Looking for a curated list of mentor texts to use during a kindness unit or lesson? Look no further!
I also shared about a few of my absolute favorite books on kindness on YouTube earlier this week. You can watch the video here.
What other books would you add to this list? I’m sure there are so many good ones out there that I don’t even know about!
Over on YouTube, I’ve shared two really great strategies for educators to instill kindness in students.
The first is a “take what you need” board. The idea is that you fill a bulletin board with quotes or affirmations that students can take when they are feeling overwhelmed, lacking self-confidence, etc.
To create a “take what you need” board, you first want to brainstorm the emotional supports your students may need. For instance, do you notice many students struggling with low self-esteem? Do they seem to need a reminder that they can and will rock exam week?
Once you identify several categories of supports, go in search of inspirational quotes and affirmations that may be helpful to them. Print or write them out to attach to the board. You can even color code the categories to make it easier to replenish as they are taken.
This is a fantastic idea for middle and high school educators and you can definitely get your student council or other similar club involved in helping.
Be sure all the students know about the board, where to find it, how it works, etc. Make sure it is accessible to all. You may even consider adding in some resources for students who are struggling with mental health issues or crises.
The second idea I discussed over on YouTube was a student and/or staff shout-out board. For this, you need to create a form that students or staff members can use to recognize one another. You make these forms available in a central location and have a system for them to be turned in. The forms can be attached to a bulletin board for everyone to read or can be read during morning/afternoon announcements.
This is a great way to encourage your school community to recognize the kind acts/great things happening in the building. Plus, it just makes people feel good to know they have been seen!
If you want to learn more about these strategies, head over to the following links to listen…
What are some other ways you can instill kindness in your students?
As parents, we all know the types of things we need to do to raise kind kids. We set expectations for manners, we model through our words and actions, we correct when we see fit.
One thing that can be tricky about teaching kindness to kids, though, is something that even adults often struggle with – how to be kind and take the high road when being kind is hard.
We’ve all encountered situations where someone has been extremely unkind to us, bullied us or lashed out at us for no reason. In those instances, being the bigger person can be especially difficult.
Now imagine being a kid and trying to make the right choice in one of those situations.
What can we do to help our kids not react in these situations but instead, take the high road and continue to be kind? Here are a few tips…
Being kind to someone who is being unkind to us is a hard skill for anyone to learn. Start building their emotional regulation muscles early with these tips.
What else would you add to this list?
Our second monthly SEL theme is perfect for the month of February – kindness!
In this first week of the month, we will define our theme, discuss why it’s an important SEL skill and talk real-world application. This will serve as a springboard for the resources and other ideas I will be sharing throughout the remainder of the month.
So, let’s dive in!
What is kindness exactly? Here’s a good starting point to use with kids of all ages. You can adjust this definition to best fit the needs of the age group you work with. I know this one is pretty self-explanatory, but sometimes we just need someone else to sum it up for us!
Now that kids know what kindness is, we need to help them understand why it’s important and how it will be beneficial to both others and themselves.
It’s critical to help kids understand that modeling kindness is one of the best ways to build a happier world because kindness is CONTAGIOUS!
Next, we can begin connecting kindness with kids’ real lives using the list below.
What other ways do you show kindness in your own life? This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about over the past few days and something I want to really highlight for my kids this month. I’ve already done a few small acts of kindness, and I have several more (both big and small) planned.
How can you make kindness a priority this month (and beyond) for your kids or students?
Be sure to follow along all month right here on the blog, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. I will be sharing all sorts of tips, strategies and resources throughout February.
akeducationalconsulting.com 