Using engaging get to know activities for students at the beginning of the year can set the stage for a smooth and happy school year. Starting off by building strong friendships can reduce anxiety and help ensure your students have a positive experience. Elementary students can feel anxious at the beginning of school, especially if it’s…
Inside: Struggling to find inexpensive end of year gifts for students? This post will be your best friend with beautiful gift ideas and free kindness coloring pages to reinforce the SEL lessons you taught this year. Do you buy or make gifts for your students at the end of year? The school year finishes at different…
Need some end of year activities to teach kindness that won’t stretch you to the limit and keep your students engaged?As the school year wraps up it’s the perfect time to celebrate their social and emotional growth. You’ve worked hard to teach them about kindness and respect, so use these last few weeks to reinforce these…
You see 3 free kindness coloring pages for your students. I see an incredibly powerful resource with countless ways to embed values and build a positive classroom community! Ah, the humble coloring page. Many teachers see them as a quick and easy brain break for their students or a fun filler activity for early finishers. The truth…
Inside: Research shows why happiness is important and how powerful it is for helping students to thrive both socially and emotionally. Scroll down for fantastic activities and tips around creating a happy classroom. The past few years have been quite a rollercoaster for me, especially dealing with my mum’s illness and her passing. It took…
Inside: How to give compliments and why they’re so important for building a culture of connection and respect in your classroom. Grab some free compliments bookmarks to get started! In the hustle of life, it’s easy to overlook the simple things we can do that have a positive impact on our wellbeing and relationships. One…
Inside: Research confirms that teaching kindness and empathy is more effective than harmful policies that reinforce zero tolerance for bullying. Here are 13 activities to help your students connect rather than hurt. Bullying isn’t a word I like to use because of the negative feelings it invokes. To me tackling bullying by talking about it…
Nurturing empathy is a big part of teaching about kindness. To do that, it’s more effective for students to take part in intentional acts of kindness rather than random good deeds. Being purposeful about kindness teaches students to think about and consider others more deeply. When children are learning to embrace kindness as a way…
Returning to school after the winter break or starting a new school year? Creating a positive classroom environment is always top of mind no matter what time of the year it is. It can be tricky to nurture relationships, but interactive icebreakers and friendship activities for elementary students are great for helping students connect. These aim to…
In the landscape of education, few challenges are as complex as anti-social behavior and bullying. It’s an ugly life lesson for children and an emotional storm that many weather each day. Preventing bullying in schools is a huge task but there are lots of practical things teachers can do to help. Developing emotional intelligence (EQ) by…
Christmas is almost upon us… again! Though the end of year festivities brings a lot of excitement, it’s also a time when students may be tired and irritated. To keep them engaged and learning while waiting for their summer or winter break, involve them in some Christmas kindness activities. Kindness is the cornerstone of a thriving…
Random Acts of Kindness Day and World Kindness Day activities can help save your sanity and unite your classroom. The world feels uncertain and turbulent right now. It seems people are on edge and feeling lost. It’s times like these where we look for the good to provide hope and that’s where kindness can make such…