INQUIRE (5 min)

Today we’re going to learn something called the Kindfulness Equation. It’s a new way of making choices that will help us take good care of ourselves and each other.

Write the following on the board: mindful + kind = kindful.

Put your thumb up if you’ve heard of the word “mindful.”

Pause to assess.

Raise your hand if you would like to share what you think it means to be mindful.

Call on 2-3 students. Write appropriate responses underneath the word “mindful” on the board. Some teachers include the words “aware,” “focused,” “observant”, or “five senses.”

Great. Being mindful means being aware of what is happening. There are many things we can observe at any moment, like how our bodies are feeling or what is going on around us. When I want to be mindful, I take a deep breath in, then a deep breath out, and ask myself the first kindful question: “What can I discover?”

At the bottom of the list of synonyms for mindful, add the question “What can I discover?”.

Here are some ways I am being mindful and making discoveries right now:

With my eyes, I am being mindful of the light coming through the window. I’m discovering that it is bright/dim in here. With my skin, I am being mindful of the temperature in the room. I’m discovering that I’m a little warm/chilly. With my ears, I am being mindful of my voice as I speak. I’m discovering that I sound slow/fast/loud/soft.

In the next few weeks, we’re going to learn more about using our five senses to make mindful discoveries.

Clarify any confusion then continue.

Now let’s talk about the word kind. Put your thumb up if you’ve heard of the word “kind.”

Pause to assess.

Raise your hand if you would like to share what you think it means to be kind.

Write appropriate responses underneath the word “kind” on the board. Some teachers include the words “caring,” “considerate,” “nice,” “sweet,” “helpful,” or “thoughtful.” 

Clarify any confusion then continue.

Great. Being kind means being considerate, caring or helpful. There are many ways to be kind to other people and to the environment, and we’re going to start practicing being kind by being kind to ourselves. When I want to be kind to myself or to anyone else, I ask the second kindful question: “How can I help?”.

At the bottom of the list of synonyms for kind, add the question “How can I help?”.

Here are some examples of how I have been kind to myself today:

This morning I ate breakfast so I could have enough energy for the day. I chose clothes that would keep me just warm/cool enough. I stretched my body, and I took deep breaths to clear my head before class started.
 

EXPERIENCE (5 min)

 

Let’s see if we can figure out which are kindful choices we can make for ourselves. I'm going to share some mindful discoveries, and after each one we can decide which choice is the most kindful.

Offer as many of these scenarios as seem useful. Each scenario includes two possible outcomes for students to choose between. If it seems like your students don't need the two outcomes, you can keep it open-ended and let them invent their own kindful choices. After describing each scenario, ask: “What is the kindful choice that helps us take care of ourselves? Raise your hand if you would like to share what you think and why.”

  • It is recess time and discover that you are feeling thirsty. You can either drink some water or just play.
  • You are getting ready for school you discover that it feels cold outside. You can either bring your jacket with you or leave it at home.
  • At the end of the school day, you discover that you are tired. When you get home, you can either stay up late or go to bed early.
  • You are about to give a presentation in front of the class and discover that you're feeling nervous and your heart is beating fast. You can either take a deep breath or keep worrying.
  • You discover that you that you made a mistake on your school work. You can either fix it or leave it.
  • You discover that you accidentally stepped on your friend’s pencil and it broke. You can either say you are sorry or pretend like it didn’t happen.
  • You discover that it smells like something might be burning. You can either ignore it or tell an adult.
  • It is right before PE class and you discover that your leg is hurting. You can either ignore it or tell an adult.
  • You are doing some math problems and discover that you are stuck on one of them and feeling frustrated. You can keep being stuck or take a break and come back to it or ask for help.

Clarify any confusion then continue.

Nice job. You already know a lot about being kindful. We will spend more time learning and practicing how to make kindful choices for ourselves.

 

REFLECT (1 min)

Take a moment to think silently to yourself. Think of some examples in your own life where you make really kindful choices for yourself.

Pause.

Now think of some example of choices you sometimes make that aren't very kindful.

Pause.

 

SHARE (3 min)

Raise your hand if you would like to share some examples of when you make kindful choices or when you don't make very kindful choices. 

Call on 2-3 students. Summarize the discussion.

The more we practice being kindful, the better we can be at school, at home, and with our friends. I am going to practice being kindful with you so we can all improve together.