As a teacher, coach, parent or community leader,encouraging kindness and empathy is about what you sayand do with children.

You are a role model, mentor, and guide who talks withchildren about how to be kind. You show them what beingkind looks like, through your words and actions.

You may have encouraged kind, caring, empathic behavioramong your children students in the past and it might feelfamiliar and comfortable to you.

If the conversation feels a spot new to you, here are somehelpful places to start.

Wishing you moments of inspiration,connection, and caring,

Dr. Lynne

We can have "Cognitive Conversations" about almost anything,life experiences, cognitive and social-emotional skills oracademic content we wish to teach our children.

"Cognitive Conversations" are the conversations you have withchildren to help them think about, reflect on and even problem-solve around a specific experience or issue.

Cognitive conversations are designed to enhance children'ssocial-emotional, thinking, learning and behavior skill sets bybringing front of mind:

The definition of a concept (such as kindness, empathy,dignity, respect, attention, self-regulation, impulsecontrol, etc).The meaning of a concept (what it looks like or how itis applied in our thoughts, words, and actions) andThe actions related to the concept, what we can doto enhance it (these are the how to’s, think this, saythis, do this).

What follows are questions designed tohelp you speak with your children orstudents about kindness. Exploring whatkindness looks like, sounds like, and feelslike is a meaningful beginning for manychildren. Particularly those who wish tolive with more kindness, yet are not quitesure how to.

With Bloom Your Room, weare having cognitive

conversations about kindness.

Have the "Cognitive Conversation"Let's Talk about Kindness

What we CAN say What we CAN do

What does "being kind" meanto you?

Think of a time whensomeone was kind to you,describe what happened.

What did it make you think?

How did it make you feel?

Let's take a moment to writeor draw about a time whensomeone was nice to us.

What was the first thing thathappened, what happened next,

how did the story end?

Now, we will talk about whatkindness is, how to know it, live it

and pass it on. 

Have the "Cognitive Conversation"Let's Talk about Kindness

What does "being kind" mean to you?

Think of a time when someone was kind to you, describewhat happened.

What made you know this was kindness?

How did kindness feel to you in that moment?

In what ways were you motivated to bemore kind to others?

Have the "Cognitive Conversation"What does Kindness "look like"?

What we CAN say What we CAN do

Being kind actually looks likesomething. We have all seensomeone being kind, can youimagine in your mind what thatlooked like?We can have kind faces, we canstand or hold our bodies in a kindway.We can make kind gestures withour hands.Let's imagine for a moment whatkindness "looks like" to you.

Let's all stand up for a second. We'regoing to show what kindness lookslike with our faces, hands, and bodies.

Show me with your face what beingkind looks like to you.

Show me with your hands what youlook like when you are being kind to

another person.

Show me with your body what beingkind looks like.

Have the "Cognitive Conversation"What does Kindness "look like"?

Did you know that"being kind" actually"looks like" something?Describe what kindnesslooks like to you.

@drlynnekenney

Have the "Cognitive Conversation"What does Kindness "sound like"?

What we CAN say What we CAN do

Being kind actually sounds likesomething.  Let's imagine for amoment what kindness "soundslike" to you. Is it loud or quiet? Isit harsh or gentle? Is it inviting orrejecting? When you hearkindness, does it make you feelinterested and engaged? The coolthing about the sound of kindnessis that you can be sure you knowit when you hear it. 

Let's imagine for a moment thatwe are in a large room, like ourclassroom, lunch room orauditorium. Everyone is talking,what are you hearing? Whatsounds do you hear that makeyou think, "Wow, that was kind"?What sounds do you hear thatmake you think, "That reallywasn't every kind at all"?

Let's open our ears to thesounds of kindness.

Have the "Cognitive Conversation"What does Kindness "feel like"?

What we CAN say What we CAN do

What does "being kind"feel like to you?

When someone is kind toyou, how does that make

you feel?

When you are kind tosomeone else how doesthat make you feel?

Write down how you felt whensomeone was kind to you.Happy, excited, appreciated,welcomed.

Draw a rainbow with all thecolors you think of when youthink of kindness.

Write some Kind behaviors onyour Kindness CAN Keeperposter.

We often hear from teachers, parents, and coaches thathaving "Cognitive Conversations," be they about thinkingskills, social-emotional skills or academic skills, helpsimprove the student-teacher connection while alsomaking the "HOW To's" of skill sets feel moretransparent, less mysterious and easier for children tolearn.

Try having a few Cognitive Conversations with yourstudents and let us know how it goes,www.facebook.com/DrLynneKenney/

We appreciate your dedication to the well-being ofchildren.

Sending you joy today,

Dr. Lynne