Deep Kindness

Funded Nov 8, 2024

Thank you so much for helping provide books for my classroom. We are 6 weeks into second semester and have already done 1 round of projects based on the idea of Deep Kindness from the book.

Before receiving the class set of books, I myself read the book and I was able to download an audio version of the book with the author himself reading the book and offering additional thoughts. As I have gotten to know my students better this semester, I have realized that the book is a little bit above their reading comprehension level...so instead of reading the entire book as a class, we are reading sections of the book together and I am pulling certain topics covered to focus on in more detail.

The biggest focus so far has been on the concept of Deep Kindness. This is the concept that true, authentic, impactful kindness goes beyond just being nice. Nice is saying please and thank you, nice is holding the door for someone, or helping someone pick up items they dropped. Deep Kindness is going out of your way to intentionally do something kind for others. It takes thought...it is proactive and not simply reactive.

Before we really got into this concept, students were challenged to come up with a project they could do that would promote this type of Kindness. As a class we did 4 different projects the week before spring break. The first was a "Lemonade Stand" on a random sunny day students setup a table by the exit of the school and handed out water bottles with quotes on them and a packet of Crystal Light lemonade attached. Students worked in the class the previous week to prep the bottles and make a fun sign. The second project was a bubble station at lunch. Students set up tables that had bubbles on them so students at lunch could just have fun and blow bubbles together. They also gave away to students smaller bottles of bubbles that had positive messages attached to them. A third group decorated over 200 cups with stickers and positive messages on them then filled them with popcorn to pass out during lunch. For the fourth project, students painted rocks with positive messages and fun designs on them and hid them all over our school campus for other students to find.

Overall the projects went well and gave students an introduction to the concept of Deep Kindness. As we continue to read the book, and develop a deeper understanding, students will design a second round of projects at the end of the school year that will take all that they have learned”

With gratitude,

Ms. Baxter