Gratitude in a Jar: A Simple Way to Celebrate Positivity
Adam Rockenbach
I help schools promote student behavioral health while minimizing the impact on teachers' and staff workloads.
This month, we’ve emphasized the crucial role of gratitude in fostering emotional well-being and resilience among students. As we conclude this theme, let’s remember that gratitude is not just a monthly focus—it’s a practice we can incorporate into our daily lives.
This edition of Bloomsights Insights features engaging activities, such as creating a Gratitude Jar, along with practical strategies for managing stress, all designed to inspire a culture of appreciation and reflection. Let’s continue to harness the transformative power of gratitude to enrich our school communities and strengthen the connections that matter most!
Creating a gratitude jar with your students cultivates a positive and mindful atmosphere in the classroom, fostering a culture of appreciation and reflection. Encouraging students to jot down moments of gratitude and placing them in the jar allows them to acknowledge and celebrate the positives in their lives, promoting emotional well-being and resilience. It also nurtures a sense of community as students share and acknowledge each other's contributions, creating a supportive and uplifting environment.
For this activity, you can also teach students about the importance of "reduce, reuse, recycle" and encourage them to bring in an empty glass or plastic jar from home.
In the short term, stress can push a child to practice for her piano recital or inspire a teen to study when he’d rather be out with friends. But chronic stress—for example, from unrelenting pandemic-related pressures, social unrest, or violence—is different. Left unchecked, long-term stress can contribute to a long list of physical and mental health problems. Prolonged stress can cause high blood pressure, weaken the immune system, and contribute to diseases such as obesity and heart disease. It can also lead to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression—disorders that are becoming more common in youth.
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This kids' mindfulness practice helps students of all ages cultivate a sense of gratitude for all that they have in their life. It will guide students through a journey of being aware of their body, breath, and mind and how to bring this feeling of gratitude with them wherever they go. This three-minute video perfectly transitions from a high-energy time to a calmer activity.
At the beginning of a school year, settling in with a whole new group of students can be difficult to navigate heated moments. How do you deal with all-too-predictable disruptions in a way that feels proportional and controlled when there are a thousand daily decisions to make and dozens of personalities in play? When you’re overwhelmed, can you really afford to be empathetic?
But empathy and compassion, even under duress, is the better path—and overreacting can lead to unintended consequences. A solid and growing body of research suggests that students who are frequently called out for low-level misbehavior, such as not paying attention or chatting with a friend, are more likely to become disengaged and apathetic in the classroom—leading to more behavioral issues in the future. Research suggests that to keep students motivated, teachers are better off picking their battles and keeping in mind that the most effective classroom management strategies are based on building relationships.
In the dynamic and diverse environment of a school, fostering a culture of kindness is essential for building a supportive and thriving community. Positive interactions among students, teachers, and staff not only enhance the overall atmosphere but also contribute significantly to students’ academic and social-emotional development. But how can schools actively encourage kindness and create an environment where positive interactions flourish? Here are some strategies and insights to help schools cultivate a culture of kindness.