We live in the days of “I want” and “What can you do for me?” This makes it so hard to show young children how to do for others and to care and give effortlessly. In Spelman College I have a few ways that have worked so far. I am happy to share these tips with my fellow teachers so they can pass on the idea of fostering gratitude in the classroom. Here are my 3 top ways that have been successful.
- Shout Out positive / Random Acts of Kindness or Gratitude.
I like to really exaggerate when I see students doing things for each other. This comes in a form of public flattery, kindness Dojo points, verbal affirmations, and compliment slips are some things that I’ve adopted in the classroom (little notes to say Thank you or Grateful for…).
- Have student build from scratch……..
This could mean raising funds from the ground up for things they want. Having scholars achieve a goal for themselves is so much more rewarding than always being given a handout or prize. When my kids want a party after hard work, I allow them to tell me what fav things they would like to have and we collaborate to get those things together, whether it be through a point system or actually raising funds.
- Read about Gratitude
This can mean random articles of people showing gratitude, YouTube stories, or personal encounters. This seems to foster the spirit of kindness, especially when these stories involve peers their age.
End Goal: By promoting gratitude in schools, we’ll foster these kinds of connections on a much wider scale, helping both students and schools to thrive.
Here’s the latest project around Kindness in my classroom:
Taniah Louis, Seek Academy
For Love of the Game 