Numerous studies have shown the benefits of expressing Gratitude. Defined as, the feeling of thankfulness and appreciation, gratitude has been linked to better sleep, improved self-esteem, strengthened relationships, reduced aggression, greater happiness, and overall improved health.
Unfortunately, despite its laundry list of benefits, gratitude is often lost in today's fast-paced, instant gratification, gimme gimme, self-absorbed entitled culture that we live in. Fueled by the desire to accumulate more and more with the purpose of flaunting our new acquisitions on social media for all our "friends" and followers to see and "like", we have evolved into a society focused on "what's next?" rather than focusing on and appreciating "what's now?" Given this, it is no wonder that children in your class/school, might not know why, how or when to express gratitude.
As educators, we have the unique opportunity to teach individuals in their formative years how to savor the moment, appreciate the now, and have gratitude for what they have been given. With the holiday season just around the corner, there is no better time than now to begin doing so. Below are several suggestions for how to implement gratitude activities into your instruction.
- Designate at least one journal entry a week as a gratitude entry. You can give your students prompts such as: List 3 things you are thankful for and explain why you are thankful for them., Who has done something nice for you this week? How could you thank them for their kindness?, What activities, hobbies, and or sports would you miss if you could not do them?
- Facilitate a class discussion where you compare your school today with your school in the past and/or compare your school to schools in less developed countries. During the conversation, point out the positive attributes of your current school setting and benefits that the students receive by being part of the school community. Together, you can brainstorm ways to give back to the school by planning and implementing a service learning project or event celebrating the school.
- Often our custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, office staff, and maintenance workers are the unsung heroes of our schools. They work hard to make our school run well, yet they are often underappreciated. You can brighten their day and show them appreciation by asking your students to write "thank you" cards for them.
