Tell all Tuesday 2.0: Kindness Roundup
Hello Friends! It’s Tell all Tuesday and this week as we start to wrap our heads around a brand new school year, Jayme from TeachTalkInspire and I thought it would be fun to talk about Kindness in and out of the classroom.
I feel now more than ever it is so important to teach and model kindness in our classroom. It can be a scary place outside the four walls of our classroom and I believe we have to give our students the tools they need to persevere and show kindness. They have to see us being kind to them as well as us being kind to the adults we interact with. We have to try hard to try to swing the pendulum the other way so that our kids can live in a place where kindness truly does matter.
In the past the way I have inspired kindness in the classroom is by establishing a welcoming classroom community. From the start my students know that I love them and care for them and want what is best for them. I also expect them to care for each other. I try to establish that we are a classroom family for the year and even if we are not the best of friends, we have to be respectful of one another, it’s a life lesson that they need to understand.
We read books to talk about kindness
The Jungle Bully by Steven Kroll
Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully by Audrey Penn
The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
How Full is your Bucket by Tom Rath
My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems
We have classroom meetings and we practice different scenarios, role play, and talk about how to be kind all year long.
In addition to the classroom meetings, this year I want to try something new. My classroom theme is SuperKids so on my back bulletin board I want to draw a light similar to the Batman light, except instead of a Batman symbol I want to have the letter K for Kindness. When a student is spotted being kind to a peer they will be spotlighted and celebrated in the classroom and also take home a note that celebrates their random act of kindness. This idea of mine is in the beginning stages. Once I have it designed and up in my classroom I will write another post to share my thoughts and ideas.
This online teacher community is pretty amazing. I have fallen into such a supportive and welcoming environment that has put a pep in my step and inspired me to be a better teacher. I love it! I am constantly inspired as I scroll through my Instagram feed.
In particular I would have to say the biggest inspiration to me is my blogging buddy, Jayme from Teach Talk Inspire. From the moment we started talking I knew that we would be good friends because we had so much in common. She supports me daily and is always there to lend a listening ear, both professionally and personally. I feel lucky to have found her and hope that one day we will be able to meet in person. 🙂
Sarah Barnett from Mrs. B’s First Grade is another inspiration to me. She has great ideas for in and out of the classroom and I am so glad that we were finally able to meet up in person and talk about our profession and personal lives.
The ladies from The Primary Punchbowl are another group that inspires me daily. I love these ladies and I am so glad to be apart of the group. We are there to inspire, laugh, support, and lift each other up. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have them to count on for help, support, and laughs. I hope that one day we will also be able to meet up. 🙂
This is one of my favorite inspirational quotes and I carry it close to my heart both professionally and personally. Professionally I had to fight to be where I am today. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones who graduated from college and got a job teaching. I was a teaching assistant, long term substitute, and interviewed for many positions. It wasn’t until two years after graduation that I finally got my own classroom. Although the road was bumpy, I am grateful for the journey because it made the teacher I am today. I believed in myself and finally did it!
Now it’s your turn…
Here’s How to Join in the Fun:
1. Grab the picture and banner above and use it to link back to this post on your blog.
2. Write a post about the topic of the week: Kindness Roundup
3. Add your link below.
4. Advertise your post using any social media of your choice.
Thanks for stopping by and I can’t wait to read how you inspire kindness and who inspires you!