My Mom's Lesson Plan for Teachers - Kindness
Concept: Treating others with kindness
With the class seated on the floor, start talking about the difference in the things we say that make people feel good or that hurt them. While talking, cut a big heart out of the construction paper. After it is cut out, hold it up and tell the children that each one of us starts out with a heart that is as pretty as this one. Have the children begin sharing things that a person might say that might be hurtful to someone. With each response, fold the heart (in random ways - just so it gets another fold in it for each "hurtful" sentence). Eventually the heart is crumpled in your hands. Tell the class that each time they say something hurtful to someone, they are putting a little wrinkle in that person's heart. Talk about how someone's heart might begin to look like this crumpled heart if people continue to say mean things to them.
Then have the children begin to tell things that they might say to someone to make that person feel good. With each response, unfold one of the creases in the heart. Eventually you will have pressed out all of the "hurts"...except, of course, for the fact that the wrinkles can still be seen, even though the heart is now all the way unfolded. Talk about how we each have those wrinkles in our hearts from things that people have said to us, and that the wrinkles last forever. Stress that we want to be careful with what we say so as to not add wrinkles to anyone's heart.
Discuss how important it is to be kind to others, in our words and actions.
Display that heart up in a high corner of the bulletin board and leave it in plain view all year. Frequently someone will mention it...that their heart is wrinkled like that one, etc. It will serve as a great reminder of the importance of kindness all year long.
Open Your Heart to Others
I believe in treating others the way I like to be treated. Each day I open my heart to others and accept them for who they are and what they do. I am kind and loving towards all.
Try being kind to others. Kindness is contagious. If you smile when you see someone you will find them smiling back at you. If you wait for someone, allowing them to do something first (like drink from the water bowl or pick up the tennis ball), you will be happy. They will be happy too! It feels good to do good and doing good deeds makes you and others feel good.
Kindness is one of the core values of Character Education. Make kindness a way of life. We all need to be shown kindness and we all need to open our hearts and express kindness to those around us.
I like to be kind and generous. You should try it. Try just smiling while walking down the street, answering the phone, or just chewing a rawhide (like me). Smiling will make you feel happy and everyone around you will feel your happiness. This will make them happy too!
Kindness lingers. No one forgets when there is an act of loving kindness from you. They may forget your words but they won't forget a kind act. It is a good feeling they get, from loving kindness, and they will remember this feeling forever.
We can change the word - - - one smile at a time. Try it!
Random Acts of Kindness
Do The Right Thing and Be Kind
When we all practice kindness every day, the idea of kindness becomes more than just a thought. Kindness becomes an action. Once kindness becomes an action, it becomes a part of you and it will be easier and easier to be kind.
