Purpose
The purpose of the Kindness Corner in a classroom is to provide a learning center where children can practice the social and emotional skills necessary to succeed in a classroom environment. Many times children arrive at school with limited experiences in large group settings that require mastery of a specific set of social and emotional competencies in order to succeed academically.
The Kindness Corner provides opportunities for children to practice these social and emotional skills in smaller group settings of two to four students. When the student has developed mastery of the particular social and emotional skills in a smaller focused setting he/she will then have a greater probability of success in larger group interactions.
Literacy skills easily and effectively are braided throughout the Kindness Curriculum. To support the child’s expression of ideas, feelings, and needs please ensure each child will have a journal located in the Kindness Corner. The children will use these journals to draw and "write their thoughts, feelings, and strategies for working with others in a classroom."
Description
The Kindness Corner should be in an area of the classroom that allows for a child size table and chairs to be used by small groups of two to four students. This area will allow for documentation of children’s conversations from lessons to be posted and shared. The Kindness Corner should also provide for storage and easy access to enrichment games and activities from each lesson. The Kindness Corner belongs to the children of the classroom and should provide ownership and exploration of respect, manners, smart choices, cooperation, and communication.
This area should never be used as a punishment such as time out. The Kindness Corner should be seen as a positive experience that allows students to practice and master social and emotional skills. A strict set of guidelines is purposely not recommended for the formation of the Kindness Corner so that it can be used and adapted to a variety of classroom settings and personalities.