As of late, my class has been less than kind to each other. I have noticed them leaving each other out, ditching partners, having unkind inside jokes at the expense of others, and just generally being mean to their classmates. At times, I am sure some are unaware of how unkind they are being. They are just following along with the rest of the class. But there in lies the problem. So I decided to do a 5 day mini-unit on kindness. Using picture books as our start, the intention of these lessons was to refocus us all on how our actions affect others and how being kind/nice/polite to others is an intentional choice that we make.
Day 1: Empathy and How it Feels to be Excluded
Book: The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Goal of the lesson: For students to recognize that exclusion and ignoring others is hurtful, even when it isn't loud bullying.
I began by telling the students that I had noticed that in our class people were being left out. that they were being talked about in an unkind manner, and that at times, people were trying to make others look bad.
Not one student disagreed with me. No one looked to their neighbors with wonderment. No one looked bewildered. They all knew what I was talking about. Which instantaneously validated that I needed to do these lessons.
I began reading the book, pausing to ask questions at key moments in the story. Did the kids notice that Brian was invisible? Where the kids in the book overtly mean? Did they purposefully exclude him? What did Justin do? Was it big or small?
We focused a lot on how what helped Brian feel less invisible was a very small gesture. How small gestures on our part can make a huge difference in how others feel, even if we don't think it is a big deal.
We then created an anchor chart sharing how it feels to be excluded. I asked them directly to think about how they feel when they are not invited in or unwelcomed. I wrote their ideas down. We orally discussed the question "What are ways that you have seen in our class that people get excluded?" Then I asked them to finish the sentence "One thing I can do to make sure people in our class don't feel invisible is _____" They shared with a partner first, then wrote it out on a sticky note, which they added to our anchor chart.
I then asked them to make an intentional effort at recess and lunch to be inclusive of all of our classmates. During our SEL circle at the end of the day, they went around and shared one way they were kind that day in school.
Day 2: Self-Awareness and Missed Chances to Be Kind
Book: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
Goal of the lesson: For students to realize that our actions can cause the feelings of exclusion and sometimes the worst choice is to do nothing.
After a quick review of the idea from the day before that one small act of kindness can help turn the experience of others around, I asked them to think about what a missed chance was. They pair-shared and I said that today we would read a story and look for missed chances the characters had to show small acts of kindness.
We read the book Each Kindness by Jaqueline Woodson. Again, I stopped to discuss at key points in the story. How were the students treating the new student in class? Were they overtly mean? How are the kids responding to the new student? Why are they laughing? What message does that send to the new student? Why is the narrator sad at the end?
As the story ended, I brought it back to The Invisible Boy. I asked the students what was one small difference in the stories, which were quite similar in nature, that made all the difference in the world for the people who felt invisible in the book? They realized that in the first book, one person reached out and made the main character feel seen. In the second book, no one did. The chance was missed.
Together we made an anchor chart showing the ripple effect of kindness, since that was a big part of the book. In the center, they shared ways that we could show kindness. One small way. Then the next circle we thought about how that person receiving the kindness would feel. Then the outside ring was what would happen next? What might that person do in regards to kindness?
The students then were asked to finish the sentence "One way I can create a ripple of kindness in our classroom is by _______. This will then cause ________." They were to think about the cause and effects of their own actions in our classroom. They wrote this on a sticky note and we put it up next to the anchor chart.
Again, during our SEL circle at the end of the day, I asked them to share how they were kind/polite/nice to others. Several shared more in depth than they did on Day 1, which was good.
Note: I am actively teaching these in my classroom now. I will be adding the next lessons as I teach them.
Day 3: Class Responsibility
Book: The Juice Box Bully by Maria Desmondy
Goal of the lesson: To understand that classmates can influence behavior and kindness isn't just a personal choice, it is a community responsibility.
Day 4: Being an Upstander
Book: I Walk Wth Vanessa by Kerascoet
Goal of the lesson: To understand that kindness sometimes takes courage. We can make the choice to help others when they are being treated unkindly.
Day 3: Choosing Kindness
Book: Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Desmondy
Goal of the lesson: To understand that kindness is a choice we make. It is intentional. It is a personal choice that is within our control.
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