Gratitude in Action: Activities and Strategies for Classroom Wellness
Adam Rockenbach
I help schools promote student behavioral health while minimizing the impact on teachers' and staff workloads.
In this week’s edition of Bloomsights Insights, we explore fun, hands-on activities like paper weaving to help students express thankfulness, paired with a great book recommendation. You'll also find practical strategies to support children after emotional meltdowns, a podcast episode inspired by?Dr. Siew Te Wong on why being grateful is so important, and an insightful article on collaborative learning.
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Discover how Bloomsights empowers students to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences at school, giving educators valuable insights to better understand and support their social-emotional needs. Watch how this intuitive tool fosters a positive, inclusive school environment where students feel safe, connected, and engaged.
Weaving is a relaxing and intriguing activity for students. You can make this as complicated or as simple as you like. At the most basic level, you need a long piece of paper to serve as the base of your weaving (weft) and strips of paper to become the pieces that are woven in and out (weave).
Once their weaving is complete, students can draw icons on each of the checkered boxes to represent things/people/places that they are thankful for. This art piece can be hung in a place where students see it frequently and are reminded of the importance of gratitude.
A great book to pair with this gratitude activity is The Rainbow Weaver.
When students are in a state of dysregulation, gratitude practices will be their last priority. How we respond after a meltdown can greatly impact how the child learns and grows from the experience.
Once the child has returned to a calm state, here are some steps to help them learn and grow from the experience:
?Acknowledge that there was a problem. In a calm voice, say the problem to the child.
?Start a conversation to problem solve the situation.
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?Begin your phrase with “Let’s”. For example – “Let’s think of what we can do next” or “Let’s talk about what might help”.
?Don’t provide the solution yourself.
?Stick to problem-solving the situation together. Discuss solutions and alternative solutions.
?Talk about how the child is interpreting the situation making sure he/she can see the bigger picture or understand a different perspective.
?Discuss what self-calming techniques the child utilized.
?Reinforce with the child how the technique was successful.
In this 17-minute podcast, Zara and Leo wake up in the middle of the Malaysian rainforest...beside a hungry leopard! Students will learn how to use gratitude to help them appreciate and care for the environment as they meet the wildlife biologist on a mission to protect the world’s smallest bears.
In a world where individual achievement often takes precedence over collective progress, our educational institutions have inadvertently fostered a competitive rather than a cooperative learning environment. I recognize the need to shift this paradigm and believe that learning is not just an individual pursuit but a collective endeavor in which students thrive not only by their own success but also through collaboration and support from their peers.
To this end, the below framework prioritizes intentional, interconnected, and impactful learning experiences, for both the individual and the group.
Through intentional design, my goal is to create learning experiences that consider the needs and contributions of both the individual and the group. When we foster interconnectedness, students gain a deeper understanding of the importance of collaboration in addressing complex challenges and achieving shared goals.
The feeling of being safe is a prerequisite for students’ well-being, development, and learning. When students feel safe, they will have the energy and mental freedom to participate actively in class, acquire new knowledge, and work and socialize with others. It is in such an environment that students are not afraid to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them, and be creative.