Each child in my 2nd grade classroom is in the process of writing a paragraph about why it is important to be kind to other people. They are also coming up with different ways to show kindness. I will be publishing my favorite paragraph on this classroom newsletter, later this week.
My favorite paragraph was written by Emma. Her title is "Filling Someone's Bucket", which means being kind to others and filling them with good feelings.
Filling Someone's Bucket
It is important to be kind to others, because it makes other people happy. Here are some ways you can be nice to a friend. You can bring a lunch for someone if they don't have a lunch. You can smile at someone. Another way is to give a gift to someone. If they do not have that much money, pay for their lunch. From your garden, you can pick a flower for your mom or dad and always remember to give them a kiss!
I am currently teaching 2nd grade, and have decided to try out my first blog as a Classroom Newsletter that reports one positive event in our classroom each week. I am trying to reinforce being kind to one another by publishing something special that one of them, or all of them, have done for someone. When discussing this with my class, Elizabeth (one of the girls in my class) told me about something she was going to do for others on her birthday coming up. Instead of getting presents from her friends, she is asking for all of them to donate to a charity of her choice. This charity provides mosquito nets for poor people to sleep in. These poor people are getting bitten by mosquitos and contracting diseases that they are unable to get medicine for.
I think this newsletter is going to be a very positive thing, and encourage my students to think about others. I have told my students that what I publish on my website is out there for the whole world to see. They think that is very cool. This is one way to teach them technology can connect them with the rest of the world.
I am currently teaching 2nd grade, and have decided to try out my first blog as a Classroom Newsletter that reports one positive event in our classroom each week. I am trying to reinforce being kind to one another by publishing something special that one of them, or all of them, have done for someone. When discussing this with my class, Elizabeth (one of the girls in my class) told me about something she was going to do for others on her birthday coming up. Instead of getting presents from her friends, she is asking for all of them to donate to a charity of her choice. This charity provides mosquito nets for poor people to sleep in. These poor people are getting bitten by mosquitos and contracting diseases that they are unable to get medicine for.
I think this newsletter is going to be a very positive thing, and encourage my students to think about others. I have told my students that what I publish on my website is out there for the whole world to see. They think that is very cool. This is one way to teach them technology can connect them with the rest of the world.
I love to hear children's ideas about what they can do to help others! What a thoughtful activity. Similarly, my third graders give "warm fuzzies" to each other weekly. On the selected day, they draw a name of a classmate and write a kind message on a sticky note. It could be a compliment or an observation about good choices they made. They always sign it, then stick it to the person's chair or desk. I love this because it really gets them thinking about kindness. This is something I could carry over to blogging, easily, I now realize. Instead of the sticky note, they could post a comment on their classmate's blog! :) Kristin
ReplyDeleteMrs. Bissett, your post is so focused on student kindness and yet supports it with different types of examples: student writing, and actions, and discussions. This variety helps to support your students' development of their kindness in multiple ways. I commend your effort to encourage them and teach them how to fill each other's buckets. Maybe after you have modeled a few posts they can have the opportunity to submit suggestions to you for kindness examples that could be added to the blog. This positive atmosphere may also be a tool for strengthening positive relationships with parents as they realize that you are recognizing all of the children in the class for their efforts of kindness.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insightful words.
DeleteJanet Bissett