How to use a kindness tree: Set up an empty tree somewhere in your home or classroom. Remember teaching kindness to students doesn’t have to be over the top. Examples of random acts of kindness for school staff included little pot of colour flowers, encourage ‘mint’ chocolates & beginning of school year welcome notes with sheets of stickers. If you. Continue adding however many strips you need to countdown to your event. It seems, more and more, we need to focus on character traits and helping our students make decisions that go beyond learning that 2+2=4. Kindness is a very important concept to teach and practice with your students. Just make sure you are intentionally promoting and modeling kindness when teaching kindness to students. Literature-based lessons: Use The Kindness Quilt to teach a lesson on working together to promote kindness, and create a classroom kindness quilt of your own. Speak kindly, model considerate behavior. This example was shared on Instagram by polka.dots.please. Use our Random Acts of Kindness calendar with your students for the month. Before looking at three great activities to practice kindness, you should discuss what kindness looks and sounds like and why it is actually important. Spending just a few minutes on it at the end of class can boost everyone’s mood, give students a chance to publicly appreciate one another, and send students home riding a wave of positivity and kindness. Invest this time with your students and have fun! Be sure to model and give many examples of what you expect. Just make sure you are intentionally promoting and modeling kindness when teaching kindness to students. 3 Activities to Practice Kindness In the Classroom, Practice long vowel sounds with this Winter themed, Teacher life...#teachingquote #teachermemes #teac, Beginning a unit on the Arctic! Tell them the toothpaste is like our words, once they leave our mouths they can’t be put back. 114 shares. Take an apple and cut it in half. This kindness challenge could include tracking each time a student shows an act of kindness. Kindness Activity-The Ripple Effect Experiment Kindness Activity Ripple Effect Experiment - This experiment illustrates how a small change like dropping an object into water can cause a ripple effect. Be sure to model and give many examples of what you expect. Sandpaper words don’t make us feel good. Consider 10 minutes of extra recess time or free drawing time. You may choose to conduct a teacher-lead lesson with one of the anchor charts and then provide students with a copy allowing them to complete the anchor chart. I want to share this FREE Kindness Compliments activity with you in hopes that it will help spread some good ol' TLC in your classroom. March 6, 2019 in Lesson Plans, Teaching Ideas. However, you can use a countdown chain to countdown to other event such as Spring break or the end of the year. The negative word apple actually rots and turns darker faster than the kind word apple. My students love reading new quotes and by having a different quote throughout the school year, they really learn and apply the quote to different situations. I highly recommend this activity and a printable resource that can be found in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. I also shared how we focused on kindness during the Christmas season.But I honestly don’t think I can write enough on this topic. Kindness in the Classroom is a skills promotion program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. In my 20+ years of teaching in primary, I have found that if students don’t yet have a capacity for kindness and empathy, they may have difficulty navigating the complex social situations that arise every day in the classroom. Kindness activities and much more can be found right here! Place a box of some kind of decoration for the tree next to it. Each week also includes an optional project to enhance the lesson. , you can change each quote as the school year progresses. Show them some cotton balls and have them describe them. Once so many links have been earned a reward is given. Nov 18, 2017 - Today marks the start of Random Acts of Kindness Week and my students are not always the greatest at being kind to one another. The results will … Whether you’re celebrating a week-long kindness themed week at your school or you’re looking for kindness activities to complete with just your class, I’ve got you covered! They might say it feel rough, pokey, hard, itchy. Children enjoy listening to stories. Each act of kindness receives a "punch" on each student's punch card. After a bit, ask them to put the toothpaste from the bowl back into the tube. Hello … Author. My kids get very excited about our RAK Buddy program and this is just one more way to promote kindness in your classroom. And, while being kind is a simple thing, teaching children about kindness and the importance of being kind is as crucial as teaching them their maths facts! Label the first jar “kind words” and label the second jar “Negative words”. Kindness in the Classroom There are so many resources to help bring kindness into your classroom. Teaching kindness in the classroom starts with you dear teacher! Every student including teachers can leave an appreciation message inside it. Developed and researched by the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Kindness Curriculum has shown to have a positive impact on academic performance, peer relationships, and teacher-perceived social … I think it has a lot to do with the amount of time they have spent together. It’s important that we explicitly teach empathy, kindness, and compassion to our students. Here are some ideas to start conversations in your school or classroom and establish kindness as the norm for your students: Talk to students about what they think it means to be kind. Be sure to incorporate read aloud and other, Intentionally plan activities and lessons that offer students a chance to work together, practicing being kind and supportive of each other. It doesn’t matter how big or small an act of kindness is, it’s never a waste of time. Activities for Teaching Kindness in the Classroom. After about 2-3 weeks the difference will be amazing! An appreciation box can be set up and placed at the back of the classroom with a pad of sticky notes attached. Teaching kindness in the classroom is essential especially in classrooms across the world. 10 Kindness Lessons and Activities for Elementary School. Have students practice filling up other peoples bucket by gluing notes onto a friends bucket. Each time you see or hear a student being kind, a link is added to the kindness chain. Kindness…it’s kind of a big deal! They may lack conflict resolution strategies, and you’ll likely spend much of your teaching day mediating disagreements. 3 Easy Kindness Activities For Your Classroom. Nov 5, 2020 - How to teach kids about kindness, empathy and compassion. Print or write examples of kindness on a piece of paper. Remember teaching kindness to students doesn’t have to be over the top. This fun and easy activity will encourage your students to help one another. Nov 4, 2020 - Explore Paulina Cooper's board "" Kindness " Activities for pre-k" on Pinterest. At the end of every week all the message could be read out aloud in … Teacher Tip: Use the, below to help promote kindness. Their relationships start to morph into half-sibling rivalry, half my way or no way. Teacher Tip: Use the punch cards below to help promote kindness. Apr 10, 2019 - Happy Random Acts of Kindness Week! After I pass the apple around then I place them on a high shelf. Simply place a box or basket with small sheets of paper near it. They will say it is impossible. Kindness Calendars are a wonderful way to encourage intentional acts of kindness. Talk about how kind words add drops into our inner buckets. Everyone loves to be a part of a cool club! Now that students understand what kindness looks and sounds like and why it matters, you can get them practicing! Of course, one of the easiest ways to encourage kindness in your classroom is by modeling it with your students every day. This kindness challenge could include tracking each time a student shows an act of kindness. The lessons include 12 kindness concepts which, when used consistently, provide students a scaffold to build the necessary skills to move from self-awareness to action. Keep reading to get your own printable kindness hearts activity and more great ideas for random acts of kindness week. Make a big deal out of little acts of kindness such … Each time you see or hear a student being kind, a link is added to the kindness chain. Acknowledge kindness publicly whenever you see it. How to Teach Kindness in the Preschool Classroom. With Random Acts of Kindness week fast approaching (February, 12th), what a wonderful opportunity to focus on kindness in your classroom. Everything you need when teaching kindness is a click away. Everything you need when teaching kindness is a click away. Kick-Start Kindness: Activities 1. Integrate questions about kindness into your daily classroom routine. You can use the demonstrations below to help students of any age to visualize kindness in a concrete way. I was part of a kindness blog hop a few years back, where we all shared ways we have taught our young children how to be kind. Create. If you are counting down to Christmas and begin Dec. 1 you will need 24 strips. So, if we want our children to behave kindly that means we have to set a good example. We need to model it, teach it and live it! They are negative or unkind words. It never fails, my class starts to bicker and become bossy towards one another. Incorporate kindness activities and kindness quotes to your classroom. Why not call out those great acts and discuss why we need kindness every day? Print off a paper bucket and have each student decorate one. Kindness Hearts Activities and Kindness Printables. Here are three activities to practice kindness in the classroom: I originally used this idea to countdown the number of days until Christmas with my students. The reward could be whatever you choose and doesn’t have to be pricey. Use it for any theme! If you are looking for a fun, meaningful way to display kindness quotes, print on a, and tape to each student’s desk. It shares on a simple act of kindness can have a ripple effect. Cotton ball words are kind words. If you are looking for a fun, meaningful way to display kindness quotes, print on a post-it note and tape to each student’s desk. 7. Laugh with your students and listen attentively when they have something to tell you. In the blog post “Resources for Creating a Radically Compassionate Classroom,” I share resources for classroom walls and strategies and activities that promote a compassionate learning space, one that supports inclusion of all students. Create a culture of kindness in your classroom or school that will make a huge impact on your students. Each time a student is caught doing something nice for someone else, they get to go put an ornament/decoration … This kindness challenge could include tracking each time a student shows an act of kindness. A kindness chain is a fun way to get students excited about intentionally being kind to others. Share. Give them simple scenarios they can act out or play a kindness game using Kindness Cards. Each time a student is caught doing something nice for someone else, they get to go put an ornament/decoration on the tree. Wonderful activities to help kids practice every day kindness and random acts of kindness at home, in the classroom and in the community. 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. Place the other half of the apple in another airtight, clear container. When we did this at Christmas time I used red and green paper. Make your classroom buzz! This isn’t the first time I’ve written about kindness. Ask them to share memories of acts of kindness as well as unkindness. Students will look at you like you’re crazy! If there's one thing the world needs more of - it's kindness! You could use ornaments at Christmas, hearts around Valentine’s day or apples if you’re doing a unit on apples in the Fall. It’s so neat to watch and experience! For this reason, I've decided to start a 28-day Kindness Challenge in my classroom tomorrow in honor of #RAKWeek2017. Random Acts of Kindness Week (16-23 February 2020), is a whole week dedicated to being kind. We are all so busy and it’s so hard to cram everything in. How to use a kindness tree: Set up an empty tree somewhere in your home or classroom. and much more can be found right here! It’s that time of year where I have to whip out my bag of tricks and start teaching kindness in the classroom. Use it for any theme! They make us feel good, full, satisfied. Teaching kindness in the classroom should start with you demonstrating the type of. Elesa Swirgsdin. After a few days you’ll start noticing that the negative word apple is turning more brown that the other apple. Kindness Activities Classroom Activities Classroom Freebies Educational Activities. FREE Kindness Activity. As students continue to practice identifying and practicing kindness in our daily classroom activities, I continue to use Charlie the Caterpillar as a mentor text. At the end of the month or grading period (when report cards are dispersed), a kindness reward certificate is provided by the teacher. Try the writing prompts below to encourage students to share their … See more ideas about kindness, kindness activities, character education. Each act of kindness receives a "punch" on each student's punch card. If we hear more negative words than we hear kind words in a day, eventually our bucket will be empty. If you laminate and use a command strip, you can change each quote as the school year progresses. to your classroom. With this in mind, here are 4 ways to encourage more kindness in your classroom so that you and your children benefit: 1. Each grade level includes sixteen lessons designed to be delivered in the classroom for 30-45 minutes once a week. Some teachers even use real buckets and have students drop paper notes into real buckets in their classroom. Activities are great for a variety of grade levels and anchor charts are included. I know we teachers never have any extra time, but planning and allowing students to participate in these activities is definitely not time wasted. Such kindness activities for elementary students are to encourage children and have them open up their views in front of everyone. Other ways to promote a positive culture around the school was to display kindness quotes in … Students unknowingly perform acts of altruism all the time by modeling their teachers and parents. Subscribe to Teach Starter and access thousands of curriculum-aligned resources and digital learning tools. It may feel like our children actively do the opposite of what we say and do but, deep down, they are soaking up our example like a sponge. You can choose just a few acts of kindness from the hearts, try to complete one kindness heart each day, or challenge your kids to complete as many kindness hearts as they can. Teaching kindness in the classroom starts with you dear teacher! Use this as an opportunity to teach responsibility and encourage students to keep up with their punch cards, Everyone loves to be a part of a cool club! At the end of the month or grading period (when report cards are dispersed), a kindness reward certificate is provided by the teacher. I know we teachers never have any extra time, but planning and allowing students to participate in these activities is definitely not time wasted. Be sure to incorporate read aloud and other texts that promote kindness. Filed Under: Literacy Tagged With: books, classroom management. Beginning January 20th, 2017, you can head over to Teachers Pay Teachers and type #kindnessnation and/or #weholdthesetruths in the search bar. Leave several lines between each kindness example. Here’s another example from Kristina that could be used any time of year! Partner Up. They make us feel good. Glue one strip of paper so it forms a circle. It’s so neat to watch and experience! Consider 10 minutes of extra recess time or free drawing time. It includes 16 different kindness tasks for your students to do for others. Teaching kindness in the classroom should start with you demonstrating the type of kindness you expect from your students. Teaching kindness in the classroom is essential especially in classrooms across the world. Create The Kindness Club in your classroom. Create The Kindness Club in your classroom. The elementary school edition uses free-standing lessonsto promote social and emotional learning. Here are some kindness activities you can do with your class: Random Acts of Kindness Calendar. This is a big responsibility. That’s why we need to be careful what kind of words we say to others. Kindness Activities for the Classroom. If you are looking for a great team-building activity, check out, . This is a great activity to do with younger students to model how kindness makes us feel. you expect from your students. Remember teaching kindness to students doesn’t have to be over the top. Summary: The Kindness in the Classroom® program was created to integrate intentional kindness skill building instruction with the development of social and emotional competencies. Everyday the students will speak kind or unkind words to each apple. In the same way, no activity that promotes kindness in your classroom is a waste of time! Use this as an opportunity to teach responsibility and encourage students to keep up with their punch cards. in your classroom. If you are looking for a great team-building activity, check out Save Fred. Children enjoy listening to stories. Invest this time with your students and have fun! There are several books you can read to help students understand the bucket concept. Each student is given a challenge sheet with 28 ways they can be kind at school. I highly recommend this activity and a, Kindness Activities: Create a KINDNESS chain, is a fun way to get students excited about intentionally being kind to others. When people say negative words to us they take drops out of our bucket. Students (and the teacher or para) may write short notes telling something they noticed that they appreciated. Stick another strip of paper inside the circle and glue that strip. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a great website for teachers that includes lessons, videos, and kindness ideas. Here’s another adorable way to incorporate kindness into your holiday celebrations. But I encourage you all to prioritise some kindness activities … Students will take turns each saying one or two kind words to the kind word apple like: beautiful, sweet, lovely. If you are looking for a great way to start teaching kindness in the classroom, check out these kindness activities for teaching kindness in the classroom. But in our society where everything is often rushed and everyone is so busy, sometimes kindness gets forgotten! Cut apart each kindness example so there is one kindness example on each strip of paper. That way students can still see the apples but they can’t come up and mess the experiment up by speaking negative words to the kind word apple (You know you have a student or two who would try to do that!). See more ideas about kindness activities, kindness, character education. The program is framed around 12 Kindness Concepts: assertiveness, caring, compassion, fairness, gratitude, integrity, … When it comes to teaching, we all know that teaching our subject area content is oftentimes one of the more secondary things we do. 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Keep reading to get your own printable kindness Hearts activity and a printable that... My way or no way the other half of kindness activities in the classroom apple around then I place them a! Take one apple and pass it around the classroom is a great team-building activity, check out, bag tricks!