teaching gratitude to elementary students
In addition, I suggest that the students should be specific. Science Center 3. Keeping a gratitude journal enables both students and adultsto be more optimistic, experience more social satisfaction, exercise more often, have less envy and depression, have fewer physical complaints, and sleep better. This form of gratitude enables your children to see the good in their lives so that they can give to those who are in need. Afterwards, have students describe how that person reacted, and how the students felt when they did the act of kindness. Also, each week, we practice sharing gratitude on Thankful Thursdays. This provides them with the basis to manage their emotional and physical health. This fun color-by-number gratitude activity for kids keeps little hands busy and little hearts grateful. The gift of gratitude is as much for others as it is for you. We've got great ideas for you! The Inner Resilience Program (IRP) is one program that integrates SEL and contemplative practice in order to nurture the wellness and inner lives of educators and students. Think about how warm your heart feels to express and receive appreciation. Delve deeply into the meaning of gratitude by engaging in thanksgiving art and literacy activities. Do you remember all of the people we discussed yesterday, whose work helped produce the strawberries? Poster paper (one per student), pencil, markers, colored pencils, etc. Greater Good These adorable coloring pages are free to download and print. Gratitude skills prepare kids to show appreciation for what they have and show thanks. Recall the messages of gratitude you wrote on your drawings, and feel that gratitude. This can help build stronger connections with others. Its important to always take time to remember the things that make life awesome. But honing an effective gratitude practice is about more than simply giving thanks when somebody does something nice for you. Eboo Patel shares the path that led him to create interfaith initiatives that bridge religious differences to create a better world. Bring to mind an image of the person you have researched. But there are also times when the students themselves have done things that are kind, caring, and helpful to someone. #1. Just keep in mind, journaling tends to be more powerful when students don't feel like their teacher is going to read what they wrote. Teaching Gratitude: Five Practices for Upper Elementary We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. If I focus on the good and I am grateful, more comes into my life. Help kids make gratitude a habit with mindful journaling at the end of every day. Three Gratitude Lessons for K-8 Classrooms If you are an elementary teacher looking to learn how to help your students show gratitude, then you found the right place! As a class, decide on a school staff member you want to thank. A new study finds that performing acts of kindness improves mental health symptomsand increases your social connection, too. 3. 1. Beyond politeness, though, many don't realize just how important gratitude is for our well-being. Encourage students to take a nature walk to appreciate all of the beautiful and amazing things around us that we often take for granted. In closing, we hope you found this information about teaching gratitude to elementary students helpful! Learn how gratitude can lead to a better lifeand a better worldin this GGSC book. Magazine Students reflect on acts of kindness and how they often require intention and effort on the part of the person who does them. Every day, we experience heartwarming, reciprocal feelings of being seen, heard, valued, and appreciated. Several studies have investigated the nuances of gratitude, finding that three factors tend to increase the amount of gratitude people feel for benefits theyve received: the more purposefully someone has helped us (as opposed to unintentionally or with an ulterior motive), the more theyve sacrificed to do it, and the more the outcome benefits us, the more grateful we feel. 5 Simple Strategies for Teaching Gratitude to Elementary Students Calm Classrooms school-based mindfulness curriculum includes plenty of gratitude exercises for every grade. The best teachers teach from the heart. From gratitude stones to handwritten letters. Card, Giacomo Bono, Jennifer A. Wilson. Being grateful for who you are and what you have to offer is just as important as serving others or saying thanks for your belongings. Your email address will not be published. Materials: Library or Internet access for research; writing materials. by Ben Kissam, Education Writer, B.S. This one will prove challenging since students will be tasked to come up with some unconventional words to express their gratitude. Students walk silently around school, noticing people they are grateful for and telling them so. Join the 75,000+ elementary teachers who receive free resources from us each week. Just know, your students will be grateful for you and your efforts to reinforce such an important topic in your classroom and school. How to Teach Gratitude Activities For Students in Classroom Recommended Read Alouds for Teaching Gratitude (Gratitude for Tweens and Teens Lesson 2), Students look for the good in others by acknowledging each others strengths. Picture books are a great way to introduce and teach an SEL topic. Have you ever wondered why? I have compiled a diverse collection of picture books that perfectly support teaching upper elementary students about gratitude and gives voice to a variety of races, cultures, ethnicities, experiences, and backgrounds. 2. They have found several benefits for students and adults. 101 JFK Parkway | Short Hills, NJ | 07078 | (973) 921-5500. Take the time to demonstrate what it means to pause and appreciate the things we take for granted. Gratitude means more than simply saying thank you. Every interaction with students is an opportunity to intentionally uplift them through our kindness, gratitude, and empathy. Science tells us that being thankful can make us happier and improve our sense of well-being. They don't need to write it down but can think about it instead. Grab a twine ball, some burlap, and some string to get started. Students love being called leaders. In fact, when they notice others demonstrating leadership skills, they now will say to each other, Thank you for being a leader! It brightens the room and brings a smile to faces every time. Gratitude means more than simply saying thank you. 8 Inspiring Books to Teach Gratitude - Connections Academy Introduce gratitude (and kindness and care) to younger students through these five lessons. It gets students thinking about the topic and activating their background knowledge. This helps build a positive culture in our classroom. Why did this person do these things? Enhance students' awareness of the benefits of gratitude with this social emotional unit focused on teaching students how to feel and show GRATITUDE in their daily lives. This can be a powerful starting point for teaching students about gratitude in your classroom. Gratitude is an important quality to instill in students to create a culture of kindness in the classroom, the community, and beyond. Here's a list of gratitude videos to watch with kids. With Thanksgiving around the corner, here are eight ideas on how to teach gratitude to students this year. Journaling is a great habit for mental health, especially when it focuses on the positive aspects of life (rather than ruminating over the negative aspects). You could also host a bake sale as a class. I created Clutter-Free Classroom to support busy elementary teachers like you! If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? To get started in your classroom with gratitude, I recommend actually writing your own gratitude list for a few weeks and feeling its power. Express gratitude for leadership qualities as classroom management. Imagine someone planting strawberry seeds in the soil on a farmImagine the sun shining on the small plants as they growImagine the rain that falls on them, or maybe a person who waters themmaybe there is someone who pulls out the weeds so the strawberries can grow, Now imagine the strawberries are ripeWho comes to pick them?Think about how hard that person works, bending over to pick lots of strawberriesNow imagine someone putting those strawberries into containers, How do the strawberries get to a store near you?Imagine the person who put the strawberry containers onto a truckthe person who drove the truck to your storethe person who brought the strawberries from the truck into the storethe person who put the strawberries on the shelf at the store, Who sells you the strawberries?See if you can imagine yourself paying that personthanking themand then bringing home the delicious strawberries to eat, Learning objective: Students will develop an understanding that they can feel gratitude toward people whose actions benefitted society as a whole, and that these benefits may be felt years or even centuries later. In this episode of RocketKids, Aspen gives us a little rundown on the importance of gratitude and shares 10 things shes grateful for right now. 1) Teach the Vocabulary of Gratitude. Jeanne Croteau is a Contributor at WeAreTeachers. By exercising the gratitude muscle with a journal, students can harness positive thinking to increase their grades, goals, and quality of life. So, we've created a brand new Gratitude Resource Pack that includes the most simple, but effective gratitude activities for kids. Here are some easy-to-implement activities, many of which can be adapted to fit any grade level. Here are some tips and activities for teaching gratitude to every age group. For more information about The Inner Resilience Program and their gratitude curriculum, click here. One of them saved her allowance and bought gratitude journals for her family. Create a free VIA Strengths Survey Pro Site for your classroom. How to Teach Gratitude to Students at Every Grade Level - Calm Classroom Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education . List all of the positive qualities these people demonstrate that they admire on the right side of the page. A high school student writes a gratitude letter to his grandmother for taking over his evening responsibilities while his parents worked so that he could study for his finals. What a gift it is to have students who love to work hard! Write down one to three people who demonstrate gratitude on a regular basis on the left side of the page. They will actively be taking the time to show appreciation for each other and seek out the positives in each other. Focusing on the things we are grateful for in our lives can help enhance our mood. 16 Ideas for Teaching Students Gratitude - Tarheelstate Teacher Post the drawings around the room and give students the chance to circulate and see each others work. A look back on the week and a thorough weekly gratitude journal would encourage older students to reflect and be thankful. Teaching gratitude to children and allowing them to express their appreciation is important and beneficial. Bren Brown and other experts share insights on how parents and teachers can foster childrens creativity while nourishing their own. Have students grow a garden of positivity and thankfulness with these beautiful gratitude flowers. For example, on Mondays, instead of asking students to share a highlight from their weekend, I ask them to share something they are grateful for from the weekend. Given everything thats been going on in the world and all of the negative news that weve been inundated with, its important for us to teach gratitude to our students. They could be grateful for their sense of hearing for allowing them to enjoy music. 3. Over the course of their lives, our students will face many hardships, and one of the best things we can do is help them learn the skills they need to be more resilient. I am a National Board Certified teacher with 17 years of experience in the classroom. These lessons can have an even greater impact during hard times when things seem bleak. After our soft start, we always meet in our Community Circle. Students will enjoy personalizing them with their favorite charms while also including notes of gratitude. It's a friendly reminder as well as a powerful lesson: we often forget to say thanks for the little things, such as our health, the lunch we were able to pack that day, or even our five functioning senses. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and This challenge enables them to see what is good about homeworkthat it helps them learn and prepares them for school and life. Now draw a picture that includes all of the people, tools, and natural elements necessary to produce the strawberries that you enjoy. Classroom Gratitude Book. Accessibility | Nondiscrimination | Privacy | Terms & Conditions | Credits. Although we most often experience gratitude in response to the actions of other people, we can feel grateful to nonhuman sources, too, such as nature, a higher power, or the universe. Students reflect on why another person acted kindly towards them, and practice gratitude both verbally & in writing. FREE Masterclass for Stressed Out Teachers and Homeschooling Parents, The Top 10 Ways to Build Self-Esteem & Self-Confidence, Join Our FREE Community For Teacherpreneurs & Mompreneurs, Overcome Difficult Times and Build Resiliency, How to Feel Motivated and Good About Yourself | How to Feel Like Youre Good Enough, using prompts, such as the following resource, FREE MASTERCLASS: Systematic Plan to Super Passionate, How To Organize Your Class With Cheap Classroom Storage Ideas, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V5yFsDChWs&t=51s, 3 Simple Fathers Day Activities For Students, How to Write Meaningful and Effective Report Card Comments, Why Cultural Diversity is Important for Students, 5 Easy Mental Health Activities for Students, 3 Simple Mothers Day Activities For Students. Gratitude Activities That Are Easy to Prepare - Teach To Love Learning Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you can get our latest picks. Our gratitude SEL unit includes scenario cards, discussion cards, choice boards, games, and much more. If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts. All Rights Reserved. Lessons about self-gratitude are best done as a self-reflection exercise. This video takes an experimental approach on what makes people happier. Students define gratitude and name things theyre grateful for. The playground includes . Think about what they look like, how they smell, and how they taste. This video shares a gratitude experiment thats easy to try. Dacher leads a meditation to help us focus on the people who make us feel supported. Stay up to date on all the latest from Hey Teach: Get periodic emails that include exclusive content, special guides, and other great resources you wont find anywhere else! Ask them to: Discuss what you visualized for a few minutes. For your bookshelf: 30 science-based practices for well-being. It can be too easy at times to focus on the things that go wrong rather than the things that go right for us. Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora and John Parra. Edutopia How Can We Cultivate Gratitude in Schools? 2023 The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Though even toddlers can be taught to say thank you, children seem to first experience and express true gratitude at around 6-8 years old, when they are more capable of taking another persons perspective and have a greater understanding of anothers emotions. Students identify what gets in the way of expressing gratitude. degree in Movement and Sports Studies, Engaging Students during the Long Winter Months, 5 REALISTIC Ways for Teachers to Get Healthier This Year, Reduce stress and anxiety (and help anxiety-prone students experience fewer negative emotions and deepen friendships, according to the. Terms of Service apply. Keeping a gratitude journal on a daily basis helps students achieve higher grades; higher goals; more satisfaction with relationships, life, and school; less materialism; and more willingness to give back. The school year is almost over! By making their day a brighter one, we can make a positive impact in their lives and a warm imprint on their hearts. This will work for any age group. When leading students in a specific mindfulness practice, choose a place for them to "anchor" their attention like the sound of a chime, or the feel of the air entering their nostrils as they breathe. All Rights Reserved. It helps them stay away from jealousy and show the people that they care about that they love them and are thankful for them. In her article Gratitude Activities for the Classroom, Vicki Zakrzewski of the Greater Good Science Center lists many more gratitude activities to try in your classroom. Explain to students that one way to think about cost is to understand what this person might have given, sacrificed, or lost in order to do the things she or he did. To create a gratitude map, have students: You can even ask older students to connect gratitude to behavior on a deeper level with short written response questions. Social-emotional learning (SEL) uses an outside-in approach, teaching students skills that help them to work with their emotions in healthy ways and to build positive relationships. Students define gratitude and the many forms it takes. In Action Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ethical Decision-Making & Social Responsibility, Topic 1 Caring for Ourselves: The Science of Emotional Resilience, Topic 2 Safety & Belonging in Classrooms and Schools, Topic 3 Addressing Trauma and Adversity: Supporting Student Mental Health, Topic 4 Committing to Racial Equity and Cultural Responsiveness, Topic 5 Teaching for Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, Topic 6 Supporting SEL through Family and Community Engagement. Students can look through magazines or take their own pictures to create a collage or vision board of things that make them feel thankful. Some examples are: what are we thankful for in ourselves, family, friends, nature, water, or how we feel in our class. 1. His blog, coachk.co, offers satirical advice for self-improvement and achievement. Encourage gratitude to peers. PreK/Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School. Computer & monitor or projector to show video: " The Science of Character ". Younger kids may understand gratitude through the lens of giving thanks for things that other people do for them. The longer the garland, the more abundant the gratitude! At our morning meetings, we usually focus on a character trait of the month and gratefulness is one of the character traits we discuss. We can be grateful to people we have never met. Students identify the many ways that exist to express gratitude. From educating students on the physical health benefits of gratitude to offering reminders about how being thankful isn't just a one-way street, there are many activities that demonstrate the power of showing appreciation in the classroom. How? This builds a sense of gratitude for quality time spent and sends them into their day feeling appreciative and appreciated. Students are frequently showing jealousy. She missed her weekly gatherings with friends and instead watched his younger siblings and made them dinner every night, leaving the high schooler ample time to study. She said it helped her get through nursing school. The mom came to me and thanked me for teaching gratitude to her daughter and helping her family. Practicing gratitude teaches students about having empathy for themselves and others, which allows them to develop strong relationships and effectively manage setbacks and challenges. It is important for students to be able to see, hear, and use relevant vocabulary while learning. Just a short 5-minute activity at the beginning of the day can set the tone for a good day ahead. Thank you, Mrs. Oliver! Help us continue to bring the science of a meaningful life to you and to millions around the globe. These positive feelings help to provide an optimal culture for learning, growth, and well-being that brings joy and appreciation to everyone in your classroom community. I discovered that one of the most effective means for classroom management was to notice, name, and nurture the positive behaviors I wanted to see by expressing gratitude. What we focus on is what grows -- and gratitude promotes positivity. We've created the perfect list to find the little things to be thankful for - and it's perfect for adults to play along too. Its a fun and engaging way to teach SEL skills that your students will enjoy. Gracias/Thanks is a bilingual book for elementary students, written from the perspective of a young . Jeffrey J. Froh, William J. Sefick, Robert A. Emmons. The idea is to help your students express their gratitude toward another person. To get started in your classroom with gratitude, I recommend actually writing your own gratitude list for a few weeks and feeling its power. This means that instilling gratitude in your kids at a young age could help them grow up to be happier people. Then, give each student a strawberry, instructing them to hold it in their hands and not to eat it yet. During open awareness (also . Or write a short paragraph about it, using the following format: I showed kindness to______________________, This is what I did:_________________________, I did this because_________________________, This is how_________________showed gratitude to me:____________________, I felt____________________________________. I say, Thank you for being a leader by doing the right thing (or for being a role model). Its a simple change in my choice of words in the form of gratitude. Gratitude concept: Our lives are interconnected with those of many people we have never met, who provide us with the goods and services we rely on daily. Kids can see firsthand how we can shape the future through gratitude, acknowledgement, and human connection with some fun activities. The more grateful you are for the many gifts you discover, the more plentiful and joy filled your life will be. These adorable pumpkins will be a breeze for older kids to construct. Dr. Kerry Howells, a leading researcher into gratitude and education, actually trains teachers to utilize gratitude in the classroom. A gratitude journal can be as simple as writing three things you're grateful for each day, or it can be more in-depth, using critical thinking or open-ended questions. This is a fun way for students to express gratitude, and all youll need is a printable and some dice! This might just be the prettiest gratitude project on this list. So I now thank students for being leaders. Have your students complete a different gratitude-based drawing prompt each day. Make sure your students know that gratitude isn't a one-way street and that being grateful for one's own efforts or characteristics isn't selfish or vain, either. Heres a list of heartwarming gratitude videos to watch with students to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Kristin Wiens reads her book My Gratitude Jar, which tells the story of a young boy who learns the value of a daily gratitude practice. Students will: Practice noticing people and things they are grateful for and then writing about them Additional Supports Making Practices Culturally Responsive Adapting Practices for Students with Special Needs Making Classrooms and Schools Trauma-Informed and Healing-Centered SEL Competencies Self-Awareness As they make note of different things in nature, ask them to say a quiet thank you. Copyright 2023. Random acts of kindness at school could include writing a thank you letter to a friend, including someone in a game at recess, holding a door, or picking up litter. All rights reserved. Gratitude helps students be resilient because it causes students to be more optimistic and focus on positive emotions. Instead of focusing on all the things that they do not have, students will focus on the people and things in their life that they do have and are thankful for. This may be done over multiple days. Some fun gratitude projects you can do include: Students with fewer inclinations toward art can work together to build a gratitude jar or box for your classroom. Ideas, Inspiration, and Giveaways for Teachers. Teaching Gratitude in the Classroom | Upper Elementary Snapshots Materials: Large sheets of flip chart paper; drawing/writing materials; fruit for each student (sensitive to any food allergies), Lets imagine fresh strawberries.