Kindness Month

Do you want to bring a positive focus to your school climate?

Do you want to empower kids to be "change makers"?

 

 

For the past two years, I have facilitated Kindness Month at my school.  Below are some of activities that have been included as part of this exciting time!

 

 

 

 

 

The Kindness Calendar

Kindness Calendars are posted throughout the school, including in each classroom. Students are challenged each day to fulfill the random act of kindness. I made my calendars bi-lingual (English on the front and Spanish on the back) so that teachers could copy and send home if desired.

 

 

Kindness Counts Spirit Week - A newsletter is sent home with all students informing students about Spirit Week.  In addition to the Spirit Days, information about bullying is included.

 

           Kindness Bucks - All staff are given Kindness Bucks. If a staff member "catches" a student being kind, they give the student a Kindness Buck.  Students write their name and their teacher's name on the Kindness Buck. In mid-February, students are allowed to use their Kindness Bucks to enter raffles to win prizes (e.g. soccer ball, puzzle, jump rope).

 
 
 
 
          The Raffle - In the morning before the bell rings, students can bring their Kindness Bucks to the main hallway and put it in a bowl of their choice for the item they want to win!  I have the table set up for two consecutive mornings in case a student is absent. I announce the winners over the morning announcements!

 

 

 



Teaching Children Deep Breathing and Mindfulness

Below are 3 great videos to help your kids learn the art of deep breathing and mindfulness.

This 2-minute video explains the 3 steps to meditation, including sitting posture, feeling your breath, and dealing with distractions.  Great video for students or staff!




The video below (a little over 1 minute) explains the brain regions impacted by mindfulness/deep breathing. It introduces three words - prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Great for elementary school-aged students!




The 3.5 minute video below helps students better understand the mind-body connection. It uses relatable students to teach the concept of deep breathing.

 

A few more Bulletin Boards based on the 7 Habits

Our school has adopted the "Leader in Me" program based on Sean Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and 7 Habits of Happy Kids.

Below are a few bulletin boards I created this past year based on the 7 Habits...

The 7 Habits According to the Presidents

 

 

Habit 1: Be Proactive - Student Work Display

 



Using Guided Imagery and Meditation with Children

What is Trauma?

When we think of the word trauma, we typically think of war, accidents, or 9/11.  However, trauma can be caused by a variety of things - domestic violence, medical procedures, falls, divorce, death of a family member, bullying, and natural disasters.

As Levin and Kline (2007) note, "Trauma is in the nervous system - not in the event."  This basically means that how the child processes the event determines whether it becomes traumatic to the child.

Levin and Kline (2007) identify 3 parts of the brain. 

1. The first is the neocortex, which is the thinking part of the brain.  The complexity of this part of the brain makes human unique.
2. The second is the limbic part of the brain, which deals with emotions and memory. 
3. The last part of the brain is the brain stem and cerebellum, which deals with survival instincts. 

Using Guided Imagery and Meditation

When trauma occurs and is not processed, physiological sensations may remain in the brain stem and cerebellum - such as fear, hyperarousal, or constriction.  Our typical counseling techniques do not work when dealing with unresolved trauma. This part of the brain is not accessed by asking a child how they feel (e.g. happy, sad, angry) or by asking them to think about the situation. 

This brings us to guided meditation.  Guided meditation engages the child's entire being in using their five senses (touch, taste, smell, hearing, seeing).  It helps the child become in touch with 1) a relaxed state of being, the opposite of hyperarousal.  It also 2) gives the child the opportunity to access physiological sensations that may still exist from the trauma.  Often these sensations are semi-conscious or unconscious to the child, but may still impact the child.

Trauma Through a Child's Eyes, Levine & Kline (2007).

Examples

Below is an example of one guided meditation that can be used with children.

The video below is a good introduction to guided meditation for children.  However, I would recommend that children close their eyes throughout the entire meditation.  I find the video to be distracting.

Feeling Balloon Balls - A Must Have

If you do not have these in your office, I highly, highly recommend making some!  I use these ALL of the time! 

They are great conversation starters with kids on how they feel that day.  Without me asking, sometimes they pull out a feeling balloon ball and say, "This is how I feel." 

They are also great assessment tools.  I may pull out the angry balloon ball and say, "Tell me about a time when you feel angry" or "What do you do when you feel this way?"

If a child feels shameful about feeling angry, sad, or scared, they are more willing to point to the balloon face than say that they feel angry, sad, or scared.

The kids (and adults) love these!  Apart from their counseling purpose, they are great fidget objects to use while talking to a counselor. 

 

Here is how to make them:

 

1. Get a pack of balloons.  I got a $1 pack from Wal-Mart.

2. Stretch the balloons.

3. Use a small funnel to transfer rice into the balloon.  (I use white, long-grained rice, but you could use other things in your balloons, such as flour or sprinkles.  Be careful what you use - if the balloon breaks, it could end up on your floor.)

4. Tie the balloon after it is round and full.

5. Use a permanent marker to draw the feeling faces on each balloon.