The pure concept of the show. Most of the primary cast are deeply invested in giving their students the best possible start in life, despite struggling with funding. It's clear that these people love their work, even if the older teachers have learned to accept that the best they can do is work with what they're given, and all of them have their moments where their care for their students is evident. Even Ava grows to care about her job and will go out of her way to help the students who need it, whether that's by going out of her way to help them relax if they're sent to her office or buying them uniforms that fit if they're going through growth spurts. It's wholesome to see a show about nice people trying to make a positive difference in the world.
Any time self-centered Ava is shown to truly care for the students, including an episode where we learn that she regularly gives lunch money to a student who confided in her about his family's financial problems. She pokes fun at him for having a uniform that's too small for him, but also buys him one that fits him properly out of her own pocket.
In "Step Class", Janine learns that Ava does have a heart as she's been caring for her grandmother who has dementia which was why she was close to bailing on the big step dance performance. Not only does Janine convince her to come back but she also keeps her family problem a secret from the others. In The Stinger, the two share a silent bonding moment with the two step dancing.
In "Work Family", Janine's efforts in bonding with her coworkers only ends with her running away in tears after they criticize her one relationship with Tariq. Gregory is the only one who goes after her to make sure she's okay.
In Season One's final episode, Barbara is feeling self-conscious due to aging, but at the end of the episode, Melissa says that she doesn't have anything to feel self-conscious about and that she has only gotten better with age.
In "Teacher of the Year," Barbara immediately goes to comfort Janine when she's upset after being berated by a student's mother. Despite her frequent annoyance with Janine, it's clear that Barbara does care about her deeply.
Despite Janine's strained relationship with her mother, Vanetta, while she's around Ava quickly reconsiders finishing an insult directed towards Janine when she sees that Vanetta would beat her ass for it.
Any episode where Barbara is a "work mom" to Janine from inviting her out to eat in "Open House" to giving her advice and encouragement as a teacher. When Barbara realizes that Vanetta only came to visit Janine to get her to pay her phone bills, and Janine planned to use her vacation money to do this, Barbara privately implores for Vanetta to turn down Janine's offer. She even offers to pay the bill herself to allow Janine her vacation.
In "Franklin Institute," Ava gets it in her head that an alien is attacking the students. She and the others, including Melissa armed with her trusty baseball bat, go to investigate, and find that the "alien" is Barbara. Ava, true to form, actually thinks Barbara is an alien, but she does get a Pet the Dog moment where she tells Melissa that she would never ask her to "take Barbara out," since the two are best friends... so she'll make Jacob do it instead.
During the field trip, Ava reveals that she organized it so that Janine and Gregory's classes would be together knowing that they have feelings for each other. And considering how Ava viewed the two as her work nemesis and work husband respectively throughout the series, it's a huge show of Character Development and how she cares about them in her own way. She even offers assurance to Janine on how there's nothing wrong with being selfish every now and then.
In "Career Day Part 2", Melissa ultimately breaks up with Gary because of their conflicting ideas about marriage. While the two are heartbroken over the decision, Gary is more than willing to respect her decision and Melissa wishes him only the best in life.
In "Smoking", all the teachers think it's bullshit that they have to essentially lie to their students about drugs, parroting "Just say no!" rather than actually talking to them about the nuances of the issue, and they especially hate the zero-tolerance policy of the district means they have to automatically suspend any kid found using drugs, no matter what. When Curtis, a sweet and well-behaved student, is caught smoking, Melissa and Gregory talk to him about it, and both are very kind about it, Melissa calling him "sweetie" and assuring him they aren't angry and just want to know what happened. They make it clear they don't want him smoking anymore, and are relieved when he says he has no desire to do so, but they also make a point to be understanding and fair, since they know treating the kid like a criminal won't help anyone. In the end, Gregory and Janine manage to get the suspension lifted, and in the episode's closing montage, Curtis is seen rushing into Ava's office and giving her a hug with a relieved smile. She's startled, but hugs him back.
In "Breakup", Ava is genuinely eager in helping Barbara sing her favorite song for her choir group and motivates her into achieving her goal. But when her efforts prove for naught because of how snooty and self-absorbed her choir mates her, Ava organizes an unofficial assembly where she's allowed to sing her favorite song for all of Abbott Elementary who are more than eager to hear her sing.
In "Willard R Abbott", Janine gives a small but endearing speech to commemorate John Quincy Allen, one of the first black teachers to be hired in Philadelphia, and how he and a small group of black teachers came to teach at Abbott while breaking racial barriers for their commitment. The last scene has her looking at Mr. Johnson who looks on in awe at the photo of Mr. Allen and his fellow teachers.
