3 Simple Ways to Foster Kindness in Your Classroom This November

November is a wonderful month to focus on building a kind classroom culture. As we approach the season of giving, creating an environment where kindness flourishes can help children feel more connected and considerate toward one another. Here are three easy-to-implement ideas to inspire kindness among your students!

1. Try a Class 'Owl-Ways Choose Kind' Challenge 🦉

Incorporating kindness challenges can be a fun way to encourage positive behaviors. The “Owl-Ways Choose Kind” challenge is a visual and engaging way to track acts of kindness in your classroom. I have a printable coloring page available in the Pond Coloring Club for this activity. 

Here’s how it works:

• Each time a student performs or observes an act of kindness, they color a leaf on their class coloring sheet.
• Set a class goal: Can they reach 100 leaves by the end of November?
• Display the page somewhere visible to keep everyone excited about reaching the goal and to recognize each act of kindness.
• With this ongoing activity, you’ll find students start actively looking for ways to help, share, and be kind to each other.
• Join the Pond Coloring Club for $9.99 a year to access the “Owl-Ways Choose Kind” printable and many other fun resources for your classroom!

2. Focus on Helping as a Kindness Tool 🤲

Helping is one of the simplest ways to show kindness. Together, create a list of helpful actions that students can take to make a positive impact in their classroom and school. Here’s a step-by-step for introducing this concept:

• Start by discussing what it means to be helpful and how helping others can make a difference.
• Brainstorm a list of actions together. These could include helping a friend pick up toys, assisting with clean-up time, sharing supplies, or even offering to help a teacher.
• Keep the list visible and encourage students to check it for inspiration when they’re looking to be helpful.
• Having a tangible list allows students to see that kindness is something they can choose every day and that helping others can be simple and impactful.

3. Read Books About Kindness and Helping 📚

Books are a powerful way to show children the importance of kindness through storytelling. Choose a few children's books that feature kind or helpful characters and encourage your class to discuss the story. Here’s how you can make this activity impactful:

• After reading each story, prompt your students with questions like, “How did this character show kindness?” and “How did the other characters feel?”
• Encourage them to think about similar situations they might face and how they could respond kindly.
• Some great book options include “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud, “Winnie the Pooh Helps the Bees” and “The Kindness Quilt” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.

Discussing these stories can help students better understand the feelings associated with kindness and how they might bring similar acts of kindness into their own lives.

Quick Action Steps to Implement the Owl-Ways Kind Challenge 

• 📝Join the Pond Coloring Club to access the “Owl-Ways Choose Kind” printable for your classroom.
• Introduce the kindness challenge by explaining how students can color a leaf each time they perform or witness a kind act.
• Brainstorm helping ideas as a class to add to your “Ways to Be Helpful” list.
• Read a story about kindness or helping each week, discussing how the characters show kindness and how students can replicate similar actions.

By the end of November, you’ll have a classroom full of young, budding kindness champions! Not only will your students feel empowered to be kind, but they’ll also learn how impactful small acts of kindness can be.

Happy teaching, and here’s to a November filled with kindness!