Kindness is Cooler

Ever since I started teaching (long, long, long ago), I have tried to instill the RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) mentality into the minds of my students.  I would like to say that although it hasn't been successful 100% of the time, it has hit its mark at about 90%.  Not bad, if I should say so myself (pat myself on the back).

Five years ago I was selected as part of a character education grant for my district and eventhough the grant has ended, I still carry the lessons I learned and the lessons I shared, deep in my heart.  One of those lessons started with this book:

Kindness Is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler

This is the perfect book for teaching about RAK to any age group, any grade level.  The story travels through the classroom of Mrs. Ruler and her students, who are learning to dish out those acts of kindness.  The class has a goal and they strive hard to achieve it (you will just have to read the book to find out).  

I read this book on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to launch my classroom challenge.  My class has from that day up to and including Valentine's Day to dole out 100 Random Acts of Kindness.  The only rule is, they cannot report their own act, someone else has to write it on one of our hearts and get it to me.  The letter goes home for family involvement and this is where I have a 100% success rate!  I have yet to find a family who doesn't get in on the giving.  The best part is, we really don't stop on Valentine's Day, but I don't let them know until we get there.  Some years we reach 100 by that day and some years we don't, but it doesn't matter.  These kiddoes and their families have taken kindness to the next level and it is all thanks to Mrs. Ruler and her class.

Check out this amazing book and let me know if you are up to the challenge!