Post #6: Kindness Changes Everything

R.J. Palacio’s book, Wonder, has always held a special place in my heart.  It was a gift from my mother during my first year of teaching and like many first-year teachers, I found myself consumed with my first classroom and all of the responsibilities that came with it.

It wasn’t until springtime that I finally picked up the book, but I was immediately hooked! I found myself reading much too late into the night and eager to begin reading it aloud to my third graders.

Sharing Auggie’s adventures with our students has been a priority every year and our “unofficial meet-up” at the movie theater this past fall was such an amazing experience to be able to share with our families!  While our adventures with Auggie may have come to a close (including the Julian Chapter...a MUST!), it is essential that as educators we continue to intentionally educate our students about kindness and empathy.  

We often talk about things our students say or do, but how often do we listen to what their actions are truly saying? The anger and frustration or tears and sobs all stem from some underlying factor and our children need to learn how to respond to that stimulant.  Rather than having students suppress these emotions, we need to empower them with the ability to experience these feelings and respond in a positive manner. In order for children to do that, they need to feel safe to express these feelings and we as adults need to practice managing and explaining our emotions as well!

As educators, we are constantly trying to balance the storm of meeting the standards, state testing, and different school expectations, while also creating flexible and resilient thinkers, creative mindsets, and persistent innovators in our classroom. It certainly is not easy to manage a full plate in each of our hands, but let’s not also forget the time and impact we have on our students on a daily basis throughout the span of a school year.  They see and absorb every action we take...let’s just make sure we’re being intentional about making it a positive one!  It seems like the need to instill these values into our children is greater than ever--regardless of political affiliations, religious beliefs, or personal values…”When given the choice between being right and being kind, CHOOSE KIND.” It doesn’t take much, but it can go a long way!