Have you filled a bucket today?

Kindness.

Empathy.

Integrity.

These are such important qualities we want kids to grow up with, yet we just assume they will come to school with them. All too often, they don't.

So,
What do we do when a child doesn't know how to read? We teach them.
What do we do when a child doesn't know how to add? We teach them.
What do we do when a child doesn't know how to treat others kindly?

Social skills are, in my opinion, one of the most important things I can teach my students. Kindness, empathy, and thinking about others are qualities that will shape them as people and carry them through life. So it is vital to teach these as often as I can.


At the beginning of the year, I spend a lot of time building a strong class family. It is THE most important thing I can do to send the year in the right direction. One of the things we do is read Have You Filled A Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. {You can also watch it on Youtube here.} It talks about how everyone carries an invisible bucket with them. We can be bucket fillers by spreading kindness or bucket dippers by being unkind.

Then, we make a chart of ways we are bucket fillers and ways we might be bucket dippers. The kids make such a strong connection with this concept.

All year, I encourage random acts of kindness. One of their favorite ways is with Bucket Filler Cards!

They love leaving nice notes for others. I designed some business cards on VistaPrint.com for them to use. I LOVE this site!  {Read about my thank-you cards and my student birthday cards from there as well!}

I just chose a design I liked and uploaded some clipart. On the back, I made a template for kids to write on.  They put the person's name they are writing to on the top and their message in the middle. I love reading their messages:

"You are a good friend."
"I like when you play with me."
"You make me happy."
"Thank you for teaching me."

I also used VistaPrint to make a Compliment Starter poster.

But you guys, the BEST part is watching them deliver their card. They have the biggest smile on their faces watching the recipient read their message. Sometimes, they like to wait until their friend isn't looking, sneak the note onto their desk, and watch from afar.

We usually watch this Kindness Boomerang video while they write cards. This video touched them so deeply and always motivated them to do random acts of kindness.

We also use some free printable bucket filler cards I found online {if anyone recognizes them, let me know so I can give them credit!} Grab these here for free!

Watching them spread kindness and genuinely think about how to make others feel good never gets old!

So, have you filled a bucket today?