Kindness

I read recently how critical it is that as a teacher I model kindness if I want to encourage this trait in children. This was evident this morning at the seashore when Olivia slipped off her log and had a surprise landing in a puddle and bumped her head. She was taken by surprise and cried. I thought about the choices that I had as an adult; comfort her and then send her off, ask a peer to sit with her. Instead I checked her head, gave her a tissue and then just sat alongside feeling a little inadequate because she really wanted her mom. I stayed beside her, along with our kind Emma on the other side, waiting until she was calm. Then I decided to just sit and after about five minutes she thanked me and said she was fine. I felt a little less inadequate!
Today we added about ten hearts!!! to our Kindness Tree with quotes from our children being kind and an extra heart with a quote from a passenger on the bus who was kind enough to notice how wonderful Departure Bay Kindergarten students are.