Saturday, December 17, 2016

Celebrating a Flurry of Kindness {12.17.16}

Have you read Jacqueline Woodson's book, Each Kindness?  (You can see a video of the book here if you haven't.) Each Kindness is a story about a girl who is given many opportunities to show kindness toward another, but chooses to focus on herself and her own needs instead.  Through a series of events, the girl learns that being kind not only affects the person on the receiving end of the kindness, but others too. It is like a ripple in the water.

I wanted to think of a way to share the message of this wonderful book with my students, but also create those ripples and bring good feelings to others.

Enter the Flurry of Kindness Snowflake Challenge.

Each week in December, I have challenged my students to complete at least five random acts of kindness. These kind deeds could be anything from holding the door for someone else, completing a chore without being asked, giving a genuine compliment, reading to someone, or anything else they thought of.

For those who complete the challenge each week, they cut out a snowflake and we hang it from the ceiling in the hallway as a visual reminder of the kindnesses we show each other. The other classrooms in our hallway are participating as well, creating quite the sight to see!
Walking through the hallway is very joyful. Because six classrooms are participating, our flurry of kindness is turning into a blizzard. It's hard to be there without feeling the ripple of peace.
For this, I celebrate.

8 comments:

  1. This is one blizzard that I would enjoy! What a great idea that can even be carried over into January/February. Each Kindness is a classic that has no age boundaries - love that book!

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  2. How wonderful, Jennifer. I did Random Acts of Kindness with students, not did notes instead of snowflakes. Wish I'd thought of that! The picture is awesome! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  3. Funny you should mention that book when a former colleague sent me a note today about it. I was lucky to find a like new copy at our fall book sale for $3. So glad to add it to my PB collection. Love your blizzard of kindness snowflakes!

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  4. Super fun! What a neat way to celebrate with your students and to encourage them to practice RAK. :)

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  5. This is so lovely. Every classroom in our school reads Each Kindness at the beginning of every year so by the time my fifth graders come to me they know and love the story. But this does always not translate into RAK. We need to purposely set forth the call for daily kind acts. I love the snowflake idea. Something unique, festive and visible. I'm working on something for the new year that has the same effect. Thank you for sharing.

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  6. What a lovely thing to so...I will have to steal this idea, Jennifer!

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  7. I tweeted this already to my principal. I LOVE everything about this idea. Thanks for sharing Jennifer.

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  8. I love your flury idea. I may have to steal your idea also. :)

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