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