February = Character Trait of the Month - Kindness
What is Kindness?
Kindness is the ability and willingness to express care and compassion for others. Kindness is a choice to use our time, talent, and resources to better the lives of others and the world through genuine acts of love, compassion, generosity, and service.
Why focus on Kindness?
- Kindness boosts positive emotions. Acts of kindness create neural pathways that enhance feelings of well-being and the natural flow of feel-good endorphins and neurotransmitters.
- Kindness is self-replicating. When we perform an act of kindness, it is likely to encourage others to act in a similar way.
- Kindness reduces stress and anxiety. Kindness promotes positive relationships with other people. Anything that helps you to build bonds with other people helps decrease anxiety.
Kindness in Action:
- Celebrate small things. Start each day with Good Things as a class. Publicly and privately affirm kind and thoughtful actions and attitudes.
- Create opportunities for students to regularly affirm each other. Once a week, dedicate time for students to write notes of affirmation to classmates and school staff members.
- Model Kindness. Be mindful of body language, tone, and mindset. Kindness is learned by example!