May and June - Cultivate Altruism

Altruism is more than kindness. 

-Greater Good Science Center

How to Cultivate Altruism?

Studies show that kids behave altruistically even before they’ve learned to talk. But too often, we don’t act on our propensities for kindness as we get older. Here are some specific, science-based activities for cultivating altruism from our new site Greater Good in Action:

• Random acts of kindness: How to feel happier by doing things for others.
• Feeling Connected: A writing exercise to foster connection and kindness.
• Put a human face on suffering: When reading the news, look for profiles of specific individuals and try to imagine what their lives have been like.
• Eliciting altruism: Create reminders of connectedness.

Want to know more?  Check it out…

• Learning to give
• A Mighty Girl

Courage and Bravery

COURAGE
Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficult situations.

What is moral courage? What are some historic and recent examples of moral courage or moral cowardice?

What things in your life require moral courage?

Is peer pressure a very strong influence in this school? Does it take courage to resist peer pressure?

What does it mean to have principles? What are some of your principles? How much are you willing to risk for your principles? Would you risk being criticized or losing popularity?

What do you think stops people from taking a stand against something they know is wrong?

Want to know more?  Check it out…

• Good Character
• Character Counts

Bring more humor to your classroom.

Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

This April students are bringing more energy to their classroom's with a bit of laughter. There is plenty of science behind why laughing is healthy for us as well as how it can help our students be better learners.

Want to know more?  Check it out…

• Humor in the classroom
• 10 Laughing Resources
• Creating a classroom culture of laughing

February is all about catching the Kindness Bug!

Super Powers Unite

They’re the little moments that have a big impact – and stay with you. That connect you back to your humanity, remind you how much love there is in the world, and feel so good that they inspire you to spread kindness yourself. -RAK

So, why kindness? 

Scientifically. Because it’s good for your health. Economically. Because it’s free. Practically. Because it’s easy. Socially. Because it improves the world. We know how important kindness is because we’ve all felt how important it is. But that’s not the only reason we know. Scientific studies have shown that random acts of kindness are good for you! They improve your life satisfaction by increasing your sense of belonging and self-worth, and they improve your health by decreasing your anxiety, depression and blood pressure. And here’s the best part: these benefits apply to the giver of kindness, the recipient of kindness, and anyone who witnesses the act! Every act improves the lives of at least three people. -RAK

Want to know more?  Check it out…

•       RAK
•       Ellen Degeneres...what does she have to do with kindness?
•   Kindness can help reduce the negative effects of stress.

January- Finding Your Inner Super Hero - Use Your Resources, Be Responsible

Super Powers Unite

It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.”—

Josiah Charles Stamp, English economist

This January students at PRIS are working to become more responsible and find ways to take ownership for their thinking, feelings and behaviors.  Students in Art class are creatively constructing visual artifacts of these core values.

Teaching responsibility and ownership takes a long time. A child who understands and accepts responsibility will do better in school and in life, and home is the very best place to learn it. In her online paper, “Practice What You Preach: Raising Responsible Versus Entitled Children“, Marsha B Sauls, PhD, speaks of parenting for responsibility as the flip side of parenting for entitlement. When we hold our children accountable for their actions, even if it means an uncomfortable, even painful, interaction with them, we are raising responsible children.

Want to know more?  Check it out…

• Responsibilities and Chores
• Responsibility and Values
• Responsibility Myth
• Raising Responsible Kids

November - Practicing being Grateful!

Those that take time to be grateful are proven to be happier and healthier. But just saying “Thank you” is not the only practice of Gratitude. Welcoming opportunities of adversity as a motivator to smooth out your growth edges or reflect on areas needing strength is a moment of practicing Gratitude. Stopping and slowing down your moment to fully engage in the present time is a practice of Gratitude.

Students that develop the skills needed to practice Gratitude regularly are more successful in school, manage emotions in a healthier way, have less conflict and more positive problem solving skills, and are genuinely happier and more resilient.

This November I would like to encourage you to share your Gratitude. Consider online journaling, using a Gratitude journal, practicing mindfulness or any other number of Gratitude practices that you can incorporate into your daily life. Provide the footprint that your children need to follow as you walk the path of Gratitude.  

"Thousands of years of literature talk about the benefits of cultivating gratefulness as a virtue," says University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons. Throughout history, philosophers and religious leaders have extolled gratitude as a virtue integral to health and well-being. Now, through a recent movement called positive psychology, mental health professionals are taking a close look at how virtues such as gratitude can benefit our health. And they're reaping some promising results.

Benefits of Gratitude

Grateful people -- those who perceive gratitude as a permanent trait rather than a temporary state of mind -- have an edge on the not-so-grateful when it comes to health, according to Emmons' research on gratitude. "Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations," Emmons tells WebMD.

Want to know more?  Check it out…

Gratitude Health Boost

Praise of Gratitude

Greater Good

October - Use your resources and be an advocate for yourself.

October is Resourcefulness (able to deal skillfully and promptly with new situations, difficulties, etc.).

We expect students to be able to transfer skills to unfamiliar situations but have we taught them how to be resourceful? Students must be able to navigate these unfamiliar situations using critical thinking, advocating and resilience among other skills. Teachers and students will dig deeper into the layers of understanding and uncover areas of strength and needing growth.

How many of the below can you check off? (https://teachingselfadvocacy.wordpress.com/teaching-self-advocacy-skills/)

• Awareness of personal preferences, interests, strengths, and limitations.
• Ability to differentiate between wants and needs.
• Ability to make choices based on preferences, interests, wants, and needs.
• Ability to consider multiple options and to anticipate consequences for decisions.
• Ability to initiate and take action when needed.
• Ability to evaluate decisions based on the outcomes of previous decisions and to revise future decisions accordingly.
• Ability to set and work toward goals.
• Problem-solving skills.
• A striving for independence while recognizing interdependence with others.
• Ability to self-regulate behavior.
• Self-evaluation skills
• Independent performance and adjustment skills.
• Persistence.
• Ability to use communication skills such as negotiation, compromise, and persuasion to reach goals.
• Ability to assume responsibility for actions and decisions.
• Self-confidence.
• Pride.
• Creativity (such as creating other accommodations that help support the need of the students)