Leaving marks on people's hearts

We started a lesson that has been done in schools across the nation from Kindergarten to college.  We had a class meeting and talked about hurtful vs helpful actions and words.  The students all shared something they have done or said and dropped the apple to represent the harm the receiving person's heart felt from those actions or words.  We looked at the apple, the outside was still intact and appeared to be fine.  

"It really doesn't look any different Mrs. W."
"An apple is still an apple."

We returned to that apple today at our class meeting and cut it into several pieces.  The students shared with their peers about what they saw.

"It's mushy."
"It's brown and yukky."
"I would not eat it."

We talked about how often times students do not show emotion when hurtful things are said or done to them.  We talked about how the apple looked pretty "normal."  Then students started making the connections about how the apple was treated that way over and over and some people are treated like that too.  They realized that what seemed like a small hurtful action to them could have a lasting impact on others.  We ended the conversation by thinking about ways to spread kindness in the community.  How can our actions and words build up others and not bruise their hearts?  Be sure to ask your child about their kindness calendar created last week, how many kind deeds can they do?  How do we create habits, we practice the skill over and over and soon it becomes second nature. Shaping good humans one day at a time!