Monday, May 6, 2013

Stinky Choices and Growing Kindness

If you are reading this, THANK YOU for sticking around. I cannot believe it has been so long since my last post. I think I just was in a funk. I am going to really try and do a better job about blogging. I guess part of me still worries about whether I have anything worthy to blog about.

I love hearing my class talk about Our School Family. Well, the brothers and sisters in Our School Family have been getting a little fussy with each other. So I wanted to take our job of the Kindness Recorder and do something special with it.

This is one of my favorite jobs. The Kindness Recorder looks for kind acts to add a kind flower to our flower pot.


The Kindness Recorder will tell the person who did or said the kind thing
 I am going to add you a kind flower for ________________.
The person it is being added for answers
Thank you for noticing that.

So, I thought we needed to grow some more kindness and trash our stinky, unkind choices. We were going to get some help from Freddy the Friendly Frog.


I forgot to take a picture of Freddy but here are some realistic frogs you could use. The one I have is from Wal-Mart and a little bigger than these. =)


{updated}
Here is the letter we got from Freddy. I forgot to take a picture of the package and all of the goodies.  =(


We needed to start by talking about trash and how no one wants to be around it because it stinks. No one likes to play around trash . If you hang around trash, you might start to stink too. Would you rather be around flowers or trash?

We then talked about how our behavior can be stinky even though we have a kind heart...no one might notice it over the smell of our stinky choices.

Next, it was time to sort the cards Freddy the Friendly Frog left us. We sorted our cards by whether it was something that someone with a kind heart would do or something that a person who was making a stinky choice would do.
In the picture it says stinky heart but in the packet it says stinky choice. I forgot to take the picture after I changed it.


We talked about stinky choices that others had made that hurt and wrinkled our hearts. I told the kiddos that it is easy to think of the things that others have done toward us but we needed to look at the things WE have done that were stinky choices. We then wrote about those choices. Some of them were so funny. It was like a confessional. Some of them went on and on about things they had done. 

Here is where threw away our stinky choices.


Isn't this precious??? =)


After everyone threw away their stinky choices, we talked about growing kindness and how it starts from the heart. We talked about how we can show others we care about them by having a kind heart. The kiddos then made a kind flower and wrote on the petals ways they could be kind.



Freddy also brought us some flowers so we could remember to always be kind. =)



I bought my flower toys that Our Kindness Recorder uses several years ago at the Target Dollar Spot. I think I see them there every summer. If not, here is a link where you can buy some. =)

Click on the Growing Kindness picture above to download this lesson. =)

Be sure and head over to TPT this Tuesday and Wednesday for a HUGE Sale.


Thank you Beth for this adorable sale sign. =)

Be sure and check out her store. She is amazing. =)

I would love for you to leave me some kindness. =)

From My Heart to Yours,

40 heart notes:

kinder-gardening said...

It is so nice to see you back to blogging! I missed your good ideas and gentle ways. I love your Freddy the Friendly Frog. It's at this time of year that my class needs reminders about being kind.

Unknown said...

Heather this post is AWESOME! You noticed that your School Family needed a little extra boost to grow kindness, so you brought in Freddy Frog to help them remember! That was not only helpful to them, but sooo helpful to the many teachers who will also grow kindness as a result of you sharing! Way to go!!! So glad to see you back at it! :)

Lorena said...

Thank you so much! I've missed your blog posts too.
Glad you are back.

Little Miss Primary said...

My heart is so happy after reading this! I love this--so glad you're back :) You talked about wrinkling a friend's heart, and we did a similar activity in my class last year. Instead of a heart, though, we talked about hurtful words and how those unkind words make people crinkly and it's really hard to smooth them all the way out again. It was really powerful for my kiddos, but now I can't wait to use your lesson! Thanks for the ideas, Heather! :)

Erin
Little Miss Primary

megan said...

This post came at just the right time! Thanks for the freebie...a few of our friends need it again this time of year.

Amanda said...

That is such a great idea! I love the kind heart and stinky heart idea. I agree that after 8 months together, the kids start to get a little fussy with each this time of year! Thanks for sharing your ideas! :)

Amanda
First Grade Garden

Annie said...

YOu seem like such a good teacher! I love the kind/stinky heart idea... I have a feeling my kids will need a refresher before the year is up. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas!
Annie
Three Cheers for First Grade!

Ms. Dawn said...

I have missed you! I even sent you a msg on FB checking on you. I wish you would blog daily ... don't worry about not having anything "worthy" to blog ... we are not here to judge. Love your ideas!
~Dawn

Elyse D'Andrea-Happily Teaching said...

Hi Heather!

Thanks for commenting on my first-ever blog post! Loving that I have a new follower and excited to be yours! :)

What a cutie idea about the stinky choices/trash and the kindness flowers. Wish I would have seen this earlier in the school year when my kiddos were making a few too many "stinky choices" haha!

Elyse

Happily Teaching

Jennifer Jenkins Vukosic said...

Love this! I'm glad to hear that it's not just my class that seems to be making stinky choices lately!

I did notice on one of the cards that it says "A friend keeps talking WITH the teacher is talking. It should read WHEN the teacher..."

Thanks so much for this!!

Jen
jeneratorj@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Thanks, Heather! This is a really great idea! I love the stinky choices and I may just have to do this sometime this week!

Thanks again!
Jacque
praterspractices.blogspot.com

Olwyn Hughes said...

So nice to see your name in my inbox!!! Missed you! When I grow up I hope that I can be as good a teacher as you are. I love all of your ideas. There are days when reading your words keeps me going. Don't stop blogging! You make a difference!

michkenney said...

Thank you for the resource! I will definitely be using it with my class.

Unknown said...

I love this! The brothers and sisters in my class family could really use a kindness review, too! :)

Unknown said...

Welcome back! Thank you for the lovely post! It came at the perfect time...I think we all have some stinky choices going on....I am so excited to use you ideas with my little kiddos!

~Heidi V.

Jill said...

Glad your back, I was worried about you. Never doubt you have things to blog, you always inspire me.
Jill

Megan Baker said...

I loved your post, Heather! What a clever way to change the classroom atmosphere:) I hope they will keep up their kind hearts until the end of the school year for you!

Shelley H said...

Hi Heather,

I lOVE your blog! Thanks for inviting me to visit! You and I think alike a lot. Most of the resources I create have a "heart" value to them because I believe so much in Social and Emotional learning. Thanks for sharing!

Shelley

The Perks of Teaching Primary

Andrea Brown - Cheers To School said...

So glad to see you blogging again Heather! The growing kindness idea is great! Also, I love how you incorporated those toy flowers into the classroom. I'm pretty sure I have a couple of those packed somewhere in the basement. Thanks for sharing your great ideas!

Andrea
Cheers To School

Dr. Jill E. Steeley said...

This terrific activity is always needed at this point in the year when everyone is tired and cranky. Thanks for sharing.

Buzz over to my blog and join my count-down linky. Leave a comment telling how many school days you have left.

Jill
a-little-red-wagon

Nicole said...

Just wanted to leave you a little heart note to let you know I was thinking about you today! I hope things are going well! I know you worry about whether or not you have something worth blogging about, but you should understand that "we" your followers LOVE what you blog about and it is ALL worth while!

That is all. I tried to email this to you, but my email wasn't letting me! I hope you get this!

nring@dg58.org

Nicole
A Frenzy of Fun in 1st Grade

Fluttering Through First Grade said...

We are just getting around to commenting so what does that tell you about our crazy lives right now too! It's the busiest school time of year right now so who has time to blog?! Eeeesh!

Love your sweet lil Freddys and such great tools to teach kids much needed life skills. Love it girl!

~Christy & Tammy
Fluttering Through First Grade

Carolyn Kisloski said...

Heather,
I just wanted to let you know I loved your idea- and I was thinking about it so much that I bought a skunk beanie baby at a garage sale this weekend just to go with the "stinky choices!"
:) Thanks for sharing!
Carolyn
Kindergarten: Holding Hands and Sticking Together

Unknown said...

Being kind to each other was something that my kids and I worked really hard on this year. It was a struggle. I love you idea of having a "kindness recorder" as a classroom job. I will definitely be trying that next year!

Jordan
Sweet Little Things

Anonymous said...

This is really cute and effective motivation among kids. Whoever thought of this is really really smart! Great job! Freddie likewise deserves a compliment for this. Excellent work Freddie, keep it up! I think this is a perfect idea inside the classroom coz’ you don’t have to scold or reprimand. Kids can do it all by themselves without telling them to do so.

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Melissa Williams said...

These are great ideas to encourage citizenship! I'll have to steal some of your great ideas ;)

First Grade Frame of Mind

tnw1988 said...

I found you through a comment you posted on another blog and your blog name caught my attention. In reference to your most recent post, it looks that you have plenty of worthy things to blog about! As for the scripture in your about me section, that is our focal scripture for Bible school next week!! :-) I am a new follower.

-Tasha
ATenderTeacherforSpecialNeeds

Anonymous said...

We agree with Tasha above. Heather, you are completely amazing and such a gifted teacher. We don't know if this is a personal funk or education funk. Education has been going through some tough times and it is felt all around. We notice that blogs are shutting down and less sharing is occuring. Just two summers ago, the magic was felt. We hope whatever kind of funk you are experiencing that it settles soon; The Kindergarten Goonies miss you much!!!! (yeah a little 80's Janet Jackson there...but hey the 80's were such a happy time! Take whatever time you need to...your followers will be waiting for some of the magic you share!

XOXO
The Goonie Gals
www.kindergartengoonies.blogspot.com

Robyn Beele said...

I LOVE this idea! I am pinning this just in case we start having stinky choices! Thanks so much for following!

KaSandra said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm new to first grade so I'll be sure to read through your blog archives as part of my "professional development" this summer.
KaSandra
http://memoriesmadeinfirst.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

After you visited me I came over to make sure I was following you with my new blog and username. I think it's all straight now. This was such a cute activity. Putting it in my vault for my first grade teachers. :)

Ryan Crowder said...

I miss your posts, sweet friend! I hope you are well and having a happy summer. :)

Nancy VandenBerge said...

I miss you, sweet Heather!! E-mail me, so we can get together!!
Joyfully!
Nancy
nancyvb1@gmail.com
firstgradewow.blogspot.com

Ms. Harris said...

I have a random question...what fonts do you use on your products they are super cute!!

Full Circle in 2nd Grade

Kaylin Hinton said...

Hi Heather! First off, I just wanted to say how encouraging your blog is! Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts, ideas, struggles, and successes.

I will be entering my first year of teaching in 2nd grade. I have attend Conscious Discipline trainings, studying the books on my own, and am excited to begin implementing it in my classroom this year! However, talking with some previous experienced teachers, they asked what my behavior management chart/visual would be. I am trying to avoid using the clip chart. At my school, students carry S.B.R.'s (Student Behavior Reports) where the school wide expectations are listed and teachers can write the according number that was not followed in the folder. Do you think I still need to have a visual of some kind? What are your thoughts?

Thank you so much in advance!
~Kaylin Hinton
upwardlight@yahoo.com

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