Most of us learned about compassion and empathy from our family members. This Irish school, though, is setting a new precedent by ditching homework for one month and assigning "acts of kindness" to its students instead
Children who study at the Gaelscoil MhÃchÃl Uà Choileáin in Clonakilty were assigned "acts of kindness" instead of "traditional homework" – for at least one month.
On Mondays, the children are asked to reach out to an elderly individual and communicate with them. On Tuesdays, they're tasked with making a family member's life easier by taking over a chore or helping someone or in something without being asked. Wednesdays are for random acts of kindness, while Thursdays are for doing something compassionate for themselves or taking care of their own mental and physical well-being.
Before holidays, the students are asked to keep track of their kind deeds in a Kindness Diary. The school has even set up a Kindness Bucket where children can write down and deposit positive observations and affirmations to boost their fellow classmates' esteem. On Friday mornings, a teacher randomly chooses a handful of notes and reads them out loud.
Larry Cummins
Each class has also been tasked with working in a collective act of kindness for the community. This challenge is first brainstormed by the students, then conducted as a team. The unique curriculum has been in place for the past three years. The result is incredibly positive and deemed to be a huge success.
Denis Minihane
COMMENTS