According to research, encouraging positive social behaviors might help students achieve better academic results in both the classroom and on standardized tests.
Prosocial behavior is ingrained in our DNA at a cellular level. Prosocial habits are ingrained in our DNA from an early age. Our brain releases hormones that help us learn more effectively and make us feel better.
Prosocial behavior in the classroom, according to a study extracted from the Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development, can increase students’ learning results, according to. These are three examples of prosocial behavior that you may use in your classroom right now: Empathy, kindness, and thankfulness are all positive emotions.
PRACTITIONER GRATITUDE IN THE CLASSROOM
Gratitude can improve the mood of both the sender as well as the receiver. A Harvard study shows that feeling grateful over time can increase a person’s overall mood.
Allow kids to keep a gratitude diary each day or weekly to promote thankfulness in the classroom. For their entries, you can ask them to use a notebook, a Google Drive shared folder or staple sheets of paper. Remind kids to check their diaries and go over earlier entries since this will help the thankfulness journal be more effective.
Your thankfulness can also be documented in public records. You can designate a distinct spot in your classroom to show thankfulness by designating a space on the wall or creating a bulletin board. On index cards or sticky notes, have students write gratitude notes to one another. Giving positive feedback to pupils and sharing appreciation might help you model the behavior. Allow pupils to write their notes and then submit them to you. If a student submits a note that isn’t a thank-you note, you can provide feedback and suggestions for how to make it better. Students are encouraged to edit and amend their work.
ENCOURAGING RANDOM ACTS of Kindness
Random acts of kindness increase compassion which leads to greater interconnectedness within the classroom. According to this study
The act of kindness can also be contagious, and it can spread when it is witnessed by others. Three simple strategies for incorporating random acts of kindness into your classroom are outlined below.
When you praise or thank someone, be sincere in your words. It is simple to demonstrate kindness by taking the time to compliment a student on a job well done. Genuine praises can be demonstrated by students, who can then share them with their peers.
Students can help the school by performing small acts of kindness. Pupils can design greeting cards to hand out to incoming students.
You can also make a jar filled with happiness. Students will require the use of paper, scissors, and markers, which will need to be provided. They can fill the jar with uplifting stories, quotes, and messages of hope and encouragement. After students have finished filling the jar, they can choose someone to give it to as a token of appreciation for performing a random act of kindness on their behalf. Kids can utilize the joy-filled containers to help a buddy who is struggling, to cheer up local hospitalized patients, or to cheer up a classmate who is feeling down.
BUILDING EMPATHY THRU HAPPINESS BOARDS
Empathy and prosocial behavior are required skills for students. Students might discuss their hopes and fears to develop empathy. Happiness boards can aid in the development of empathy in students.
Using an app like Google Slides, students can create visual reminders of their happy memories, hopes, and aspirations. You can assemble a collage digitally with an app like Google Slides or cut out photographs from magazines to form aboard.
Request that kids make a list of proud experiences or memories. Next, have pupils compose a list of their hopes and goals for the remainder of their lives on the back of the paper. After that, have pupils consider personalities they admire. They can then put down the qualities they desire, such as compassion, joy, or understanding.
Students can create a collage with pictures centered on their names to demonstrate who they are and what their long-term objectives are. They can also use highlighters to draw attention to the most significant aspects of their lists. Teachers can also participate by constructing a board using their own lives to serve as a template for pupils.
When the boards are finished, put them on display in the classroom. Students can walk about the room and look at the whiteboards. Students should take the opportunity to compare and contrast their boards with those of their classmates. At the end of the lesson, the students can share their findings. Students will develop empathy and understanding as they learn about their common hopes, goals, and experiences.
Teachers have the potential to show their students how to behave positively. Academic and social achievement requires empathy, kindness, and gratitude. Prosocial behavior, which benefits both learners and society, is used to foster positive attributes.