Character Education - Kindness
Teach your students the importance of always being kind to one another.
By Elisa Jackson
As teachers, it is very easy to point out what students are doing wrong, but it's very important to point out the positive behavior as well. When students are being kind to one another, teachers should point it out and reward it. In this way, they can make sure that this type of behavior occurs again and again and again.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
One of the most important ways students learn how to behave is through watching others, including their teacher. Therefore, it is important that we, as teachers, model how to act kindly towards students, parents and fellow staff members. If we are happy, positive, respectful, and discipline students without embarrassing them, we can create a classroom environment where kindness is a constant.
Role Playing
Role playing is a great way for students to learn about kindness. Setting up situations, and talking about them with the entire class, allows students to use problem solving skills, learn about the concept of helping others, and how to be kind to others. All students can take turns being kind to one another in a role play setting. Later on, when you see the same type of behavior happening in the classroom, or on the playground, you can point it out and reward it.
Recognize, Recognize, Recognize
There are many ways to reward students for showing kindness. In the classroom you can give students stickers, send notes home, or add a marble to the marble jar. The reward might be as simple as praising the student in front of the class. Whatever you do, however, you should remember to recognize the good, in order to avoid other kinds of behavior.
Whether they are recognized in front of the school, or in their class, students love getting positive attention from their peers. One way for them to get this attention is to be the star student for the month. This is where the teacher picks one student who has demonstrated kindness, helpfulness, and hard work to be the star student for the month. The principal can get involved by coming into your class and presenting an award to that student. At this presentation it is important for the other students to raise their hands and state why they think this person was chosen, and then discuss how they can become the star student next month. It is a real motivator! In some schools students are rewarded for kindness during grade level assemblies. As long as teachers keep rewarding students for being kind to one another, they will keep trying to be that way. Below are some activities you can do with your class to promote kindness.
Teaching About Kindness:
This lesson has students e-mail kind letters around the world, and receive responses. They track where the letters have come from and talk about how they can continue the kindness chain.
In this lesson, students read about acts of kindness and then write reflections on what they read about. This could lead students to write a story of their own on kindness.
Students create a kindness chain in which they record acts of kindness on chain links. They then pay it forward by demonstrating acts of kindness of their own to contribute to other student's chains.
This is a kindness activity in which student fill in acts of kindness during a two week span.