Celebrating Kindness Day!

The scariest days to be in Kindergarten hall are at the same time, the best days!! I have been looking forward to Kindness Day (Valentines Day) for quite some time while still being a little apprehensive about the chaos that would ensue. But to be honest, what better thing to celebrate than a holiday where we focus solely on friendship and being kind. I had placed a lot of thought into the week of Valentines Day! Each day, the activities and lessons related to kindness related things.

The first thing we did was read Valentines Day Books. Nothing gets my kinder babes quiet like a book on the carpet. There is something about their eager eyes and listening ears when we read a book that excites me and reminds me of their desire to learn! Especially when we can relate the book into our lives. This week with our books, I focused on asking higher order thinking questions about the text. I wanted to make sure that my students were hearing and comprehending what they listened to. They blew me away with how invested they were with our reading!!

We talked about Kindness Day and the L word that makes them squish their faces and say collectively "ewwwwwww!!". I tend to forget that to five year olds, the thought of love is connected with kissing. And clearly that was icky for them!! I explained to them that love can mean so many things! I started with examples about loving a puppy, about me loving them, about me loving my friends, and shared with them how I show my love. When the babes started to hear that I showed love through actions (other than kissing!) they got fired up with their own examples. They started to make connections about how they love friends and family by helping them. I must say, they were so adorable talking about how much they like to help out!! Our writing element focused on who we love and why. I asked each student to think of someone that they love and explain to me why they love them. We did our sound spelling which really pushes them to think! They then got to draw a picture to show what they wrote. I love our writing time because I get to go around and see them at work. They have been doing an IMPRESSIVE job at showing me their 'first grade writing' skills and constantly ask if I can show the first grade teachers!

The next craft we did was an idea I found on Pinterest (still thanking the creator of Pinterest because it has made this Kinder teacher's life SO much fun!!!). Thanks to Blair Turner at One Lesson At A Time, I was able to incorporate a cute idea that allowed for us to talk about kindness to everyone at the same time!!

http://one-lesson-at-a-time.blogspot.com/2014/02/valentines-day-bulletin-boarddoor-for.html?showComment=1391383045256#c4745492817931669233

My students loved the craft, and we got to talk about friends who have different needs. I told them about sign language and how it is used for people who cannot hear or speak. This got us to talk about how each one of us is different and we all like different things, but we still are KIND to each other and show everyone respect! I couldn't help but smile as some of my babes started to explain that they love everyone because they all have "just the most adorable smiles".

Another fun idea that I thought of out of the blue was a Kindness Scavenger Hunt! Throughout the week, I took little notes of things I saw my students do that were acts of kindness. I made one heart for each student and wrote what I saw on it. I placed them around the room and explained to my kids that while we were at lunch, our kindness burst throughout the class!! They got a list of each student in the class and had to walk around recording what each student did! It was a fun twist on a write the room that got them up and moving!! At the end of the lesson, the students got to share a few from their clipboards and explain why it is important to be kind! I was also able to tie in our core value: integrity! I told them that these were all things I saw when they didn't know I was watching. They were displaying integrity the whole week! This really got them excited!!!

When Friday finally came, I was nervous and excited for all that the day had in store! I had my bouncy heart headband on and was ready to celebrate with my kinder babes!!! We spent the day counting heart manipulatives, writing valentines, decorating bags, and then came our party!! After explaining how to pass out Valentines, I watched as the chaos began with each student trying to read names and remember where their friends sit. Let's just say when the passing out stopped, my heart smiled a bit!! I passed out our treats and we started our photobooth! I had made some props (mustaches, lips, and hearts) and the students got to stand in front of a scene and take pictures! They LOVED it!!! Photobooths will become a monthly thing in Room #103 :)

As I reflect on this crazy week, I cannot help but feel thankful and blessed with the opportunity to teach my kinder babes. They truly make me a better person and inspire me to push myself to be even better! Spreading kindness and love got us through the week :) Let's hope it will last us awhile!!!!