Research-based
Gratitude activities help educators and students succeed and thrive.
·
Gratitude Journal - Use this
prompt that encourages students and teachers to look more deeply into why they
are grateful: “Thank
you for _____because________________.”
Change Educators/Students
Gratitude Routines - To
avoid “Gratitude Fatigue,” keep activities fun and novel. For example:
·
Have
educators and students write gratitude statements
to each other on sticky notes.
·
Make
a Gratitude Facebook page for students, teachers, and the entire school community.
·
Turn
a “Gripe into a Gratitude.” Have students and teachers turn complaints
into statements of Gratitude. For example, “I hate doing my homework” can be
flipped into “I am grateful I get to learn by doing my homework. It will help
me get a good job someday.”
·
Let
student and teachers create their own
Gratitude activities for class, using their strengths and interests.
Incorporate
Gratitude Activities into Induction and Mentoring Programs. New teachers will:
·
Write and deliver a “Gratitude Letter” to
someone who helped them become an educator. Research shows this helps both
giver and receiver.
·
Incorporate a few moments into their daily routine
to pause and keep a “Grateful” perspective.
Incorporate
Gratitude Activities into existing curriculum to make it
easier to use. Students will
·
Have students compose a “Gratitude Letter” to
someone they are grateful for as a part of an English writing assignment. (If
possible, have them deliver the letter and read it to them.)
·
Research a historical figure that had a positive impact on the world and write about why they are
grateful for them as part of a Social Studies assignment.
·
Incorporate Gratitude into art, music, science
or technology projects.
Points
to Consider:
·
Gratitude improves teachers’ and students’ social ties to each other,
families, and the school community, building
a positive learning community and encouraging radical collaboration.
·
Gratitude can be used to help educators and students build
resilience to survive and thrive
through the challenges of a school year by re-framing how they view
challenges.
·
Educators should practice Gratitude activities personally before they give it to
their students so they can tell their students of the potential benefits.
·
Gratitude is much more than a
pleasant emotion; it is a conscious
choice, a way of seeing and interacting
with the world.
·
Gratitude is a powerful tool
that can help reshape
education and promote a positive culture in any classroom or school.
References: Gratitude: A Way of Teaching, Owen M.Griffith, Rowman and Littlefield, 2016.
