Cultivate a Classroom of Kindness

Teachers and parents looking to build a community of kindness in and out of the classroom will find this post helpful. It includes the very best picture book recommendations and teaching ideas that foster a kind, caring community of learners.

“Be kind whenever possible. It’s always possible. ” — Dalai Lama

Our world needs kind people. 

Our students need to talk and see and hear and feel kindness until it’s as natural as breathing air in and out of their lungs. 

You don’t have to celebrate World Kindness Day (November 13th, btw) to cultivate a kind classroom. Instead, create a year-round community of kindness by embedding an expectation into your daily activities. 

Here are some simple, totally do-able ways: 

➜Use read-alouds to springboard discussions about kindness. 

➜While reading aloud, ask thoughtful questions about the characters’ kind (or not-so-kind) actions.

What might be a positive effect of his/her kind choice? 

What could {insert character’s name} have done to demonstrate more kindness? 

What would you have done in that situation? 

Need some picture book recommendations?

These have been road-tested in grades K-5 and are my absolute favorites for opening up discussions about kindness and empathy.

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualified purchases.*

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop

➜ Generate a list of random acts of kindness and make it a goal to cross at least one item off each day.

➜Post quotes about kindness around the classroom. Have students copy their favorites into their notebooks.

➜Carve time into the week to allow students to carry out random acts of kindness. Here are a few simple ideas:

➜Hide uplifting notes in library books.

➜Write positive affirmations in sidewalk chalk around the school.

➜Wave and say “hi” to students you don’t know.

➜Leave thank you notes for the custodian.

{See freebie below for waaaay more ideas!}

“No one has ever become poor from giving.” — Maya Angelou

The greatest gift we can give to our students is to send them off into the world as kind, caring, empathetic, generous humans–both inside and outside of the classroom. 

 Won’t you join me on this quest for kindness?

{Roll Whitney:🎙“I believe the children are our future..” 🎶}

yours in reading,
rawley