Being thoughtful inside and outside the classroom will teach children to apply the same attitude to their lives.
Teaching students the value of putting thought into everyday decisions will enable them to avoid making careless mistakes and encourage them to consider all aspects of a situation. Classrooms that are comfortable and accepting contribute to a child's confidence in his ability to influence those around him.
Instructions
1. Invite thoughtful role models to speak in class and encourage students to interact with them. Classroom visitors do not need to be professional; in fact, inviting average citizens to share their stories will enable students to place confidence in their abilities to influence others. Students may be assigned presentations to give the class regarding their perceptions of the speech or a topic they feel particularly capable of exploring.
2. Assign your students a personal journal in which they can record new things they have learned during the course of each day. Each entry in their notebook should be at least one page in length, although they can exceed this amount if they wish. Encourage students to be open and expressive by commenting in the margins of their journal and thanking them for their honesty.
3. Encourage your students to develop a variety of meaningful relationships. Instead of sitting next to or eating lunch with familiar friends, suggest that students befriend someone they haven't talked with previously. Elements to consider when befriending classmates can be varied; students should try getting to know people of the opposite gender, a different culture or an unfamiliar personality type.
4. Explore resources that illustrate examples of conflict and address it in an ethical, thoughtful manner. You can allow students to bring in their own sources of inspiration or gauge what might capture their attention by researching popular media or conducting surveys. Consider displaying a scene of a TV show or movie, playing a song that is particularly relevant to the situation, or discussing current events that have underlying meanings.
5. Be an example of what it means to be thoughtful and considerate. Openly sharing relevant personal experiences, especially when there appear to be several differences between you and your audience, creates a common understanding between everyone present. Do not be afraid to show weakness or uncertainty; being vulnerable will enable students to feel more comfortable being honest and reaching out for help.
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