We all remember that teacher who welcomed us to class each day and showed us the kindness and compassion that helped us to reach our full potential as students. Many of us became educators because of those fond memories of these special childhood teachers. Please join us this week in celebrating Virginia Kindness Week as we explore the research behind and resources to support teaching and promoting kindness!

According to research covered in this 2017 New York Times article, there are scientifically proven benefits to being kind, and that kindness is actually teachable! Although the article was written well before the COVID-19 global pandemic, the takeaway still applies today – teaching kindness to students can help them cope when things are tough. As teachers and leaders participating in VKRP, you have the unique advantage of collecting information on your students’ social-emotional skills. This means that you have data showing how your students are coping during these turbulent times. We encourage you to use CBRS data to help identify students who may benefit from additional instruction and support in empathizing with and understanding others’ emotions in order to effectively engage with you, their teacher, and their peers. For example, a student’s ratings on the social play items on the CBRS, numbers 11-15, may assist in identifying particular students in your classroom who could benefit from lessons on kindness and empathy followed by opportunities to learn how to apply their skills in these areas.  Below, we highlight additional resources you can use to help these students thrive!