Kindness Through Gratitude

Like so many schools, ours is working toward improving our climate. Our Safe School Climate Team is made up of several very caring and dedicated teachers, mental health specialists, paraeducators, and parents. We meet several times each year to discuss ways we can generate positive school climate. We research, go to workshops, read, and go to our colleagues and PLNs for ideas.

We were using data from our district-wide safe school climate survey to identify areas of weakness until the survey results no longer gave us useful information. Last year, in a search for direction, we created our own school-specific survey written in student-friendly language. What we learned, we really knew all along-our students need practice in tolerance, inclusion, and participation in conversations. These are the mindsets and skills that many K-4 students might need to practice.

At first we focused on teaching and encouraging students to join games and conversations. Now we've turned our attention in a new direction-gratitude. We realized that it was not as effective to encourage the few more timid students to take risks as it was to encourage the many more confident students to be kind. The problem is the "be kind" message, although simple and powerful, was vague as well as overused in our community. Our team felt a more active way to promote kindness was to teach students how to be grateful, for research shows that people who practice gratitude are happier, kinder, and more satisfied. This made sense to our team because we, in our individual ways, felt the power that consciously practicing gratitude had in our personal lives.

So we are embarking on a new mission-to teach students how to recognize the people, places, things, and ideas in their lives for which they should be grateful and that taking time each day to acknowledge their good fortune will motivate them to spread kindness to others.

Leading is Serving

Some who read the title of this blog will understand it immediately. Some may need clarification. Some will think I've written an oxymoron.

It might be helpful to know that I am an educator. Currently I serve as a Lead Teacher in a K-4 school  in Connecticut. Previously I was a classroom teacher for fifteen years at the elementary and middle school levels. In all of these positions I led students and staff by serving them.

I find resources for teachers who want to try new strategies with their students. I process problems with children to help them learn from their mistakes and restore their relationships with their friends. I meet with parents to plan family activities that get people involved in our school. I supervise in the cafeteria and at dismissal. I say hello and smile at everyone I pass in the hall. I stop and listen to anyone who wants to let me know when there is an issue or when a student has met a goal or when a parent is ill. I believe every interaction is an opportunity to build a relationship.

Of course a leader develops a vision for his school. In creating this vision, the leader is serving his people by imagining a lofty goal that he expects the school to reach.

However, in order to guide and support the school in achieving the vision, the leader must serve his people through strong relationship-building and hands-on involvement in the day-to-day activities of the school. This is leading through serving.