This month, the students and I have been talking about ways to care for ourselves and others. These conversations have centered around different ways to demonstrate the big idea of respect – appreciating and admiring someone and treating others with kindness and courtesy.
In the early grades, we have been learning the importance of self-respect. In our ages 3-5 classes, students are learning to appreciate all of our feelings and emotions by knowing how to recognize them and how to express them. Some of our youngest students have been teaching their families new sign language they’ve learned to express their feelings and ask for help! Students have also been heard around campus singing new strategy songs they’ve learned to use to calm down when they’re feeling mad or frustrated.
In kindergarten and first grades, students are learning the importance of self-respect by appreciating what makes them and others unique. Through regular BCC (Building Character and Community) lessons and across their curriculum, students learn to recognize and appreciate differences and live out “The Golden Rule,” – treat others the way you would like to be treated – even if it means caring for someone who is different or someone who is behaving in unkind ways!
Second through fifth grade students are also learning how to care for themselves when they’re experiencing strong emotions, and they are practicing how to communicate their feelings in ways that care for and respect others. These students are learning how to dig deeper into their feelings and recognize when our bodies are sending us signals about our feelings. We’ve been talking about the many strategies we use at TCS to help us with self-regulation when we’re feeling big emotions, like elevator breaths, LIGMO (let it go and move on), peace tables, and heart talks (aka “I Messages”).
TCS sixth graders are learning how being their authentic selves and encouraging others to be their authentic selves is an important way to care for and respect ourselves and others. Students reflected on things that others may not know about them in an activity based on the popular “If You Only Knew Me” activities.
I love to hear stories about how students are going home and discussing “The Golden Rule,” teaching sign language, and practicing calm-down strategies with their families. Ask your kids to share with you some of the strategies they’ve learned, games they’ve played, or songs they’ve learned to help them think more about care and respect for themselves and others.
For tips on how to continue the conversations about care and respect for self and others at home, please click here.
