Kindness, I NEED HELP, TOO!

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Home : 2002 : January : 31

Kindness, I NEED HELP, TOO!
By ddd

Hi 5th grade teacher! I teach 4th grade, and I'm having many of the same difficulties with my class. This is my 7th year of teaching, and the FIRST time I've had a class treat each other poorly. We have been working and
working on kindness. Since we've returned from Christmas vacation, I've tried many, many things. We have an "Acts of Kindness" board that the students add to each and every time someone does or says something kind. This was a big hit the first day or two but has dwindled now. We made an "ABC's of Kindness" bulletin board. Students worked in groups to add something to each letter of

the alphabet that had to do with being kind. They came up with great ones, had to illustrate them on a heart, and we put it up in the room. It looks great, but.... hasn't helped much. We have class meetings to discuss how kindness sounds, looks, and feels. Our school psychologist came to discuss bullies and way to deal with them. My, I have tried everything I can think of! I have 5 or 6 very strong personalities this year, and 5 or 6 obvious "victims". I now have an "Unkind Paragraph" that those that are doing unkind acts have to write for me at recess. Are there any other ideas out there? I'd really be appreciative to anyone who can come up with some new ways to promote kindness and "community" in my classroom. I know how you feel!