Most kids dread the homework assignments that their teacher sends with them after a long school day. If most parents are honest, they’re not big fans of the extra work either.
For students at an elementary school in Ireland, a homework alternative that teachers assign is taking the world by storm. Instead of focusing on reading, writing, and mathematics, everyone spent an entire month performing acts of kindness.
Each day has a different focus. On Mondays, students are tasked with helping the elderly. Tuesdays have the kids doing chores at home without being asked by their parents. Random good deeds, caring for oneself, and keeping a Kindness Diary are all part of the experience.
The School Also Keeps a Kindness Bucket
The elementary school maintains a Kindness Bucket that encourages kids to write positive things that they see their peers doing every day. The notes then get randomly picked each Friday and read to everyone.
Students then come up with a service project that helps their community as a team.
It has been tried for the last two years during the month of December to encourage the spirit of Christmas. As the Vice Principal of the school notes, some people are lonely or sad during the holiday season. Others may yearn for what they do not have or struggle to enjoy the seasonal festivities.
By ditching homework for random acts of kindness, the goal of the school is to create more joy for everyone in their community.
You can connect with the school in Clonakilty, Ireland, by following them on Facebook.