Their undesirable traits are more often than not caused by a need that hasn't been met (lack of support or love, etc.). Research shows there are many physical, emotional, and mental health benefits associated with kindness. Beginning January 20th, 2017, you can head over to Teachers Pay Teachers and type #kindnessnation and/or #weholdthesetruths in the search bar. As relationships form, trust develops, which allows  a culture of learning to blossom where all individuals feel genuinely valued -- for who they are and what they contribute as a unique individual. Why? I have seen students come together during the most difficult of situations. When we have kinder students, kids are better able to work together, share, express differing opinions in respectful ways, and help each other when someone is in need. I am crazy about kindness. Our beautiful resources for teaching kindness will have you and your class feeling all the warm fuzzies in preparation for this lovely international occasion!. I developed some motions for the song, and always end this subtraction-type song by making a very sad face and saying, “No little bluebirds in the nest.” The kids find this hysterical!We sing the song through a second time with them joining in with more enthusiasm, and I can see in their mischievous eyes that they cannot wait until we get to the last line and they get to see my sad face AND make a sad face of their own. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Often, we’ll change partners, and depending on our structure, we may regroup into a circle. The discussion was amazing during the charts creation. 1. Invite students to perform Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs) for others. Kindness is an emotion that students feel and empathy is a strength that they share.” A great number of benefits have been reported to support the theory of teaching kindness in schools: 1. No matter which way you teach kindness, the world will always be a better place because of it. While researching for our school curriculum many years ago, I came across the work of Maurice J. Elias, a Professor of Psychology. They can, of course, also be learned within the home if positive values are not a priority making it essential for kids to be exposed to kindness and caring at school. Friends need to listen to each other and take turns talking. Brainstorming Ideas as a Class. Each day, for two weeks, I read one of the books followed by a class meeting to discuss the book and how we can use the lesson to show kindness or friendship to others. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. The goal is to help kids become more aware of doing acts of kindness and of their feelings of gratitude when they experience pleasant activities. A stone cast in Kindergarten can create a ripple effect throughout a lifetime! Follow these four steps to help enable children to be givers of kindness. Free Random Acts of Kindness Day Jigsaw Puzzle & Printables, 3 Ways to Teach Kindness to Reduce Bullying as You Go Back to School, 11 COVID Safe Acts of Kindness to Make a Difference on World Kindness Day, 6 Ways to Use Movement for Social and Emotional Development During Covid-19, 10 Week Kindness Challenge for Kids – Week 10. I reflected  my students’ diversity by choosing readers with accents that some students may have not heard before. 3. Morning meetings support learners to understand the best ways to approach their peers by greeting one another with kindness and responding or posing questions appropriately and with empathy. Kindness in the classroom is linked to a strong sense of belonging and increased  self-esteem as acceptance for peers develops. When they see another student doing something nice for someone else, have them write the student’s name on a slip of paper along with the kind deed. 3. Once students understand what acts of kindness are, introduce them to the idea of … The teacher and the students can leave appreciations for classmates in the box. I then came across an article on the Edutopia website titled, “Why Teaching Kindness in Schools is Essential to Reduce Bullying” and knew this was the right angle to take with my incoming 6th graders. What would they want/need in the moment? Carving out time to intentionally promote kindness cultivates empathy and understanding between individuals, leading to deeper relationships. Our checklists are loved by kids and adults alike and make it easy to participate in kindness days at school, home and in the community. Tips for Teaching Kindness. Print our coupons or have your kids make their own. The activity can be exceptionally moving for children who have trouble connecting with others or suffer from low self-esteem as it helps them discover a sense of community. What does it truly mean? You may like to ask older students to work in groups to design and create their own posters. Over the years I've discovered many with the same view and noted that apart from being a trait that can be learned, kindness is also contagious! Throw kindness around like confetti! Children (and adults) are more likely to be engaged and involved in something... Random Acts of Kindness. It’s one we’ve included in the Ripple Kindness Project for Schools primary and elementary curriculum as it can have such an incredibly positive impact on children who are being acknowledged and complimented. 1. Repeat :), 8. Kindness is a powerful, common sense solution to some of schools’ and society’s biggest challenges — and that’s never been more clear than it is now. Create a compliment chain. Deliver sweet treats to custodians, administration, cafeteria staff, and students’ former teachers. Integrate kindness into your curriculum through important discussions, engaging books, and … I also make it a point to be overly kind to our cafeteria staff in front of the students. "- Patty O'Grady, Ph.D. Ashley Judd is a 4th Grade Teacher at Tyner Elementary in Tyner, KY.  She specializes in elementary education and incorporating innovative classroom practices, aimed at amplifying student growth. Kindness is Your Superpower colouring pages. How would they want the problem solved? Our hope is to inspire others to share how they too, teach kindness in the classroom as a response to this post. Using a movement-based activity, students differentiate kind behaviors from unkind behaviors and then to identify ways they can b Our kids poster makes it easy to start group discussions around kindness and giving and to inspire students to come up with their own ideas of how they can make a difference. Have a class discussion about how they would feel if they were the character. Tell students to put the papers in a … Partner up classes to send each other kindness cards. - Maurice Elias. Countless children’s books offer beautiful lessons about friendship, acceptance, kindness … World Kindness Day is observed annually and this year falls on 13 November. So, spreading the kindness bug among a community really isn't that hard. Lesson plan with the central theme of "Caring and Kindness" for teaching all educational subjects to all educational levels. Your email address will not be published. And practicing kindness can be simple if we build it into our routine. It's a powerful and free resource to reduce anti-social and bullying behaviour. Opportunity: Teach Kindness. Just as you plan for teaching literacy or math, plan for teaching kindness. Schools with a focus on social and emotional learning (SEL) often use circles to help build a positive culture to reduce bullying. The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (PreK-2) A simple assignment leads to a school-wide kindness-fest. Sharing it, spreading it, promoting it, talking about it, practicing it, blogging about it, teaching it, quoting it, buying t-shirts about it… crazy. 8 Reasons For Teaching Kindness In School. Student Greeters welcome visitors to Michelle’s classroom with a cheerful “Hello neighbor!” “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” is stenciled above the smartboard. This is a powerful activity to use in the classroom at any time a student is in need of some extra love and care or as a focus activity during International Day of Friendship. After reading the Edutopia article, I decided to teach kindness. To make sure no one gets left out, we draw names out of a hat. Daniel Tiger and Pinkalicious stories are great! Purposed for teachers and learners/students to use in community education environments, homeschool environments, traditional schooling environments, or as a supplemental and fun addition to any education program. A friendship or kindness center has the potential to empower learners to explore different aspects of friendship. Daniel Tiger is also featured in the center. about. kindness. Activity. Michelle Garmon is a First Grade Teacher and PBS Digital Innovator All-Star from Rio Rancho, New Mexico. "We need to be prepared to teach kindness, because it can be delayed due to maltreatment early in life. While state laws, districts and campuses mandate what teachers teach, it’s the choice to teach kindness in the classroom that is truly making a difference for our students today and for their futures. AUTHOR: Lisa Currie - Ripple Kindness Project Lisa is the founder of Ripple Kindness Project, a community and outreach program, and primary/elementary school curriculum. Copyright © 2021 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), All rights reserved. Tell students to be on the lookout for random acts of kindness. A small, class community service project is a great way to connect to your community and provide an intentional opportunity for your students to experience empathy. 35 Children's Books That Teach Empathy And Kindness. His view about kindness being a teachable quality mirrors my own and like me, he's a huge advocate for teaching it in schools. During kindness day, you can have your students brainstorm ideas for sharing kindness at home and get them to make their own coupon poster to take home. Often times, children may be able to identify ‘needs,” yet not know how to take action. Happy Children. Kindness is like a muscle. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. I challenge my students to perform random acts of kindness for other students and teachers at school. Subscribe to Teach Starter and access thousands of curriculum-aligned resources and digital learning tools. We can simply start by teaching children how to spell and sound out the word kind for students who are learning letters and sounds. This elementary school counseling kindness classroom guidance lesson gives students the chance to compare heroes and villains to explore ways they can be everyday heroes! Teach Students That Kindness is Their Superpower! Create a Friendship and Kindness Center. Model Kindness. Leverage Social Stories Including a Problem To Solve. Saved by The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Our elementary school serves approximately 800 students PreK-3rd grades. Don’t stop there! Julie Hildebrand is a First Grade Teacher and Campus Innovation Coach at Patton Elementary in Austin, Texas. In lieu of the need for teaching materials that foster kindness and compassion, teacher authors from around the globe have come together to offer FREE classroom materials for teachers. When I teach Kindergarten or first-grade children, I always teach my students a little song called “Five Little Bluebirds”. There really is nothing quite like a hug to show you care or help make amends. Anytime you are introducing a new concept to your class, you need to provide a basic... 2. Using Kindness Capes to Teach Courage, Compassion and Connection, This Teacher Reduces Bullying by Teaching Kindness, Why Teaching Kindness in Schools is Essential to Reduce Bullying, A Principal Inspires Teachers to Spread Kindness at School. I wanted them to pay it forward and start applying kindness to their peers at school. In addition to being a Heart of Texas Writing Project Teacher Consultant, Julie is also a Discovery Education Ambassador, a Public Broadcasting System (PBS) Digital Innovator All-Star and serves on the PBS KLRU Board of Education Committee.