As an educator, I am expected to teach Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. All of these subjects are without a doubt important in fostering a well-rounded education, but I strongly believe that there is one other important skill that should be practiced and modeled in the classroom as well; kindness. Being kind to others is something I believe that everyone should be doing every day, but in a society where people are often rushed and constantly on the go, it can often be forgotten. So, who better to focus on being kind to others than children? “Kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. Kindness is an emotion that students feel and empathy is a strength that they share” says Patty O’Grady, PhD. With the inspiration of Makeawave.com, I made it a personal goal to make the importance of kindness a priority in my classroom.
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