Module Introduction
Compassion is the feeling and motivation to relieve the suffering of others. As the Dalai Lama states in his quote, compassion and prosocial behaviors, like kindness, are essential for well-functioning societies. We need to be kind to one another—for our health and happiness, and for real progress to occur. When we cooperate and listen to one another, creativity and problem-solving flourish; whereas excessive competition depletes resources, leads to wars and conflict, and stalls innovation.
Research has shown that compassion and kindness are deeply rooted in human nature–our first impulse is to cooperate rather than compete. Indeed, as Darwin argued*, sympathy for others is how we got here as a species. Even toddlers spontaneously help people in need out of genuine concern for their welfare. This innate kindness, however, often gets lost in a society built on competition. Hence, schools have a golden opportunity to cultivate the compassionate side of students by creating a school culture in which kindness is valued and practiced.
And this opportunity isn’t just a good thing to do—it’s a dire need. In a world where hateful rhetoric and turning a blind eye to suffering seems increasingly to take up space and airtime, we need compassion to be louder. We also need to be more than just nice. We need compassion that fights for the rights and freedom of all peoples.
A powerful place is to start with young people.
* Dr. Dacher Keltner points out in his book Born to Be Good that Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” is actually a misinterpretation of his work. Darwin argued instead that “…for those communities, which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best, and rear the greatest number of offspring…” (Darwin, 1871/2004, p.130). And, as evolutionary scientist David Loye discovered, “In The Descent of Man Darwin writes 95 times about love…Of moral sensitivity I found he wrote 92 times….Of competition, he wrote 12 times; of cooperation – called mutual aid in Darwin’s time – 27 times.”
Spark Interest
We invite you to watch one or both of these videos. The first one shows several experiments with toddlers that demonstrate our innate capacity for kindness [5:38]. The second is a sweet animation of offering kindness to people who are having a challenging day [1:19].
Experiments with Altruism in Children and Chimps [5:38]
Kindness Sparks Joy [1:19]
Did anything surprise you after watching the video(s)? How do you feel after watching the video(s)? Did the video(s) change your thinking in any way about human nature, kindness, or something else?
The media we consume matters. In a study of 28 parents and 22 staff in a pediatric dental clinic, participants who watched kindness media (compared to those who watched children’s programming) had significant increases in feeling happy, calmer, more grateful, and less irritated. They were also more generous: 85% were more likely to donate the honorarium they received for participating in the study.
When we witness others being kind, our bodies and hearts react. We feel good and we’re motivated to act compassionately towards others.
We encourage you to show one of these videos to your students and ask them to reflect on it.
Learning Objectives
In this module we will:
- Define kindness, compassion, and altruism
- Explore the research behind kindness and compassion
- Explore the development of kindness in children and adolescents
- Identify the benefits of compassion/kindness on well-being and education
- Explore compassion that fights for the rights and freedom of all
- Identify ways to foster students’ compassion and kindness
Module Resources
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices organized by developmental level, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional learning opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topics of "Kindness and Compassion for Adults" and “Kindness and Compassion for Students”.
Individual Exploration
Schools try many approaches to encourage students to be kind and helpful, from rewarding them for good behavior, to implementing service-learning programs, to directly teaching them social and emotional skills.
But sometimes the most powerful learning happens when students are encouraged to discover something for themselves—especially when what they’re “learning” is already a natural part of who they are as human beings. And according to science, altruism is a natural part of us all.
While experiments show that kindness and its resultant joy are innate from a very young age, kindness still needs to be cultivated as children enter environments where incentives that support these aspects aren’t always in place. Thus, it is incumbent upon schools to create environments in which kindness can flourish.
What are Kindness and Compassion and How Do They Develop?
In this first segment, learn how researchers define kindness and compassion, what they’ve discovered about how these qualities develop in young people and what gets in the way of students’ ability to extend these qualities towards others. [11:32]
Reflection
- How have you seen kindness show up in your classroom or school? Have you witnessed moments of compassion between your students?
- Can you picture a recent moment in your classroom or on the playground or in the hallways that would have benefitted from compassion but didn’t receive it? Can you identify what got in the way of a kind response?
Why are Kindness and Compassion Important for Students?
In this next video, learn what researchers have discovered about how kindness and compassion can benefit students. [3:35]
Reflection
- Did anything surprise you about the benefits of fostering kindness and compassion, especially for students?
- Take a moment to think of a time when you offered kindness or compassion to a student. How did it make you feel? Was it challenging? Did it shift your relationship with this student in any way?
- Next, think of a time when you witnessed a student offering kindness or compassion to someone. How did it make you feel? Did you notice a response in the student or the person receiving the care?
- What is one thing you might do in the next week to offer students an opportunity or encourage them to act in a kind or compassionate way?
How Educators Can Help Students Cultivate Kindness and Compassion
In this final video, learn ideas for fostering classrooms where kindness and compassion flourish. [16:37]
Reflection
- What is something you are excited about trying in your classroom tomorrow?
- Are there any concerns you have bringing kindness practices into your classroom? How might you prepare your classroom and set the tone for students to be open to practicing compassion and kindness?
Practices to Try (as referenced in the video)
For activities around classroom norms
Building Collaborative Classroom Norms (middle & high school) Students co-create norms that foster a welcoming class environment and ensure safe discussions among peers, and develop a personal goal to help implement the norms. (less than 1 hour)
Norm Co-Creation (upper elementary, middle & high school) Students collaborate on the development of classroom norms while exploring the role of norms from multiple perspectives. (less than 1 hour)
For designing your classroom for kindness
Designing the Classroom to Promote Kindness (all ages) Students assess their classroom decor and set up, and provide input on changes that could be made to subtly cue kind behavior. (less than 30 minutes)
Making Kinder Classrooms and Schools (adult) Staff evaluate school spaces and alter as necessary to subtly cue kind behavior, particularly in students. (less than 1 hour)
For incorporating cooperative learning
Say “We” to Nurture Collaboration in Students (preK/lower elementary) Use language that encourages a sense of connection and collaboration to encourage cooperation among students. (less than 15 minutes)
Good Group Work in Math (all ages) Before working together, students discuss norms that will help create an environment for productive, positive, and equitable group work in math class. (less than 30 minutes)
For reminders of connectedness and belonging
The Beauty of Collective Effervescence (all ages) Students learn about collective effervescence, and either reflect on a time they experienced it or try it in the classroom. (less than 15 minutes)
We Are Better (Dancing) Together (preK-middle school) Students watch a brief dance sequence or flash mob and then mimic or collectively create a dance sequence, experiencing collective effervescence through movement. (less than 30 minutes)
Crooked Circle: A Game for Building Trust (preK-middle school) While holding hands in a circle, students work together to maintain balance as alternate players lean forward and backward. (less than 15 minutes)
Putting a Human Face on Suffering (middle school-adult) Strategies for eliciting kindness by making problems personal. (variable)
For ideas around differences and common humanity
Bridging Differences (all ages) Classroom and school practices for bridging differences.
Responding to Differences (high school) Students reflect on the ways people respond to human differences as they journal, read a poem, and engage in a sorting activity. They consider the consequences of people’s responses and how they want their school community respond to difference. (less than 1 hour)
For loving-kindness practices for children and teens
Loving-Kindness Buddy Wishes (preK-upper elementary) Students send kind wishes to themselves, a peer, and to people in their community. (less than 15 minutes)
Loving-Kindness for Someone You Care About (upper elementary-high school) Encourage students’ feelings of loving-kindness by focusing on an easy target—someone they care about; then ask them to offer kindness to themselves. (less than 15 minutes)
Kindness is Contagious: The Breakfast Club [8:12] A class of “Pitt River Middle School Students do random acts of kindness”, eventually engaging the entire school. Very inspiring!
More ideas
Be the Change: Performing Acts of Kindness (middle school) Students watch a video about an anonymous group of students’ “random acts of kindness,” and then they plan ways to perform their own acts of kindness. (less than 1 hour)
Encouraging Prosocial Actions in Students (middle school-college) Students watch videos on prosocial (kind, helpful) action, complete self-reflection activities, and plan and record their prosocial acts over ten consecutive days. They finish with a reflection on the impact of their actions. (multiple sessions)
CASEL Guide for SEL Programs that incorporate kindness and compassion
Brainstorming Quiet and Loud Acts of Kindness A worksheet to encourage students to recognize and plan for small, unnoticed acts of kindness (“quiet kindness”) to help them internalize kindness. (less than 15 minutes)
For courage and compassion
Developing the Courage to Speak Up (high school-adult) Students use a “Courage to Speak Up” heuristic (a reflection tool) to raise their awareness of how they respond to prejudice—and to help them to develop the capacity to address moments of prejudice in an academic setting. (less than 15 minutes)
Courageous and Compassionate Citizens (adult) Honestly assess your personal biases and their impact, and create a plan to face the anxieties you experience about people you dislike or avoid. Next, practice courage and openness while interacting with those individuals, and reflect on what you learned. (less than 30 minutes)
8.3 Take It Deeper: Kindness and Compassion Activities
- Use the worksheet “Quiet and Loud Kindness” (linked below) to help students understand that small, quiet, unnoticed moments of kindness can be just as powerful—or even more so—as kind acts that are witnessed by others.
- Use the worksheet “Kindness Steps Worksheet” (linked below) to plan intentional acts of kindness with your students.
- Use the handout “Who Deserves Compassion: The Compassion Continuum” (linked below) to help students explore the limits of compassion.
Module Resources
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices organized by developmental level, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional learning opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topics of "Kindness and Compassion for Adults" and “Kindness and Compassion for Students”.
Use the worksheet “Quiet and Loud Kindness” to help students understand that small, quiet, unnoticed moments of kindness can be just as powerful—or even more so—as kind acts that are witnessed by others.
Use the worksheet “Kindness Steps Worksheet” to plan intentional acts of kindness with your students.
Use the handout “Who Deserves Compassion: The Compassion Continuum” to help students explore the limits of compassion.
Group Facilitation
Before facilitating groups, spend time in individual exploration in order to experience and embody the learning. And if you haven’t yet explored our introduction to SEL in California, make sure you explore those resources.
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional learning opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topics of "Kindness and Compassion for Adults" and “Kindness and Compassion for Students”.
A revisable, turnkey powerpoint slide deck to use for professional learning sessions on the topic of "Kindness and Compassion for Students".
A powerpoint slide deck with welcoming and closing activities to include in professional learning sessions.
Use the worksheet “Quiet and Loud Kindness” to help students understand that small, quiet, unnoticed moments of kindness can be just as powerful—or even more so—as kind acts that are witnessed by others.
Use the worksheet “Kindness Steps Worksheet” to plan intentional acts of kindness with your students.
Use the handout “Who Deserves Compassion: The Compassion Continuum” to help students explore the limits of compassion.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”
Do you want to dive deeper into the science behind our GGIE practices? Enroll in one of our online courses for educators!
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