Have you given gratitude today? According to Owen Griffith the daily journaling of gratitude can increase your classroom culture and classroom performance. Just have the students write 5 gratitudes a day can lead to "1000 or more in a year!"
(Griffith, "Gratitude: A Powerful Tool for Your Classroom", 2014). He suggests that you write for a few weeks your own gratitudes before sharing and having students write, also you can provide a template for a few weeks until the students become comfortable. Such as, I am thankful for...Thank you for...etc. The more you write you will want the students to be come descriptive and give specific examples of their gratitude. Griffith suggests being specific and encourage to find gratitude in homework and chores. The more you give gratitude the more reflexive it will become. According to research by, Dr. Robert Emmons and Dr. Jeffrey Froh,
Keeping a gratitude journal on a daily basis helps students achieve the following:
- Higher grades
- Higher goals
- More satisfaction with relationships, life, and school
- Less materialism
- More willingness to give back.
(Griffith, "Gratitude: A Powerful Tool For Your Classroom," 2014)
Put positivity out receive positivity. After reading this article I realized I have been lax in promoting our good news in our building. In previous years to boost moral I have hung large posters in the lounge for the staff to give verbal "pats on the backs" and positivity posters where we write something positive that has happened in our classroom. With the new administration I wanted to give her a chance to do her own thing, but listening to the staff I think they would welcome some warm fuzzies and I might just entitle one Gratitudes!!
http://www.edutopia.org//blog/gratitude-powerful-tool-for-classroom-owen-griffith
Griffith, O. (2014, November 17). Gratitude: A Powerful Tool for Your Classroom. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org//blog/gratitude-powerful-tool-for-classroom-owen-griffith
I like it- what a thoughtful thing to do!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's elementary school keeps a journal next to the whiteboard/chalkboard. If you have a grievance, you can write it there and it will be addressed at the weekly 'class meeting'. At the meeting, issues will be discussed and an acceptable resolution must be sought by all parties, ie, an apology, a hug, a change of plans, etc. when this is done, all parties involved must complement each other on how they handled the situation. They are encouraged to write these complements in the journal as well. Great stress relief...btw- by the end of week when the meeting should take place, most grievances now seem insignificant and often forgotten altogether. And all you have left is lots of complements and gratitude.
ReplyDeleteI think that students would enjoy that type of activity very much. Here's a cute template for a gratitude journal.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gratitude-Journal-399567