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Individuals Paying It Forward |
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I am a 6th grade teacher in Duluth Minnesota. Three weeks ago we had "Peace Week" at our school so, I thought it would be a good idea to have students do something kind/good for someone else. We are a "inner-city" school, with a large population of lower-income students, 30% of which are transient. Which means during the course of 1 school year, 30% of our students will have moved either in or out of our building. I was wondering how could I get these kids to feel like they might have an impact on their own lives...which at times,is so completely out of their control. I knew I couldn't control what happens to them, but I could help them learn some positive "tools" to deal with their lives. So, I started requiring my students to do 1 Random Act of Kindness in order to enter our classroom in the morning. One week ago I saw the movie, Pay It Forward. Then, I discussed the concept of "paying it forward" with my students. Now, in order to enter our classroom in the morning, they need to tell 1 Random Act of Kindness that they did for someone they live with, or someone in the community. If the person says "thank you," they have to say "pay it forward," they are finding they need to explain what that means, which is good. I'm hearing from other teachers in my building that there is something "different" about my kids lately....they seem more kind, and positive toward each other. I am very proud of this awesome group of students, they are having a very positive impact on our school and our community. Thank you! |
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