5-4-3-2-1

5 people to follow

1. Dr. Jody Carrington - Dr. Jody is a child psychologist from small-town Alberta who has dedicated herself to helping educators be trauma-informed, supported and loved. Her morning Facebook lives involve high kicks, lots of coffee and great tips and tricks for getting you and the kids you support through the day. Check out her books as well.
2. George Couros - Remember that I said George would be back? Well, here he is. Known for his focus on innovation in education, he has more recently started digging in to relationships and their effect on the learning environment. 
3. Shelley Moore - Shelley is an inclusion advocate with a flair for storytelling. Her newest venture, 5 Moore Minutes, shares videos and professional development content that empowers educators to support all students, in the classroom. Follow her on social media for regular content about inclusion.
4. Morgane Michaels - Creator of Small Act, Big Impact 21 Day Challenge, Morgane is also a consultant, blogger and podcast host. She shares resources and ideas about spreading kindness for all ages. You can find her at her website, on Instagram and on Twitter.
5. Allie Appels - Also known as @joysofkinder on Instagram, Allie is the creator of Kindness Ninjas, a structured way for kids and teachers to perform small random acts of kindness. Be sure to give Allie a follow on Instagram and then look out for the free Kindness Ninjas workbook, available in French & English.

4 Apps/Websites to check out

- Kindness Boomerang video
- The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
- We Teach Kindness
- 24 Picture Books to Teach Kids About Kindness

3 things to try

1. Random Acts of Kindness Challenge - pick a month, week or even a day and have your class do something kind for others on that day. Start by brainstorming ideas all together and then let them get creative.
2. Kindness Rocks - Collect smooth rocks and then use paint pens to decorate them with inspiring messages or nice images. Hide them around the community to bring a smile to people's faces.
​3. Community Service - Have your class brainstorm ways that they could help in the community or raise funds to help a community service. Work together to figure out how to make this happen - trust that kids can figure out some creative ideas!

2 Quotes to Consider

- Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change. Bob Kerrey
- The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest of intentions. Khalil Gibran​

1 Question to answer

What does it mean to be kind? Is there ever a time when kindness is not warranted?