Teaching Kindness in the Classroom: Free Starter Activity
Today, I’m excited to share my secrets on how I successfully turned around the most challenging class I’ve ever taught. Hi, I’m Katherine Barker, and I can’t wait to reveal my secret weapon for handling a class with some tough behaviors. And it all started with an act of kindness in my classroom.
Teaching Kindness in the Classroom
During this specific school year, I encountered a group of students with what I would call strong personalities. It was a sea of future leaders, but unfortunately, it came with a lot of fighting, yelling, arguing, hitting, and an overall lack of kindness. It became an exhausting cycle of constant intervention, dealing with the same issues and the same students repeatedly. If this sounds familiar to you this year, I want to encourage you to hang in there and stay tuned because I have a free download for you to use in your classroom.
By the middle of the school year, I was feeling overwhelmed. I dreaded coming to school, stressed beyond reason, and found myself eagerly awaiting weekends and breaks. That’s when I knew something had to change. First, I shifted my mindset, and then I focused on transforming my classroom culture.
Positive Reinforcement, with an Emphasis on Kindness
I decided to implement positive reinforcement, with a particular emphasis on kindness since that was the primary struggle for my students that year. I started with a whole group lesson on kindness, using a poster with a definition and a visual representation. We discussed what kindness is, how it looks, and I even read them a story about being kind (check out the book “Be Kind” if you’re looking for a great resource).
After understanding kindness, I introduced the “Kindness Chain.” Every time someone did something kind or helpful, we created a link by drawing a picture on a strip of paper. I would then staple the strips together to form a chain. I made a big deal out of each act of kindness, stopping the class to celebrate and encouraging everyone to clap. The chain grew longer each day, and we collectively marveled at its progress, wrapping around the entire classroom.
The impact was profound. Students began actively seeking opportunities to contribute to the Kindness Chain, and the classroom dynamics shifted positively. I would often hear students excitedly sharing instances of kindness and asking to add them to the chain.
Final Thoughts:
Teaching Kindness in the Classroom
If you’re facing a challenging class this year, whether it’s the whole class or just a few students with difficult behaviors, I highly recommend trying the Kindness Chain in your classroom. You can download the activity for free by filling out the form below. It’s a simple and effective way to promote kindness in your classroom.
Feel free to comment with any questions or reach out to me directly. I understand the frustrations and stress of dealing with a difficult class, and I’m here to support you. That’s all for now. See you in the next video, and until then, happy teaching!
