I tend to avoid controversial topics here at The Mailbox® blog. Getting everyone riled up is not my goal. But for this blog I’m going to skirt the edge of controversy. It’s really just the edge though…I promise.
So last week students all over the U.S. walked out of class to protest gun violence. I saw a lot of posts on my personal Facebook page talking about how students should be “walking up” instead of “walking out.” In other words, they should be walking up to lonely or bullied students and offering conversation and friendship. Now, I personally feel that one can both walk out and walk up, but that’s neither here nor there. I suspect we can all agree that showing kindness towards lonely or bullied students is an admirable quality we should promote. Therefore, here are 3 ways to encourage an atmosphere of kindness and inclusion in your classroom and school.
- Each week, have student volunteers be part of a Lunchtime Fun Club (or some other generic name that emphasizes good times). These volunteers notice if someone is eating or playing by themselves. After introducing themselves, they eat and talk to the student or invite him to play on the playground.
- A lot of students don’t know how to make friends. During transition times in your classroom, have mini discussions to help students improve their friendship skills. For example, you might ask, “What are some things you can ask to get to know someone?” or “How can you make a friend during recess today?”
- Point out real-life people who are doing good things for others. There are tons of stories online that spotlight people who feed the homeless, foster animals, make blankets for ill children, and numerous other good deeds. Emphasize that you can tell the quality of a person by how they treat others.