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Why Am I Surprised by The Smallest Acts of Kindness
Filed Under Behaviour Management, Goals, The Way I See It
I was relaxing this evening after finishing my lesson plans for tomorrow’s classes by listening to Karen’s podcast, Joyrise. I really like the format of her podcast. Karen reads a quotation and then plays music that goes with it. It’s perfect: short, sweet and to the point.
Tonight, one of Oscar Wilde’s quotations really resonated. “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.” After listening to this quotation and thinking about it, a question popped into my head: why am I surprised by the smallest acts of kindness?
At school, I’m always surprised when a student holds a door open for me or asks me if I need help carrying something. Usually that doesn’t happen. That’s sad. What’s even sadder is that I don’t think to ask for help. I just struggle along the crowded hallways watching that I don’t get hit by a student’s backpack . The halls at school at lunch time bring to mind Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest. Students seem to be totally unaware that their backpacks “might” cause problems. I guess they are used to getting knocked around by each others backpacks. (Enough already, I’m starting to sound old.)
Since I believe that we teach people how to treat us, I intend to teach students to be kinder by asking them to open the door for me or help me carry things upstairs to my classroom or office. I know that the kids aren’t intentionally being unkind; they are just being kids, wrapped up in themselves at times. So, I think that my small intention to ask for help will really be a greatest kindness.
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Hey Mom, the real problem is that parents don’t teach their kids manners, and a big part of manners is acts of kindness to people in need.
I always hold doors open for people or if they look like they are having problems I’ll help them move something. You raised me right.
[...] Today when I was out shopping I finally got it. In an earlier post , I was complaining about the fact that people don’t seem to hold the door open for each other as much as they used to. Given my experience today while shopping, I noticed that often people don’t hold the door open for each other , but in most instances they put their hand against the door to keep it open so that it doesn’t slam into your face. I guess that’s something. I’m going to pay more attention to the evolution of manners, and maybe I’ll notice other new appropriate ways of being. Now, if whoever is spitting on the floor at school would just stop, I’d be happy to open my own doors even when I have my hands full. [...]