Teacher opens Books & Braids salon for young girls at elementary school

An elementary school teacher found the perfect way to get students excited to go to school — open up a “hair salon.”

Little girls are lining up to make hair appointments with Sara Medalen before school at Sunnyside Elementary in Minot, North Dakota. It’s part of a new program created by the 26-year veteran teacher called Books & Braids.

“It’s a different time than teaching during the day,” Medalen, who has been teaching at the school for more than 13 years, told CBS News. “They can tie reading with something joyful. The more you read the better you’re going to get at it.”

Sunnyside is known as a Title I school, which means it serves a high number of students from low-income families.

Medalen has a 23-year-old “little girl” of her own, so she’s mastered the art of the French braid. Now she’s sharing her talent with her students in an effort to encourage them to read outside of the classroom.

Before school hours, Medalen isn’t worried about the children’s reading level or comprehension. She just cares about making a connection.

“Our principal is always encouraging us to make connections with the kids. It makes such a difference,” Madelen said. “Let’s not worry about test results.”

So she grabs a smock, grabs a stool and gets to work as they read a book of their choice out loud. After their 30-minute session, the students walk out with a brand new comb, a fancy new hairstyle and some confidence.

It’s been two months since Medalen kicked off the program, and it’s already becoming wildly popular among the kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students.

“They are all catching me now in the halls, on the street, asking me to do their hair,” Medalen said. “Parents who come in toward the end say [their children] have a different skip in their step when they walk out the door. They’re just beaming.”

Medalen said the next step is finding a way for young boys to bond with male role models. 

“We need do something special for the boys,” Medalen said.

In the meantime, the North Dakota teacher hopes other school officials will follow her lead.

“I want other teachers to do this. It’s not something that’s ‘mine’; it’s about kids,” Medalen said.