative was to ensure kids have more of a reason to participate in class and stay in school.
"When your hair is done, you want to get to class on time, you want to be in the hallway, you want everyone to see you," Ms. B said. "So it actually increases productivity, believe it or not. I don't have the data for that, but I know it's true."
Although the program has only existed for about two weeks, there's already been a noticeable change in some of the students.
"After this, I've got gym, so I'm ready to give people 30 [points in basketball]!" Western High freshman Marquavion Sheckles said. "30 in gym. New haircut."
Sheckles is one of Ms. B's students.
His post-cut confidence is off the chart, and thanks to this program, he says his entire mood made him ready and excited for the rest of the school day and the upcoming weekend.
"Whenever I don't have a haircut, I'm not really as active as I am," he said. "When I have a haircut, I feel good. My mood is up. I talk to everybody. The way you present yourself helps a lot."
He's also proud to have a teacher who notices the little things about her students.
"I feel like I'm real blessed to have a teacher like Ms. B," he said. "Not only is she an English teacher, but, to me, I feel like she's a guidance counselor."
The goal for Ms. B is to have this program adopted districtwide. That way, no student would have to feel like they have to wear their hood in class again.
"I always wanted to be the teacher I didn't have," Ms. B said. "Not that I'm able to give back and I'm able to be in a place to amplify other businesspeople, like Ro, it just means the world to me."