132. Empathy in Action: Kindness Lessons for October

Carol: You're listening to the Counselor Chat podcast, a show for school counselors looking for easy to implement strategies, how to tips, collaboration, and a little spark of joy.

I'm Carol Miller, your host. I'm a full time school counselor and the face behind counseling essentials. I'm all about creating simplified systems, data driven practices, and using creative approaches to engage students.

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Carol: Hey there, friends. Welcome back to Counselor Chat. This is the podcast where we talk all things school counseling, from creative lessons to program planning, and everything in between.

I'm Carol Miller, your host. I'm a school counselor, a resource creator,

and a fellow lover of all things sel.

And today's episode is one that's near and dear to my heart, especially in October,

which is Bullying Prevention Month.

And we're talking about empathy and action and how we can bring kindness to life in our schools in a way that's meaningful,

collaborative, and SEL aligned.

So if you're thinking about how to make a bigger impact this October or you're just looking for a fresh way to tie SEL and kindness together,

this episode, my friends, is for you.

So you might be thinking, why kindness in October?

And let's be honest, when we think of October in schools, it can feel a little,

well,

chaotic. I mean, we've got Red Ribbon Week, we've got the spooky season, we've got fall testing conferences,

and let's not forget those post Halloween sugar crashes.

But October is. Is also Bullying Prevention Month.

And that gives us a natural, powerful opportunity to shift the focus from what not to do to really what we want more of.

Empathy,

connection and kindness.

So instead of just wearing those blue shirts and saying, don't be a bully,

what if we created space for kids to actually practice kindness?

What if we showed them how kindness builds care, community,

how it helps others feel seen and how it makes them feel more connected too.

That's where empathy and action come comes from.

So what does empathy look like?

Well, let's start here. What is empathy? I mean, we often teach students that empathy is feeling with someone and not just saying that must be hard, but imagining what they're feeling and choosing how to respond with compassion.

I mean, empathy is the root of all kindness. It's what helps students understand why including a classmate matters or why someone might be having a hard day.

Empathy, it fuels belonging.

So this October, instead of just defining kindness or telling kids to be nice,

let's actually show them what kindness and action looks like.

And one of my favorite ways to do this,

well, it's through collaborative school wide projects that bring the whole community together.

So every year in our school, we team up with our amazing art teacher to create something collaborative, visual and vibrant, something that lets every student contribute to a bigger whole.

And these kindness projects become not only a lesson in empathy, but they also become a really visual reminder that kindness lives here in our building in our school community.

Let me share a few of our favorite ones that we've done over the years.

The first is the Kindness Quilt.

We read this or we paired this with the book the Kindness Quilt. And that's by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.

And after we read the book, each student created a patch of kindness, something that they did witness or hope to do. And then we pieced all these quilt patches together to create a really huge giant hallway quilt.

Not only was it beautiful, but it showed how many small acts make something big and strong,

just like our school community.

Another year we did a kindness tree and we paired that with the book Kindness Grows by Brita Tekken Trump.

Every student added a leaf with a kind word or action that they'd seen or had done themselves.

The tree started bare, and throughout the month it bloomed into something amazing.

This one is really perfect for fall because of the visual transformation mirrors how kindness can really change everything.

Another year we did Where Oliver Fits. We did a little puzzle collage and we paired it with the book Where Oliver Fits by Kale Atkinson. And if you've never read this book, let me tell you, first of all, it is really cute and it's really sweet about this little puzzle piece who feels like he doesn't fit in.

So this one was really about inclusion and identity.

And each student decorated a puzzle piece with their unique traits and a kind action that they could take. And when the puzzle came together,

it really sent a strong message to everyone that everyone fits and kindness helps us find our place.

Last year, we did something a little bit different. I mean, we still had a story,

but it was a story that I wrote. It was an original story called Bella the Butterfly.

And I wrote this little story for, specifically for this project I about a little butterfly named Bella who was spreading her kindness across the meadow. And I'll just share with you that Bella started as this little white butterfly.

And every time she did a little act of kindness,

she gained another vibrant color to her wings.

And let me just tell you after our art teachers got through with this,

they gave each kid a butterfly and wing. Those butterflies, they came alive in our hallway. I mean, each student created one that had a kind message or action,

had colors all over them. And we really transformed the space into a meadow of kindness. The artwork, the creativity, the way it made students feel, I mean, it was pretty magical.

And each one of these projects really gave our students the chance to reflect,

to contribute and see how their small actions built a bigger culture.

And when we walk the halls and see their own contributions on display,

it really reinforces the message. I matter,

and so does my kindness.

And if you're like me and you're thinking, okay, well, how can I connect this to the work I'm already doing,

don't worry, because I've got you.

These projects really align beautifully with the casel competencies, especially social awareness because of the understanding and empathizing with others,

relationship skills because they're practicing kindness, including others, and resolving conflict and responsible decision making,

choosing actions that positively impact others.

But they also hit multiple ask of mindsets and behaviors as well,

like mindset three, the sense of belonging or behavior,

Social skills two,

positive respectful interactions or even behavior Social management six,

demonstrating personal responsibility.

And you can extend these projects with classroom lessons,

morning meetings,

and small group discussions, too,

even in your newsletter, home to parents.

So in addition to all these,

I want to give you some activity extensions that are really easy to implement too.

And so here's a few quick extension ideas that you can build into the month.

Have a kindness ticket challenge. I mean, give students kindness tickets to hand out when they see someone doing something kind.

Or have a group of secret kindness agents. I have loved doing this. No matter what level I'm at, whether it was elementary, middle, or high school, having secret kindness agents is pretty awesome.

And I have a kindness club group that I can link in the show notes because it's really sweet. I mean, the kids are creating while they're doing like a little challenge, kind of like an escape room challenge.

And that leads them into the activity that they're going to be doing.

And I really love it when they have to make little notes, kindness notes for every single kid on campus.

And what we do is we give those to the lunch ladies, and the lunch land ladies hand them out on their trays as they're going through the lunch line. So cute.

Kids are all excited by that.

But you can also do a kindness chain where each class adds a paper link when someone's kind,

and then you can see how long the chain can grow by the end of October or even some gratitude postcards. I mean, let students write thank you notes to someone in school, in their school community who made their day better.

And none of these activities take a ton of time,

but they do make a lasting impact.

So my final thoughts are lead with empathy and not just awareness. And as we move through October, my challenge to you is this.

Don't just raise awareness about bullying.

Raise awareness about empathy,

about belonging,

and about how kindness isn't a one time event.

It's a skill,

it's a choice,

it's a habit.

Empathy in action means we show students how to be kind.

And it means we celebrate it when we see it.

Whether it's a paper quill, a kindness tree, a meadow of butterflies,

or a hallway full of puzzle pieces,

what you're really building is connection.

And that's what makes your school a place where students feel safe,

seen,

supported and ready to learn.

So my friends, go ahead,

get artsy, get collaborative and let kindness bloom in your school community.

Well, that's it for today's episode. If you love this topic and you want more ideas,

be sure to check out Perks Counseling Content Club. We've got tons of kindness activities, SEL lessons, and even newsletters that you can send home to parents.

And as always,

my friends,

thank you.

Thank you for doing the work that matters.

You are making a difference even when it doesn't always feel like it.

So keep showing up,

keep sprinkling that kindness and I'll see you next time on Counselor Chat.

Until next time. I hope you have a great week.

Bye for now.

Carol: Thanks for listening to today's episode of Counselor Chat along with all of the links I talked about can be found in the show notes and at counselingessentials.org podcast.

Be sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast player. And if you would be so kind.

Carol: To leave a review, I'd really appreciate it. Want to connect?

Carol: Send me a DM on Facebook or Instagram at counselingessentials.

Carol: Until next time.

Carol: Can't wait till we chat. Bye for now.