Photo Courtesy of the Oakland Press
Standard V - Integrity, Fairness, and Ethics
Taking Care of Others
Artifact: South Lyon Herald Newspaper article, also printed in the Dolsen Discovery
Description: I founded the Dolsen Helping Hands Club in 2012-2013 with the idea to give students an opportunity to spread the message of taking care of others. In 2013-2014, the Helping Hands Club made up of about 25 fourth graders and I sponsored a school-wide initiative called “Taking Care of Others.” This message ties directly into Dolsen’s school rules of “We take care of ourselves. We take care of each other. We take care of our school. We are ready to learn!” The initiative included several components. The first component helped students develop empathy, compassion, and acceptance for others through literature. Approximately 40 books were purchased for the staff to read aloud to students. The books have strong themes of compassion, empathy, and acceptance. Classrooms took a pledge to “choose kind” inspired by R.J. Palacio’s book, Wonder, and posted the pledge on their doors as a daily reminder. Secondly, the Helping Hands Club purchased wristbands with the message “Taking care of others…by choosing kind.” When teachers noticed a student being kind to others, they are awarded one of the wristbands with a certificate. In addition, every month students wrote about how they “take care of others” through Art Costa’s Habits of Mind, such as “While taking care of others, I managed my impulsivity by…” Lastly, the initiative also had a component for staff. Kindness thank-you cards were provided so when someone in the building does something kind, they can drop a note of appreciation on their desk! The “Taking Care of Others” message spread rapidly and has created energy and enthusiasm and has continued to this day. Kindness is contagious!
In the spring of 2014, Dolsen Elementary's "Taking Care of Others" initiative won 2nd place in Oakland County's Excellence in Education recognition program.
Rationale for Inclusion and Reflection: This initiative demonstrates my commitment to teaching and modeling for kids how to act and live with integrity, fairness, and ethnics. Some of the most important ideas we can model and teach our children as teachers and leaders are the traits of compassion, empathy, and kindness.
Taking Care of Others
Artifact: South Lyon Herald Newspaper article, also printed in the Dolsen Discovery
Description: I founded the Dolsen Helping Hands Club in 2012-2013 with the idea to give students an opportunity to spread the message of taking care of others. In 2013-2014, the Helping Hands Club made up of about 25 fourth graders and I sponsored a school-wide initiative called “Taking Care of Others.” This message ties directly into Dolsen’s school rules of “We take care of ourselves. We take care of each other. We take care of our school. We are ready to learn!” The initiative included several components. The first component helped students develop empathy, compassion, and acceptance for others through literature. Approximately 40 books were purchased for the staff to read aloud to students. The books have strong themes of compassion, empathy, and acceptance. Classrooms took a pledge to “choose kind” inspired by R.J. Palacio’s book, Wonder, and posted the pledge on their doors as a daily reminder. Secondly, the Helping Hands Club purchased wristbands with the message “Taking care of others…by choosing kind.” When teachers noticed a student being kind to others, they are awarded one of the wristbands with a certificate. In addition, every month students wrote about how they “take care of others” through Art Costa’s Habits of Mind, such as “While taking care of others, I managed my impulsivity by…” Lastly, the initiative also had a component for staff. Kindness thank-you cards were provided so when someone in the building does something kind, they can drop a note of appreciation on their desk! The “Taking Care of Others” message spread rapidly and has created energy and enthusiasm and has continued to this day. Kindness is contagious!
In the spring of 2014, Dolsen Elementary's "Taking Care of Others" initiative won 2nd place in Oakland County's Excellence in Education recognition program.
Rationale for Inclusion and Reflection: This initiative demonstrates my commitment to teaching and modeling for kids how to act and live with integrity, fairness, and ethnics. Some of the most important ideas we can model and teach our children as teachers and leaders are the traits of compassion, empathy, and kindness.
