Sometimes sunny weather can derail the positive behaviors your students have been practicing all year long. If you’re in need of a kindness recap, consider going wild! Several wild animals species are known to exhibit kind and compassionate behaviors. Scientists have witnessed displays of caring behavior in dolphins, elephants, chimpanzees, orangutans, chickens, and mice!
Dolphins for example, show love for their pod-mates. They also show love for other species. Did you know that dolphins have rescued swimmers from hammerhead sharks? They have also been observed guiding stranded whales back out to sea.
Elephants use their trunks to console or comfort other elephants that are hurt or not feeling well. They also make sounds to express friendliness and affection. These ginormous creatures are extremely empathetic as well. They “bury” their dead with leaves, twigs, and dirt and stand on guard around the body for a couple of days.
Sharing examples of the kindness and compassion wild animals have for each other could be just the nudge students need to evaluate their own actions.
Do you have a favorite way to instill kindness and compassion in your students? Please share!
Thoughtfully,
Diane
I emphasize Treat others how you want to be treated!
By living and expressing kindness and compassion and gratitude.
It’s a lifelong gift…
every year I have my students create a ‘kindness quilt’ it is a piece of cardstock with a table that shows every student’s name on it … on the last few days of school, each student signs everyone’s quilt with a kind word or memory from the year …. parents tell me years later that their child still treasures their ‘quilt’ from second grade