I hope you are well. Here we go ….

It’s Day 1 of the Kindness Matters 30 Day Challenge. I am super excited because I know you and your pupils are about to create a colossal wave of kindness in and out of school! And we are all gonna’ surf this wave!

What I love about the Kindness Tips videos are the debates they create. Why not ask the children if they have ever been on the receiving end of somebody being mean?

This is a great way to start to teach children about emotional intelligence and how our words and actions can have negative consequences.

Ask the children to journal their daily kindness experience in the journal, as this will be instrumental in the coming weeks when they have been consciously practising kindness on a daily basis.

How did you get on yesterday? I bet you got some mixed feedback from your pupils. Oh, the joys of working with children!

In today’s Kindness Tip, I would like you to discuss with your pupils why washing our hands after we’ve used a toilet is an act of kindness?

Do the children wash their hands? Why do they need to wash their hands?

We know that working in a school can be a breeding ground for bugs, which can result in a terrible illness amongst certain sections of the population – the dreaded MAN FLU! – which I have experienced first-hand. I invite my teacher colleagues to discuss this in the staff room over lunch.

On a more serious note, please talk to your pupils about how not washing their hands can make them poorly, as well as making others feel poorly, too.

Hello again,

So, come on, spill the beans….. how many of your children said they always wash their hands?! I certainly hope yesterday’s tip gave them some food for thought – and I hoped they washed their hands before tucking in!

As promised from yesterday, I want to introduce you to my mate Matt, whom you generally find hanging around doorways or exits.

You guessed it … your Kindness Tip today is to highlight the importance of your pupils wiping their feet on the MAT, when they come into school after playing out, or when at home, or visiting places where mats are provided. Why is this an act of kindness?

WOW!

It’s already Day 4 and we have nearly done our first week together, spreading a wave of kindness throughout the school.

Today’s Kindness Tip is to talk with the children about not pushing when queueing in the canteen area. Maybe you could have a talk with them about the positives of not pushing and the negatives of pushing when in the queue, and the consequences of this, such as leading to an accident.

In addition, one of my big discussion points with children on this topic is about taking responsibility, and I often refer to the “monkey see, monkey do” behaviour pattern – the act of younger children copying the behaviour of older pupils.

I’m feeling alive and I hope you are too!

Your Kindness Tip today is to encourage the children to get up that little bit earlier (maybe 20 minutes?) and help out around the house.

As we both know, a little kindness can go a long way and, as a parent, I am always so grateful when one of my children goes out of their way to tidy the house or do the washing up. I have to confess – they are still working out how to get their dirty laundry to the wash basket, but, then again, we are not looking for ‘perfection’, we are looking for ‘progress’!

Good morning!

I hope you’re having a great day so far.

Your Kindness Tip today is to thank a member of the community who makes a daily difference, such as:

• Lollipop person
• Post (wo)man
• The bin workers
• A school volunteer

I recall many years ago when I was writing my book Kindness Matters, my son Lucas asked me, when he was about to leave primary school for good if he could give a box of Maltesers to the lollipop lady who had kept him safe during his primary school years. What a wonderful act of kindness, I thought.

Even as adults we can miss many opportunities to thank people who make a positive difference in the world on a daily basis. I wonder who you could thank?

How did you all get on yesterday? Did you get a chance to thank a member of the community?

Regarding today’s Kindness Tip, I want you and your pupils not to get bugged out!

I have to confess, when we filmed this Kindness Tip, it bugged me out big time. I know what you are thinking and, you’re right, I won’t give up my day job to pursue a career as a clever comedian – I might just bug people too much!

So, today your Kindness Tip is to create a bug house.

What I like about creating a bug house is that it teaches children empathy. The bughouse lets them observe other important environments, learn from nature and think before killing insects or other creatures that will not harm them.

We all know the good old saying “sharing is caring”. Aaahhh….

And on that note your Kindness Tip today is sharing classroom equipment. Please talk to the children about being vigilant in class and noticing opportunities to share equipment, especially with pupils they might not know too well.

Hopefully, this will also open up debates about other things we can share in life.

Who were the last pupils they shared some equipment with?

What other things do the children share regularly?

Following on from yesterday’s Kindness Tip about sharing…. Today we extend this beyond sharing equipment to include our time and skills. So, today’s Kindness Tip is reading to another pupil in class.

Do you know my mate ERIC? BOOM! See what I did there?  I don’t know if it is just me, but I love seeing children all reading together in class in silence, or maybe it is the silence I love, or perhaps both!

I remember years ago when I was speaking in a school in Blackpool and I had the opportunity to see years 5 and 6 reading to year 1. It was truly remarkable to witness the younger ones mesmerised by the older pupils. It was a total win/win situation.

Please ask the children why they think it is important to read with each other?

Do any of them like to read with younger pupils?

Do any of them read to their younger siblings?

On behalf of myself and ERIC….

It’s Day 10 already! Where does the time go?!

I have to confess that this is one of my favourite Kindness Tips, with me being a teacher.  Not that I am after any brownie points but, believe you me after your pupils have watched this tip you are in for a huge wave of kindness. Let’s get the surfboards out!

I would like you to share with the children how it makes you feel when they compliment you or ask how you are.

And if you are really up for it, share with them what you enjoy doing in your spare time.

P.S. You rock and I wanted to remind you just how much of a good teacher you are and the difference you are making in these children’s lives.

Good morning!

Your Kindness Tip today is to help elderly members of the community.

Stranger danger!  That’s the first one I’d like to throw into the mix, as we both know that it’s important for the children to be accompanied by an adult when offering their kindness to an elderly member of the community.

Ask the children what was the last act of kindness they did for an elderly member of the community? How did this make them and the recipient feel?

How did you get on yesterday talking with your pupils about respecting the elderly in the community?  I have to confess…… I did not bump into any of them…. oh well, maybe next time!

Your Kindness Tip today… Ask a member of your family how their day has been.

As a parent, I have always made a conscious decision to ask my children how their day has been at school, but a number of years ago I began to encourage my children to ask me and other members of our extended family how their day has been. It really is a great way to extend your kindness AND feel gratitude for the whole of your family.

So, if your pupils haven’t asked you how your day is going, then I will. How has your morning been so far? I reckon this question can go one or two ways.

As I am writing this message, I am imagining all the stories that are being shared in your form or assembly time, of the kindness your pupils have done or are planning to do.

What has been your favourite kindness story from your pupils so far?

Today’s Kindness Tip is… If another pupil is upset, see if they are OK and, if possible, make them feel included.

This is a great opportunity to talk about the importance of inclusivity of all pupils in school life, discussing with pupils how they can help each other to feel included and extend their kindness to other pupils they may not play with much.

In tomorrow’s tip, I am after more brownie points, and something tells me you will like the Kindness Tip.

Bring on the brownie points!

Your Kindness Tip today is this… Help the teacher hand out the books in class.

As teachers, we are always on the go and I believe when we receive those little acts of kindness out of the blue from our pupils it can have a big impact on the way we feel.

I would like to encourage you to open up with the pupils and let them know how it makes you feel when they are helpful.   Discuss how good teamwork makes people feel; how the word TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More; and how sharing our kindness within the group means we are putting back into the world.

We’ve reached day 15 – what an achievement!!  We’re halfway through our Kindness Matters 30 Day Challenge!

Thank you, thank you, thank you …… 2 words that make a massive difference. Feels even better when we receive a card with ‘Thank You’ written on it.

Your Kindness Tip today is… Design a Thank You card.

This can be for a family member, teacher, a friend, or somebody who the children feel makes a difference in their life.

And on that note ask the children who they are grateful for having in their life.

I don’t personally have your postal address so I will use this platform as my Thank You card and say a huge Kindness Matters THANK YOU to you as a way of expressing my gratitude for all the amazing teaching you do with your pupils.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of the day filled with loving-kindness.

P.S. As we talked about on Day 11, please keep your eyes peeled for those elderly members of society you can be kind to.

Well, I truly hope that today is going to be amazing because, as always, we are going to be inspiring our pupils with kindness. Come on, that’s not a bad way to start your day, is it?!

Your Kindness Tip today is… Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. (I have to confess I still get mixed up about to say that!) In essence, it’s the 3R’s.

Today I would like you to discuss with the pupils the effects of applying the 3R’s to our planet, and the consequences of not taking care of Mother Earth.

Until tomorrow…. thank you for your kindness!

Good morning. I hope you are well on this fine day.

Your Kindness Tip today is this… Return lost items (such as lunch boxes) to a member of staff or the reception office.

Children can get really upset when they lose any part of their personal belongings. Loss of a lunch box is a prime example and it is always nice to talk about this as a class.

Have they ever returned a lost piece of property?

How might it make the other pupil feel when they get back their lost item?

This can also open up a great debate about respecting other people’s property.

OK, I’ll get off my lunch box, and leave you – the teacher – to do what you do best …!

Straight to the point – today’s Kindness Tip is… Opening doors for people.

This has got to be one of my favourite acts of kindness because it is totally free, literally costing nothing.

When I am delivering this tip in super learning days, I always go into depth about the importance of opening doors. In High Schools, a lot of pupils say “yeah, well I do that and some people don’t say thank you back”. To this I always say the same thing – real, genuine, true kindness seeks no return. We, as the giver of kindness, have to remain IMPARTIAL and expect nothing in return, remembering that the act of giving kindness rewards us from the inside.

It is not our place to judge or complain if people do not say thank you back. For all, we know anything could be going on in their head. (I know enough goes on in my head but that’s another story and not to be discussed here!)

P.S. The next time you open up the door for someone sneak in a cheeky smile – you will be pleasantly surprised at how good it makes you and the other person feel.

Is it just me or does this happen when you are teaching?  If one child wants a drink, then another child wants a drink. Similarly, with the loo!

It’s what I call ‘monkey see, monkey do’, or learnt behaviour. Children naturally copy each other, with some of that behaviour being good and some not so good.

Your Kindness Tip today is… Fill up another pupil’s water bottle or get them a drink when you do.

This also helps to teach our children the importance of sharing and common courtesy. And, not forgetting ‘monkey see, monkey do’, hopefully, this will encourage other pupils to also be considerate to others.

Hey – good morning!!

We all like surprises. Well, at least when they are pleasant surprises! 😉

Your Kindness Tip today is this… Design or buy a gift for a family member.

What was the last unexpected gift you received?

How did receiving that unexpected gift make you feel?

Why not share your experience with your pupils? Whether you are a parent or not, please share with them how receiving unexpected kindness makes you and others feel.

And there you have it – another week has flown by. Can I encourage you and all your pupils to keep your eyes peeled and look for opportunities to do random acts of kindness with family, friends, the community and with people you do not even know (as an adult accompanies you)?

Good morning!

Recently I did a fantastic “random act of kindness” (which I call R.A.O.K). I gave this lovely and elderly lady a beautiful compliment – she was in her mid-90’s, and I said she didn’t look a day over 60! As you can imagine, this made her day. And mine, too.

OK, down to today’s Kindness Tip… let’s make new pupils feel really welcome.

Have you ever been to a party or social occasion where you didn’t know anyone at all and you got that really daunting feeling of being an ‘outsider’? It’s a really uncomfortable feeling when we feel like we don’t belong somewhere. The flip side to this is that really comfortable feeling of being with your close friends and feeling like you ‘belong’.

Well, you can imagine what it is like for a young child joining a new school, which would be made even more daunting if they are also from another country.  Empathising with their situation, we can then offer our kindness in abundance. Let’s ask the children why they think this is essential.

Have they ever made friends with someone new in school?

I cannot believe that we are on Day 22. Time is flying in our Kindness Matter 30 Day Challenge!

I reckon that by now you and your pupils are becoming Jedi kindness ambassadors, having already spread more than 21 days of kindness throughout this beautiful world.

Here is the thing, “there is no such thing as a small act of kindness since every act creates a ripple with no logical end”. This is the wonderful wave of kindness we witness. (OK John, get down from your soapy lunch box and give the amazing teacher their Kindness Tip!)

Your Kindness Tip today is this… Donate to a shoe or clothes bank.

We are very fortunate and blessed with all that we have in life, and so many other children and families go without so many things that we often take for granted. I always make a conscious effort to go through my wardrobe twice a year, and if I have not worn something, I donate it.

Ask the children if they have ever donated shoes or clothing and why they think it is important.

Safety first, fun later. I always cringe if I see pupils running with their shoelaces undone, as I know the consequences and I do not want them to hurt themselves. So, with this thought….

Your Kindness Tip today is… Offer to tie another pupil’s shoelaces.

What I love about this tip is that it is showing that children care for one another. Also, it allows other pupils to practice on other pupils if they are not as well versed at tying shoelaces. Win/win.

Ask the children what some of the consequences could be if they were to ignore helping someone tie their shoelaces.

When was the last time they offered to tie another pupil’s shoelaces, whether they knew them or not?

I am going to do my best to keep this email clean!

Your Kindness Tip is… Thank the school caretaker and cleaners.

I am very fortunate in my role as a motivational speaker to get to visit lots of schools, and I live by my mantra of, ‘a greeting, gesture or giggle leave other people feeling better than before they met you’.

I always do my best to make all the teachers and pupils feel good, but I definitely go the extra mile for the reception staff, cleaners, caretakers and volunteers. As stated previously, the principles of T.E.A.M. (‘Together Everyone Achieves More’) apply here, as we are all part of Team School – in this together.

Ask the children what the last compliment was that they gave the caretaker, cleaner, or school volunteers.

Hello again!

If you are a teacher with kids, you are going to fall over after watching this Kindness Tip or you are going to get some fantastic feedback from the pupils’ parents.

Your Kindness Tip today is this… Put your dirty laundry in the washing machine or basket without being asked.

As a parent, I do not know what it is with my children leaving their dirty clothes at their bedside, so you can imagine how happy I was when we got to film this tip.

Ask the children who does or does not leave dirty clothes just hanging around (honesty is always the best policy, here!).

As we both know we have to be role models to our children, so I know you put all your dirty laundry in the wash basket, yes?

Good morning!

I sincerely hope you’re having a good day today.

It breaks my heart to say it, but we’re into our final 5 days.  However, on the flip side let’s look at all the kindness we have created, and finish the Challenge stronger than ever.

Your Kindness Tip today is this… Pick up a piece of litter you did not drop and place it in the nearest bin.

Safety first, fun later! I always encourage children to be mindful of what they pick up outdoors in the community and to always have adult supervision when doing so. Litter picking in school is a lot safer.

Ask the children why picking up litter is an act of kindness.

Talk about the 3 R’s – Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.

Ok, I think it is time for me to stop talking all this rubbish! (See what I did there – I know what you are thinking, ‘Don’t give up your day job, John, just yet’)

Bring on even more brownie points!

I don’t expect children to understand how much energy teaching takes but I believe it is important to let children know the power of education and the impact your teaching is having on them daily.

As the late great Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world“.

Today’s Kindness Tip is… Thank your teachers regularly.

And on that note, I would like to thank you for being a fantastic teacher.

Here is a bit of food for thought, pardon the pun.

Your Kindness Tip is… Thank the canteen staff daily.

It’s always necessary to use your manners but with this tip, I would like you to discuss the following:

How often do your pupils thank the canteen staff?

Why is it important to use our manners?

I can see it now, your canteen staff will be wondering, ‘What’s got into all these kids? Their manners have been fantastic!”.

Have you noticed how some people take water for granted?

I always encourage pupils to be an H₂0 heroine or hero, as I explain the importance of saving water. I do the same with my own kids, as there is just no need to waste such a valuable resource. Wastage is not good for the environment or your pocket.

Today’s Kindness Tip is… Turn off the water tap after washing your hands.

Ask the children whether turning off the tap after washing their hands is an act of kindness.

You could also bring in the 3 R’s – Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.

And on that note, I am going to get a glass of water for myself and one of my Kindness Matters team. Remember, sharing is caring.

We’re almost there!

It is with mixed emotions that I write this message, as today is Day 30 of your Kindness Matters 30 Day Challenge. But please don’t fret, as I have a surprise for you on the conclusion of the Challenge which will be on your next email.

Until then your Kindness Tip today is… Pick up a coat or an item of clothing off the floor that you did not drop.

Ask the children whether they have ever done this act of kindness.

Why is it an act of kindness?

How would it make them feel if they noticed another pupil picking up their coat and placing it on a hanger?

Today is a celebration of the completion of your Kindness Matters 30 Day Challenge, but your goodwill and kindness do not have to stop there.

Over the past few months, my fantastic team and I have been working on my YouTube Channel so that excellent schools like you can find useful free resources from me to share with your pupils.

You can find all of my social handles via my website at the end of this video.

Please do feel free to email me at John@kindnessmatters.co.uk with photographs of the kids with their certificates (with parental consent). Of course, we will not use any image without school confirmation.

I will be in touch to keep you updated with free resources and Kindness Tips. In the meantime, why not head over to my YouTube channel Visit: www.kindnessmatters.co.uk you can also follow me on Twitter @Kindnesscoach_