Kindness as a Practice in the K-12 Classroom
A Webinar on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) with Experts in the Field
Last week, we hosted a webinar in partnership with Hasbro’s Be Fearless Be Kind Consortium, a group of organizations dedicated to making schools (and the world!) a better, more empathetic place for children to grow and learn. During the webinar, we heard from eight different speakers, who each presented their group’s mission, work, and the experiences they offer students. Webinar speakers included:
- Karen Davis, Hasbro’s Be Fearless Be Kind
- Jill McManigal, Kids for Peace
- Erik Stangvik, No Bully
- Jessica Burnquist, Rock Your World
- Andrea Cahn, Special Olympics North America
- Joaquin Tamayo, Stand for Children
- Kinvara Jardine Paterson, World’s Largest Lesson
- Karen L. Daniel, Youth Service America
If you missed the live event, don’t worry — you can find a recorded version of the webinar at the bottom of this blog. In the meantime, here’s what you can expect to learn during the webinar:
A Variety of Approaches to Teaching Kindness
Each organization offers a different approach to teaching kindness and empathy. Some programs are well-suited for a specific age group, and others will be a great fit for varying student populations based on needs. In some cases, you might find it best to engage with a few organizations, and provide your students with multiple opportunities to practice kindness throughout the school year or even throughout their academic careers. For example, Kids for Peace hosts “The Great Kindness Challenge”, which is available to all K-12 students. Stand for Children hosts “The Middle School Kindness Challenge,” which specifically targets the needs of middle school students. Your district might find it best to implement both activities across your learning community.
Resources and Takeaways to Get You Started
This webinar is packed full of websites that will lead you to resources, real-life examples, and takeaways to use in the classroom. For example, Kids for Peace offers a “kindness checklist” to all educators who sign up to participate in The Great Kindness Challenge, and World’s Largest Lesson offers animated videos and lesson plans. (Some of the World’s Largest Lesson resources are even available in multiple languages!) Be Fearless Be Kind offers a kindness pledge in two versions, differentiated by age group, and each organization provides instructions on how to take next steps to participate in their program. After watching the webinar, if you have any questions for the speakers or would like to request any additional information, just comment on this blog, and we will do our best to connect you with the resources you need.
Best of luck in your mission to make kindness a regular practice in your learning community! Find the full webinar below:
If you’re looking to integrate social and emotional learning into your kindness practices, visit:
