All Rights Reserved. The more grateful you are for the many gifts you discover, the more plentiful and joy filled your life will be. Clutter-Free Classroom is the place where elementary teachers get the time-saving tips, ideas and resources they need to make teaching easier and more enjoyable. SEL competencies: Social awareness and responsible decision-making Students can look through magazines or take their own pictures to create a collage or vision board of things that make them feel thankful. After lots of brainstorming and research, I realized that the best way to teach students about gratitude is to have . Mindfulness activities work great as a series of"Do Nows"tasks students can do as soon as they arrive in the classroom, without the teacher's direction. Discussion questions for families to deepen their childs experience of gratitude, PreK/Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, Students learn how to think gratefully. Further Reading:Can We Teach Happiness to Students? This short meditation will teach children how to be thankful for their day and leave them feeling positive, calm, and looking forward to tomorrow. Sign in to save, rate, and comment on your favorite Greater Good in Education practices. Gratitude concept: When we choose to do something that benefits others, we often benefit ourselves emotionally. Gratitude means being thankful, showing appreciation and returning kindness with kindness. There's one for each day, and it's naturally progressive in the sense that most students have little trouble coming up with something they're grateful to see or feel. Later in my career, I would say, I like the way [insert name] is sitting quietly, in order to encourage compliance from others who were not yet ready. A look back on the week and a thorough weekly gratitude journal would encourage older students to reflect and be thankful. 29 Gratitude Activities for Kids This would make for a great activity for students to do with their families around the dinner table as well! Classroom ideas, free printables, and great teacher ideas right here. Gratitude has transformed many lives. Students walk silently around school, noticing people they are grateful for and telling them so. With Thanksgiving around the corner, here are eight ideas on how to teach gratitude to students this year. PreK/Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School. In Action 3. Teachers who point out what students do well help boost their self-esteem levels, according to theAmerican Psychological Association. Gratitude helps them focus on and be thankful for the good in their lives. Students learn to say thank you in American Sign Language and brainstorm non-verbal ways to express gratitude. Gratitude Activities for the Classroom How to Teach Gratitude to Students at Every Grade Level, Teaching Self-Compassion to Teenagers: Why Its Important, How Schools Can Do a Better Job at Teaching Executive Functioning Skills, Makes you more resilient against negative experiences and emotions, Can be helpful for mental health concerns like depression and anxiety, Increases feelings of optimism about your life, Strengthens pro-social behavior and makes us more generous people, Has lasting positive effects on the brain. What Is It? Students interview an older person about gratitude, deepening their own understanding of gratitude. Our Mission; Core Strategies; Meet the Team; Our Contributors; . Students express gratitude through singing. (Gratitude for Tweens and Teens Lesson 3). SEL competencies: Self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills Encourage your students to draft a letter or email of gratitude. I wrote a blog post called The Gift of Leadership about the five aspects of developing these skills in the classroom. Using gratitude language promotes and encourages a positive learning environment where students feel welcomed and appreciated. Students walk silently around school, noticing people they are grateful for and telling them so. Do you remember all of the people we discussed yesterday, whose work helped produce the strawberries? We also love the nostalgia of making paper chains leading up to holidays. According to various studies curated byHealthline, a regular gratitude practice can: Educating your students about the physical andemotional benefits of gratitudecould help lay the groundwork for your other lessons and activities. Creating a gratitude map can help marry the concepts of modeling those we admire and saying thanks. The remarkable gift of gratitude makes a deep impact on our well-being, as it alters our perspective and leads us to live a life full of abundance and joy. Invite them to include everything they feel grateful for. These provide students with opportunities to practice the skills independently, with partners or small groups, or as a whole class. Teaching Gratitude to Elementary Students in 2023 - Jodi Durgin Further Reading:5 Tricks to Save a Derailed Lesson Plan. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to focus on the power of saying thanks. This lovely gratitude tree is easy to make and gives everyone an opportunity to think about being thankful every day. I show the students an example or let them see this form: Once a week, we go around the class and share our favorite gratitude. Print out this fun, gratitude-focused scavenger hunt, then let your students loose to find things that speak to them! Getting ready to teach students about the importance and benefits of practicing and showing gratitude? The Attitude of Gratitude mindset begins simply with being thankful. Lets recap really quickly. 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. Gratitude means more than simply saying thank you. 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. Disclaimer|Privacy Policy|Contact Us|About. This video shares a gratitude experiment thats easy to try. This year, a new activity that I started in my classroom is writing down gratitudes on sticky notes and putting them on our classroom door, so that we have a positive reminder every time we enter and leave the room. As a teacher, I aim to live life like a role model, and I teach students to do the same. Before they put things away, they are always encouraged to thank classmates they spent time with. Gratitude helps students be resilient because it causes students to be more optimistic and focus on positive emotions. They don't need to write it down but can think about it instead. As students complete their drawings, point out that there are many people involved in making it possible for them to enjoy strawberries. Students define gratitude and the many forms it takes. What if we didn't take good things for granted? 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. Whether you use this unit during morning meeting or another social emotional learning time, the lessons, discussions, and student journal will engage your students in social emotional development, character education and . The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society. Students write a letter of thanks and deliver it in person. Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold rather a large amount of Gratitude.. 2. Would you like to improve the culture in your classroom and your life? Gratitude for Students | Greater Good In Education By exercising the gratitude muscle with a journal, students can harness positive thinking to increase their grades, goals, and quality of life. Today were going to talk about five simple strategies for teaching gratitude to elementary students. If you search for a list of leadership skills, children already have many of these. You may also consider sitting down in a circle somewhere on a grassy patch and talking about what they noticed. Learn how gratitude can lead to a better lifeand a better worldin this GGSC book. (Gratitude for Tweens and Teens Lesson 1). Maybe theyre grateful to the music teacher who comes once a week to give classes. Ask: How have you benefited from this persons actions? Nurturing gratitude in our students by combining the outside-in approach of SEL with the inside-out method of contemplative practice allows students to really feel the benefits of gratitudea sure way to help them develop an attitude of gratitude for life. Ideas, Inspiration, and Giveaways for Teachers. 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. Bring to mind an image of the person you have researched. Students consider the intentions of characters in a story who are kind to others. Teaching and Modeling Gratitude in Elementary School Children of all ages often express themselves best through art. This should expand past you, their teacher. Mindfulness, on the other hand, uses an inside-out approach, helping students to become aware of and then embody the connection between their emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Science shows us both gratitude and journaling are potent antidotes to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Pre-K; K-2 Primary; 3-5 Upper Elementary; 6-8 Middle School; 9-12 High School; About Us. 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 The longer the garland, the more abundant the gratitude! This may be done over multiple days. Your students, whether subconsciously or consciously, are always looking to see how you're walking the walkand being grateful is no different. Focus on the feeling of gratitude you have for this person while you take five more deep breaths, in and out. Gratitude is a way of being for me. Students identify the many ways that exist to express gratitude. A first grade teacher, a best friend, a parenthigh schoolers share their gratitude letters with their recipients. Students practice turning complaints into gratitude statements. Ask them to gather some stones and then paint hearts or thankful words on them. Check out this list of picture books for teaching gratitude! Heres a list of heartwarming gratitude videos to watch with students to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude Journal. Students reflect on acts of kindness and how they often require intention and effort on the part of the person who does them. Join the 75,000+ elementary teachers who receive free resources from us each week. This can be a powerful starting point for teaching students about gratitude in your classroom. 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. Do you want to dive deeper into the science behind our GGIE practices? Lessons in gratitude help students develop social awareness, a key component of social and emotional learning. Order Now Need some ideas on how to bring gratitude into the classroom? To get started in your classroom with gratitude, I recommend actually writing your own gratitude list for a few weeks and feeling its power. Now, slowly take a small bite of the strawberry. Thats good news to those us who may find it hard to start a gratitude list. This means that you must design the lessons in a way that gets their buy-in. There is no better time than now to work on gratitude with your students as we head into the Thanksgiving season. Choose some gratitude-focused books to add to your classroom library, then let students choose which they want to read. Students arent showing kindness to others. What are their favorite songs? . 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. These adorable pumpkins will be a breeze for older kids to construct. 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. Woodfin Elementary students get a new playground | WLOS Younger kids may understand gratitude through the lens of giving thanks for things that other people do for them. Gratitude is an important quality to instill in students to create a culture of kindness in the classroom, the community, and beyond. 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. A simple yet fun variation on the classic game pickup sticks, students will select a stick and then find the corresponding gratitude prompt. 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. 4. Gratitude Teaching Resources | TPT 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. Contribute items or cash donations to a charity of your choice. It helps them stay away from jealousy and show the people that they care about that they love them and are thankful for them. What makes you happy? This video covers several scenarios in which kids can express gratitude in a number of ways. To get started in your classroom with gratitude, I recommend actually writing your own gratitude list for a few weeks and feeling its power. By the end of the year, we each have almost 1,000 gratitudes. Ben Kissam is a writer, standup comedian, coach, and former middle school teacher. Recall the messages of gratitude you wrote on your drawings, and feel that gratitude. Acts of kindness (Grades K-2) Learning objective: Students will identify ways that they have acted with kindness and caring toward others. Students record three good things that happened to them each day for a week. Think about how warm your heart feels to express and receive appreciation. Try gratitude. Greater Good in Education. Its important to always take time to remember the things that make life awesome. Have students grow a garden of positivity and thankfulness with these beautiful gratitude flowers. How to Teach Gratitude Activities For Students in Classroom The practice of gratitude is an important part of building resilience, increasing mindfulness and helping to develop a growth mindset. Read all about helping students show gratitude in and out of the classroom below! But honing an effective gratitude practice is about more than simply giving thanks when somebody does something nice for you. Accessibility | Nondiscrimination | Privacy | Terms & Conditions | Credits. If that person showed gratitude, how did it make you feel? When someone is kind to a person who is grateful, they will show gratitude and give kindness back to that person. We are grateful to Linda Lantieri, founder of the IRP, for letting us share three of these new lessons, all of which beautifully incorporate a contemplative moment where students can link the idea of gratitude with the feeling of gratitude. Encourage gratitude to peers. and can opt-out at any time. A handwritten letter might feel more meaningful, but a heartfelt email comes close! If you want to take this a step further, you may have them write down their thoughts, feelings and what theyre grateful for in a journal. Now, with a grant from the John Templeton Foundation awarded through the Greater Good Science Center, the IRP has incorporated lessons on gratitude into their work with students. Youll find videos for all age groups! 22 Gratitude Videos To Inspire Kids of All Ages Ready to cultivate a more thankful classroom? Lets talk about what it means to be thankful, so more happiness can find its way into our lives! Teaching gratitude clearly has many benefits so lets look at different ways to teach it to our children. Keep a Joy Journal. Go on a Hunt! 3. Dr. Kerry Howells, a leading researcher into gratitude and education, actually trains teachers to utilize gratitude in the classroom. Magazine List the different fruits that are mentioned on the board. They can say thank you to a customer service representative, help clean up the beach, or write thank you letters to friends. 3 Gratitude Videos for Elementary Students. When teaching my gratitude unit, I am sure to give students the vocabulary necessary to learn about the topic and experience it in deep and meaningful ways. 22 Gratitude Videos To Inspire Kids of All Ages 1. For example, they may be grateful for a birthday present, or give thanks to their mom for making them their favorite meal. degree in Movement and Sports Studies, Ben Kissam, Education Writer, B.S. How much of an impact can a teacher have on a students life? Researchers usually define it as a feeling or state that results from both (1) recognizing a good thing, such as a positive outcome or gift we've received, and (2) recognizing that this good thing came from outside ourselves. Students write a letter or poem to express their gratitude to something in the natural world. Become a subscribing member today. Im Jodi. How to Teach Gratitude to Students at Every Grade Level - Calm Classroom Gratitude Activities That Are Easy to Prepare - Teach To Love Learning Teaching Gratitude: Brookwood Elementary - 7 Mindsets Terms of Service apply. Ask them to: Imagine how you would express gratitude to the many people if you could. Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. Write down one to three people who demonstrate gratitude on a regular basis on the left side of the page. It is a part of how I think, feel, see, and experience the world. Students share stories about a time they felt grateful. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and We need to see their potential first, believe in them, nurture their potential, explicitly teach leadership skills, and provide opportunities for them to showcase these skills. Its a fun and engaging way to teach SEL skills that your students will enjoy. It is important for kids to show gratitude because it teaches them to show appreciation for what they have instead of focusing heavily on what they do not have. The Gratitude Tree for Kids (Incl. Activities + Drawings) This video takes an experimental approach on what makes people happier.
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