GRATITUDE
Fostering an Attitude of
Gratitude
Benefits of Gratitude
Researchers have been
November is a time for
Thanksgiving, for feeling
grateful and thankful. We see
it on Facebook posts and in
cards sent to loved ones. So
why not tap into that energy
with our students?
It’s in the air…let’s bring it
into our classrooms and into
our students’ hearts and
minds. There is a body of
research that shows that the
benefits to our children move
beyond the ‘feel good’ vibes
that gratitude may bring.
looking into the effects that
cultivating a sense of
gratitude can have on
children in the classroom
and in their lives beyond
the walls and years of
school. I think we all can
see how more positive
students = more positive
classroom experiences for
all of us!
So how can we help to
cultivate this attitude of
gratitude with our students
with our already busy
school days?
We can’t
realistically add on more to
our days. So what CAN
we do? Let’s take a look at
a few ideas we can bring
into our classrooms that
might make their way out
into the wider world!
Gratitude can lead to higher
grades and life satisfaction
among students
Promotes development of self
control and self regulation
Helps students feel more
connected to school, family and
community.
Helps foster positive emotions
(keeping stress down)
Studies show grateful youth
have higher GPAs
Fosters increased sense of hope
and trust in others
Fuels a desire to give back to
community (including school
community)
from
ASCD November 2013 | Volume 55 | Number 11
Tapping into the Power of Gratitude Pages 16-7
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Everything we say or do during our time with students is teaching
them something, whether we intend it to or not. Explicit and
intentional modeling is one of the most powerful teaching ‘tools’
we have in our kit. Sharing our sense of gratitude with our
students, modeling specific examples gratitude, and encouraging
responses of gratitude take very little time but can pay off in a lot
of ways. One side effect of this modeling is that teachers who
practice gratitude "feel more satisfied and accomplished, and less
emotionally exhausted” possibly reducing teacher burnout!
R Remind /tell children that you are grateful for them with reasons why.
It’s the reasons that will be important to them.
Take “thankful” time outs-stop and take a moment to express gratitude
during the day. Write it on a post it and pop it up on a thankful chart
Talk up colleagues, parents, or students’ actions that you notice to be
kind or helpful and express your gratitude for those actions.
Paula Bourque 2013
Gratitude Practices for the Classroom
Gratitude Journals- Transform your writing journals or writers notebooks
into Gratitude Journals for a month. Encourage students to brainstorm, draw
and write about what they are grateful for. These could be quickwrites or
more developed topics for writing.
Cards and Letters- One focus of the Common Core is writing for real
audiences. What better activity than writing cards or letters expressing
gratitude to people who are important to our students?
Show and Tell- The Common Core Listening and Speaking Standards expect
our students to be able to present and support their thinking to an audience
and to evaluate a speakers point of view. Students who are presenting and
students who are listening can be building these skills in the context of
sharing and building gratitude!
Picture Book of Gratitude- Invite students to write a picture book for
younger readers to help them be more thankful for everyday things/people
in their lives. Provide them opportunities to read to younger classes as well.
Question- When students talk about events in their lives (either challenges or
successes) ask them Did someone help you? to foster an awareness of how much
others do for us that we sometimes don’t acknowledge or consider.
Bulletin Board-Encourage students to design a poster, bulletin board, or presentations to share
examples of gratitude. This can be worked on during inside recess, when other work is complete or
outside of class.
Classifying- Encourage students sort examples of gratitude and classify them. Open sorts allow
them to create categories. Closed sorts are categories given by the teacher (people, things,
experiences, etc.) that students can categorize examples.
Read Alouds-There are dozens of books with gratitude as a theme. Incorporate some into your
read aloud time this month! You might even read aloud your own gratitude journal as a mentor
text.
Gratitude Chains-Create a paper chain with each link representing a thought of gratitude. String
these up in the classroom to remind students of the bounty of good things in their lives.
End of Day Routine- Whether you use an exit slip, whip around, or quick write, ending the day on
a note of gratitude can leave kids with a positive feeling about their day. Ask them to name at least
1 think they are grateful for and why. This would be a great time for the teachers to share
gratitudes as well. (For students who seem reluctant or uninspired, they may choose the same thing each day, but
provide a different reason. ex. My friends because: they help me, they share with me, they make me laugh, etc)
Resources for Thanks and Gratitude
Picture Books
Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks Margaret Sutherland
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
I’m Thankful Each Day by P.K. Hallinan
Reach Out and Give by Cheri Meiners
Small Blessings by Erica Beckler
Gratitude Soup by Olivia Rosewood
Thanks: Learning to Appreciate. by Luciana Reis (nonfiction)
An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud
Giving Thanks by Jonathan London
Web Resources
PINTEREST:
http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=teach%20gratitude
TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:Gratitude
GRATITUDE JOURNALS:
http://lasd.k12.pa.us/teachers/purnellj/Gratitude.html
http://www.everydayfamily.com/blog/gratitude-journals-a-freeway-to-teach-kids-appreciation/
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2012/11/21/all-thethings-im-thankful-for-printable-gratitude-journal/
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