21 Aug Cultivating Kindness by Year 3 General Studies Teachers
In Year 3, we have embarked on a unique and enriching approach to cultivating kindness within our students.
Commencing our journey, we initiated a Preparation Circle—an interactive session that ignited our collective imagination. Together, we delved into the realm of feelings, envisaging the ideal school experience. Among the suggestions, the consensus converged on the significance of feeling safe, respected, and happy. Collaboratively, we discussed an array of behaviours that would manifest these. Each week we continue to embark on the introspective task of assessing our own endeavours. Though optimism coloured our initial ambitions, we realised that our self-evaluation scores fell short of our aspirations.
We explored the captivating book titled ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse.’ Through the endearing friendship of these four unlikely companions, students were exposed to a heartfelt narrative that not only captivated their imagination but also sparked profound conversations about life’s fundamental truths and the essence of genuine friendship. This heartwarming tale served as a catalyst for discussions that delved into the depths of human emotions, values, and friendship through kindness.
Next students engaged in a thought-provoking exercise, where an apple is used to demonstrate the impact language can have on self-esteem and wellbeing. The first apple was showered with compliments and kind words, while the second faced insults and was dropped on the ground each time it was insulted. Although the apples appeared identical externally, a transformative revelation occurred when they were sliced in half. The apple treated with kindness exhibited a pristine interior, while the other apple bore internal bruises—a powerful visual metaphor underscoring the profound impacts of kind and negative language on both ourselves and others.
As we explored the lesson through the apple exercise, whilst woven into the discussion of ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse’, we encouraged our students to embrace kindness not only as a virtue but as a way of life, fostering a school and community culture that embodies empathy, respect, tolerance and the joy of connection.
Students have been tasked with documenting instances of kindness they’ve experienced from their peers on apple-shaped templates. These apples, adorned with heartfelt descriptions of the acts of kindness, are finding a home on our shared kindness tree. This display not only acknowledges and celebrates kindness within our community, but also serves as a visual reminder and representation of the positive connections we forge with one another through our language.
We look forward to seeing our tree blossom when fed by the children’s kind gestures and acts of friendship.
Melanie Adelist and Leigh Roncon