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