Harmony EAG’s Top Tips for Managing Student Stress During Testing Season!
Harmony EAG’s Top Tips for Managing Student Stress During Testing Season!
National Stress Awareness Month reminds us that healthy learning starts with a healthy mind. As we approach testing season, it’s important to reflect on the toll that stress can have on our students’ ability to learn and test well. The pressure to perform well can intensify, which often leads to feelings of anxiety and stress.
It’s essential for educators to recognize these challenges and be proactive in providing the right support. We asked our dedicated Harmony EAG teachers for insights on ways educators can best support their students before, during, and after testing. The responses we received highlight simple yet impactful strategies that can make a big difference in helping students manage stress and perform at their best.
Preparing for Testing
The thought of testing alone can cause a bit of anxiety in students. Here are a few strategies to help your students ease into it.
Anderson Manuel reflected on how to best prepare students and shared these tips:
Foster Connections Encourage peer support and collaboration. Create opportunities for students to work together and share their experiences. Harmony Buddy Up is a great way to keep the connections strong, even more important as testing season approaches and we want to maintain our sense of community.
Model Self-Care As teachers, we must also prioritize our well-being. When students see us practicing self-care, it reinforces the importance of doing the same. The Harmony Professional Learning module, Coping with Teacher Stress, has some great tips for educators.
Utilize the App Incorporate the Harmony Game Room App into your classroom daily with Relaxation Station, where students and teachers can reset, relax, and focus with a variety of calming activities.
By implementing these strategies, educators can create a supportive environment that empowers our students to navigate stress and thrive as testing season approaches.
Testing Week is Almost Here!
Take a deep breath! You and your students are in this together. Here are a few ways you can help your students (and yourself) remain calm during testing week.
Melissa Muleshared her top recommendations for stress-free testing days:
Morning Meet-Ups Start each testing day with a brief Harmony Meet Up. Encourage students to share how they feel and discuss calming strategies they can use.
Notes of Inspiration Create notes for the students with words of encouragement. You can also make them catchy and add a little treat with them. Ex: You are a “smartie” and consider giving them a pack of Smarties!
Student to Student Encouragement Ask students to write positive notes to each other before testing week, fostering a supportive classroom atmosphere.
Mindful Breathing & Visualization Teach students simple breathing exercises and visualization techniques to help them self-regulate before and during the test. The Harmony Mindful Minute offers easy-to-implement strategies throughout the day.
Positive Affirmations Model phrases like “I am prepared,” “I can do hard things,” or “I will try my best” to build confidence. The Harmony lesson on helpful self-talk is great to review as well.
Emily Gazarevealed a similar strategy to lower stress levels for students, especially during testing to keep everyone with the positive mindset:
Words of Affirmations: In the weeks leading up to assessments, I encourage my students to compile a list of any fears or doubts they may have about the test or testing in general. Students then identify antonyms for the feelings and concerns they’ve listed. Using these antonyms, the students create a series of affirmations. Finally, we work together to compile a list of these affirmations, which the entire class recites together. We are: reassured, calm, and confident!
Testing Week Has Arrived!
Testing is a requirement for student data. Here are a few tips to help your students show up with a positive attitude and perform their best.
Aimee Gallanthighly recommends reminding students to get a good night’s sleep, review the mindfulness tips, engage in positive self-talk, and even bring out those stress balls for students who may seem extra nervous.
Jennifer Wienke added to the helpful day-of-testing reminders:
Healthy Snacks Schools tell kids to “eat a good, healthy breakfast” before testing. Everyone’s opinion of “good” or “healthy” is different. Have a variety of small, energy-packed snacks ready for when needed!
20-20-20 If possible, every 20 minutes, have students look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps eye health. It’s great for busy teachers too!
And when testing is over? CELEBRATE! A small celebration at the end of testing is a great way to recognize students’ hard work and perseverance. Teachers deserve a celebration, too! Way to go!
Big sigh of relief…You can all relax now…until next Spring!
Good Luck With Testing!
We hope these tips help your students approach testing season with less anxiety and more confidence!
Explore these Harmony strategies designed to support emotional well-being and create a stress-free environment for your students this month and beyond.
Celebrating Inspiring Women Leaders: Meet Christina Cipriano, Ph.D.
Celebrating Inspiring Women Leaders: Meet Christina Cipriano, Ph.D.
Happy Women’s History Month! For this month’s blog, we’re highlighting Christina Cipriano, Ph.D., a mother, associate professor at Yale, educational leader, and debut author. Learn how her experiences have shaped her fearless approach to work and life, and how she inspires women and students to do the same.
“In honor of Women’s History Month, let me take this moment to remind you: women, our needs, and our value, are not less than anyone else’s. Full stop.”
Living Your Love Forward
“I always knew I wanted to be a mom someday. What I didn’t know was that becoming a mother would be like glitter in my heart. The persistent glitter that could never be cleaned up or wiped away or quieted. That no matter what I am doing, where I am, who I am with, for the rest of my life, my motherhood identity will forever shape how I feel the world around me and everyone in it. To say motherhood changes you is an understatement. Motherhood became me.”
In my new book, Be Unapologetically Impatient (Manuscripts Press), I draw from my experience as a mother and scientist — what I like to refer to as being a “momademic”— to inspire readers to see and harness their vantage points to interrupt the status quo in pursuit of justice right now. Through stories and applied social and emotional learning science, I demonstrate how each of us can recognize opportunities to live our love forward and effect change through everyday interactions in our homes, schools, and communities.
To me, “living your love forward” means you are actively contributing to the world around you by what you say and how you say it, creating a world where your children, and all children, can thrive. This includes no longer apologizing for things that do not warrant an apology, like our families, needs, questions, and learning.
True story: Many of us apologize for learning all the time. In my book, I discuss how this shows up in the ways we ask questions.
Consider this: How many times have you heard a student qualify a question with an “I’m sorry?” “I’m sorry…Could you say that again?” “I’m sorry to ask but…?”
How many times do you think your students apologize to you throughout your school day? A dozen or dozens?
I see it all the time in my research across K–12 classrooms nationwide. Indeed, it is common in the United States to qualify a question with an apology. In fact, it’s especially likely when you are in a situation where there is a pre-existing hierarchy of expertise; like in our classrooms, at our parent-teacher conferences, and around our IEP tables. Students apologize for learning when they ask their teacher for help. Teachers apologize for learning during a PD. Family members apologize when asking for clarification at a meeting as though they are taking up space by asking a question. As though it is not a part of the educator’s role to answer them.
I draw my college students’ attention to the apologizing pattern when I teach. I encourage my students to not apologize when asking their professors for help; an educator’s role is to support the learning and intellectual development of their students. And that is often done best through inquiry-based models.
Questions are helpful, productive, and useful. Asking a professor a question does not warrant an apology. But I also know that’s not how students may have been socialized to navigate college. Indeed, not all professors welcome nor want their students to ask questions. Not all K–12 teachers do, either.
When we apologize for our learning, our families, or our needs, we give the person we are apologizing to the permission to dismiss our needs as less than.
“In honor of Women’s History Month, let me take this moment to remind you: women, our needs, and our value, are not less than anyone else’s. Full stop.”
Life as a Woman on the Tenure Track
I remember being at a fellowship event hosted at Georgetown my incoming year as a Jack Kent Cooke Fellow. At that time, the JKC Fellowship covered the tuition costs in full for students who showed outstanding academic potential and outstanding financial need. As a first generation high school graduate, the JKC fellowship single handedly changed my financial trajectory when I entered graduate school. The privilege I was bestowed was not lost on me.
At the orientation there was a speaker who shared with all the fellows that women made up less than half of all tenure-track faculty in the United States and something like less than a third of women ever become full professors. She also shared that women are more likely to leave their profession due to pressures and workplace culture, and are more likely to leave it than their male colleagues.
I raised my hand and asked how many tenured women in academia had children.
She laughed a little and said something to the effect that there was no real data on how many women have children when on the tenure track. What she could speak to was that if a woman had a child, it was more likely to happen after they got tenure.
Six years later I found myself a new postdoc and three months pregnant. A senior male professor warned me that I should not talk about my pregnancy, or my kids, at work. The gist of the advice, which I have no doubt was well-intentioned at the time, was that motherhood would undermine my credibility as a developmental scientist. It seemed like reasonable advice at the time. And I apologized.
A piece of my dissertation was accepted for presentation at the Developmental Methods meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), and so shortly after I was five months pregnant with my first child attending my first academic conference as a presenter and PhD.
Visibly pregnant, I stood at the morning breakfast in the foyer of the beautiful hotel on the water in Tampa, Florida, cautiously eating a bagel. An older man in a blue blazer offered me his seat at a small roundtable nearby. I thanked him and sat down. He asked me when I was due and I shared how I was expecting my first child in early June.
He then said, “When is your husband’s talk?”
I can only imagine now what kind of unfiltered face I must have made at him in response to his gendered question. I proceeded to respond by apologizing and then talking about my dissertation — probably too much — and then excused myself to go cry in the bathroom to get myself together.
13 years later, I was recently at a cocktail reception with my husband at a prestigious university club to honor and celebrate a newly endowed professorship of a brilliant academic with whom we both are privileged to also call our friend. My husband was in conversation with an old classmate, also now a professor, and stepped away to refresh his drink.
The colleague turned to me and said, “Do you work?”
Every so often, I find myself in Zoom rooms where my ideas are not heard, confirmed, or taken seriously until they are validated by a man — no matter their level.
I remember after one such meeting, not all that long ago, my male doc student said, “I can’t believe he kept asking me what I thought after you said our analytic plans. It was like he didn’t believe you until I confirmed what you said to be true.”
“It’s time to be unapologetically impatient. Call each other in, not out. Share your perspective and invite connection, not competition. Be grateful, not apologetic.”
Holding Doors Open for Others
It’s remarkable to me that when I was a young momademic I gave others permission to treat my needs, my family, and our realities, as less than. In my experience, momademics — and all caregivers for that matter — are efficient, respectful of time, and contribute in ways that are unilaterally valuable.
I vowed that if I ever beat those impossible odds and made it behind closed doors, I would do whatever I could to hold it open for others.
And I’m not sorry. We can all be better for it. If you want things to be different, you need to do things differently.
It’s time to be unapologetically impatient. Call each other in, not out. Share your perspective and invite connection, not competition. Be grateful, not apologetic.
Indeed there is something truly transformational about being in the presence of women scientists and momademics who say your name in a room full of opportunities; who you know you don’t need to prove anything to; who quietly cheer for you from afar; and who loudly shine on you in ways that you can see and feel.
They give me light.
These days, I am inspired by the work of Promoting Opportunities for Women in Education Research (POWER), and the leadership of Sara Hart, Jessica Logan, Emily Solari and colleagues, who have created a space for women to support women in advancing our respective, and collective careers, together. I am inspired by the work of Women in Measurement, and the leadership of Susan Lyons, who is transforming the educational measurement space for the next generation of scholars, psychometricians, and analysts. I derive great joy from getting to nerd out on meta-analytic methodologies with the incredible Drs. Sarah Peko-Spicer, Rebecca Steingut, Laura Michaelson, Claire Chuter, Cheyeon Ha, Melissa Funaro, and Sophie Barnes.
And I am humbled to learn from the fearless women leading transformational work at seemingly impossible times: Erin Mote, Susan Rivers, Elizabeth Albro, Aaliyah Samuels, Auditi Chakravarty, Temple Lovelace, Sara Rimm-Kaufmann, Carol Lee, Tara Davila, Laura Hamilton, Jackie Jodl, Bridget Hamre, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Linda Mayes, Fumiko Hoeft, Kim Schonert-Reichl, Peggy Carr, Lakeisha Steele, Gaby Lopez, Lindsay Jones, Claudia Koochek, Shanette Porter, Celene Domitrovich, Tish Jennings, Cara Jackson, Stephanie Jones, Francesca Lopez, and Gabbie Rappolt-Schlichtmann.
With Women’s History Month on my mind and glitter in my heart, I feel the call to live my love forward — more urgently now than ever before.
It’s time to be unapologetically impatient. Let me show you how.
About Christina Cipriano, Ph.D.
Christina Cipriano, Ph.D., (she/her) is an associate professor of Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center and Director of the Education Collaboratory at Yale University and author of the forthcoming book, Be Unapologetically Impatient. Committed to translational science, Dr. Cipriano’s research systematically advances equitable and inclusive social and emotional learning science and practice for researchers and schools worldwide. An award-winning expert in the science of learning, development, and open science practices, Dr. Cipriano is the PI of numerous major grants and has published 100+ papers, commentaries, and reports, spanning top tier journals and media outlets. Learn more at drchriscip.com
Connecting Military and Civilian Kids: A Free Lesson Plan on Shared Experiences and Differences
Looking for a meaningful way to build connections among your students this month? Harmony has a new lesson plan and worksheet activity that fit well into any elementary classroom. It’s tied to April’s Month of the Military Child but designed for all classrooms—military and nonmilitary alike.
Developed in partnership with educators from the National Military Family Association (NMFA), this lesson encourages students to reflect on what it means to serve others, appreciate different life experiences, and find out more about what they have in common with their classmates.
What’s included:
A flexible lesson plan designed for about 30 minutes (3rd-6th grade)
Conversation starters and group discussion prompts
“How We Serve” worksheet activity
Educator tips for supporting military kids in the classroom
These educator materials are created for United in Service nationwide event hosted by Harmony Academy at National University—an initiative that is part of National University’s ongoing commitment to supporting veterans, service members, and their families.
“How We Serve” classroom resources are available now for all teachers at no cost.
Love is in the air in February! This month, we asked our Harmony Educator Advisory Group why their heart is with Harmony. A Harmony student even chimed in!
We show our Harmony love through our morning meetings with our Harmony Meet Ups. This is our opportunity to get to know one another, learn to be empathetic, and truly spend quality time together that we don’t have throughout the day. This is our absolute favorite part of the day. We love to learn new things about each other and even learn that sometimes we like the same things. 🙂
We love Harmony Buddy Ups as valuable opportunities for students to connect and share. Each morning, students engage in brief check-ins, exploring various topics with different classmates. During our “Week of Friendship” leading up to Valentine’s Day, we enhance these meet ups with a special focus on kindness and friendship. Students share a kind word or compliment about a classmate. They set a daily intention for kindness and how they will show kindness to others that day. At the end of the day, during our closing meeting, students reflect on a positive interaction they had with a friend. This multifaceted approach fosters a positive and supportive classroom environment, encouraging students to actively cultivate kindness and appreciate the valuable connections they build with each other.
During the month of February, we use Harmony resources that focus on “Value” to celebrate love, kindness, and friendship with our Out-of-School Time students. For our younger students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades, we have used lessons in Unit 2 Valuing Each Other as a great free resource! We discuss what valuing another means and looks like, then use the unit to guide our teachers and coordinators to create a life skills lesson perfect for the month! Our students learned about culture and how we value others by learning about where they are from and even tried foods from our Native Alaskan staff and families!
It has been quite a transformational experience integrating the Harmony Curriculum into my classroom; this indeed has helped in making the classroom environment more supportive and engaging for learning. I have noticed a positive shift in both students’ behavior and academic performance. The Harmony Curriculum builds skills of empathy, inclusion, and communication through activities like Meet Ups, Buddy Ups, and Quick Connection Cards. These strategies enable students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others, handle conflict constructively, and build stronger relationships. Consistent use of the practices has created a classroom environment in which students have become free and comfortable to express themselves, take risks, and learn from their mistakes.
I’ve introduced Harmony to our staff, and tools like the Quick Connection cards have been especially impactful, setting a positive tone each day. Students love the collaborative activities, and teachers appreciate how seamlessly the Harmony Lessons fit into their routines. Harmony can transform any school by strengthening relationships and creating a sense of belonging, making learning a meaningful and practical part of daily classroom routines. The interactive lessons, like role-playing, storytelling, and games, help students build life skills, while fostering connection and inclusion.
I love Harmony because it is a great support building healthy relationships in the classroom. No matter the grade level you work with, there is something amazing that you can find to support your strong community. Harmony provides tools and resources to create strong relationships with and within my students, promotes self-esteem and a sense of community, even within the littlest ones. Additionally, there are great resources. like Home Letters, to share with parents and families (available in both English and Spanish) as we work to build community and engage parents through Harmony.
Long Beach Unified School District LOVES Harmony because of the school-wide positive culture and climate it creates. One of the things that we have done as a campus is to create Harmony Goals in all areas of campus including classrooms, hallways, playground, library, cafeteria, and the auditorium. When students can co-create Harmony Goals, they feel a sense of belonging and community in all areas of their space at school.
The Harmony lessons, activities, and Harmony Games are highly engaging, easy to use, and help us build essential life skills like empathy, teamwork, and conflict resolution. They provide us with opportunities for students to get to learn about each other while also learning about themselves through deep reflection. The lessons and activities foster a positive, inclusive environment where students feel safe to express themselves and work together. My students have strengthened their relationships, built confidence, and grown as thoughtful, empathetic individuals. Also, they are a lot of fun!
I absolutely love Harmony because it gives our students the tools to grow into kind, thoughtful humans who can handle anything life throws their way. It’s not just about learning how to manage big feelings (though that’s super important!), it’s about building empathy and resilience, so our young people can make the world a better place. The work we’re doing now to cultivate these skills is like planting seeds for a future that’s full of understanding and connection—and let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to be part of that?
I love Harmony because it helps me understand my feelings and be kinder to others. It teaches us how to handle tough situations with a positive attitude and shows us how to build stronger friendships. It’s making me a better person now and for the future!
– Samaya Johnson, Ms. Burnett’s student
Join Our February Webinar!
Join us to explore the latest research on how relationship-building programs, like Harmony, can be easily integrated into the school day to support school climates and boost academic success. Tune in on Tuesday, February 25, 1–1:45pm PST/ 4–4:45pm EST!
The Importance of Educator Well-Being: Moving Beyond Self-Care
The Importance of Educator Well-Being: Moving Beyond Self-Care
As we welcome the new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on and prioritize individual and collective well-being across our schools and communities. Teachers are the backbone of our education system, and their mental, emotional, and physical health directly impacts student success. Essentially, supporting student success begins with prioritizing the well-being of educators and leaders on school campuses nationwide.
Featured News
“It’s time for educators to see themselves as leaders, not only of their students but also of the adults who work with them. Teachers may think about the impact they have on their students, but they may fail to consider the positive influence they have on their colleagues or other adults working on campus.” – Dr. Lorea Martinez, Teaching with the HEART in Mind
A Systemic Approach to Well-Being
A new report, Moving Beyond Self-Care: Practice and Policy Conditions to Support Educator Wellbeing, explores the complex influences on educator well-being and identifies actions leaders can take to promote well-being efforts in their communities. This comprehensive resource includes examples and lessons learned from communities working to improve educator well-being. It also identifies practices and policies schools can adopt to create environments where educators feel valued, connected, and supported.
Framework of Educator Well-Being
According to Yoder, Hollingsworth, and Krohn (2024), educator well-being is a multi-dimensional construct that encompasses cognitive, subjective, physical, and social factors. These dimensions interact dynamically, and they are influenced by both individual circumstances and workplace conditions. Recognizing these interconnected factors is essential for creating effective strategies to enhance well-being.
The report defines each dimension, highlights several ways to support this dynamic situation, and outlines where educator well-being can be influenced and improved.
Key components of educator well-being include:
Cognitive Well-Being: Educators’ ability to process and manage their workload effectively.
Subjective Well-Being: Personal satisfaction and a sense of purpose in their roles.
Physical Well-Being: The physical health and energy levels required to perform daily tasks.
Social Well-Being: Meaningful connections with colleagues, students, and the wider school community.
These dimensions highlight that educator well-being is not a static state but a dynamic interplay of individual and environmental factors.
Here are three ways schools leaders can support educators’ collective well-being:
Establish Positive Working Conditions: Ensure educators have a voice and agency in their job, which will contribute to a sense of pride and belonging as they connect with others in meaningful ways.
Facilitate Mindfulness Practices: Create multiple opportunities for educators to engage in mindfulness activities, such as reflective journaling or meditation, to align with their aspirations and purpose (Montoya & Summers, 2021).
Promote Self-Reflection: Provide time for educators to determine if and how their behaviors and actions align with their teaching and learning beliefs.
Teachers and school leaders can enhance educator well-being with the following Harmony resources:
Harmony Mindful Minute: A resource for students and teachers to embed mindfulness activities seamlessly into daily routines in short time periods.
Harmony Plus: Tap into our new Teacher and Leader certificate programs that emphasize well-being. Plus, our new, ready-to-use Harmony PowerPoints reduce teacher preparation time and increase student engagement!
Supporting educator well-being is not just a moral imperative — it is a strategic necessity for fostering successful schools and communities. Moving beyond self-care to embrace systemic and collective approaches can empower educators, enhance their leadership roles, and create environments where everyone — teachers, students, and administrators — can thrive.
Let’s commit to making educator well-being a cornerstone of our educational priorities in the new year and beyond!
Join Our Upcoming Webinar!
Dive deeper into ways you can implement a systemic approach to support well-being for educators across all communities. Hear from our inspiring award-winning panelists who know what it takes to make this happen. Join live to learn how you can win a copy of Teaching with the HEART in Mind which shares more ideas for collective well-being!
Martinez, L. (2021). Teaching with the HEART in Mind: A Complete Educator’s Guide to Social Emotional Learning. Brisca Publishing.
Montoya, A. L., & Summers, L. L. (2021). 8 Dimensions of Wellness for Educators. The Learning Professional, 42(1), 49–62. Retrieved from https://learningforward.org/journal/looking-ahead/8-dimensions-of-wellnessfor-educators/
Yoder, N., Hollingsworth, C., & Krohn, C. (2024). Moving Beyond Self-Care: Practice and Policy Conditions to Support Educator Wellbeing. Washington, D. C. Council of Chief State School Officers.
Caring Communities: The Power of Giving Back
Caring Communities: The Power of Giving Back
As we celebrate a season of giving, we asked our Harmony Educator Advisory Group (EAG) to share recent stories of how their schools and fellow educators have come together to give back to their communities and bring Harmony to those who need it most.
Harmonious Helpers Show Their True Colors
Megan Hanley
Second Grade Teacher
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Our hearts go out to all our fellow Floridians who were negatively impacted by Hurricane Milton, which devastated so many communities in early October.
When we heard about the severity in Manatee County, our Harmonious Helpers in Kinder and 2nd grade got to work by creating cards with words of encouragement and collecting donations of items washed away in the storm.
Our school guidance counselor and I collaborated on a school-wide service project. Thanks to our daily Harmony lessons, our students expressed a desire to help their neighbors before we even rolled the project out. It truly was such a beautiful experience!
Keeping our Doors Open after Hurricane Helene
Whenever a storm approaches, we do our best to prepare as best as we possibly can. With the recent impact of Hurricane Helene this past fall, preparation extended beyond the physical — it became a mental challenge as well.
As educators, we had to approach things differently. Much like the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we faced similar obstacles in the school community, including students being unable to attend school in-person and limited access to Wi-Fi. After the storm, areas surrounding our school community were left without power for days.
In response to the impacts of the hurricane on our local community, HB Rhame Jr. Elementary school staff and administratorsprepared instructional packets for students. We also organized and arranged breakfast and lunch deliveries with our cafeteria and transportation staff, recognizing the unique challenges faced by students in marginalized communities.
Our preparation expanded to meet not only educational needs but also the psychological and nutritional needs of our students. We were able to support 300 students in just a matter of days. This opportunity to give back to our community reminded our school staff of the importance of supporting students and families during times of disruption, like those brought on by a natural disaster or any other emergency.
Stephanie Johnson
Reading Intervention Teacher
Columbia, South Carolina
Extending Classroom Learning to Community Experiences
MelodyHawkins
District Science Facilitator
Knoxville, Tennessee
Connecting classroom learning with community experiences has been transformative. In my previous role as an 8th-grade science teacher in a high-needs community, I saw an opportunity to collaborate with community organizations offering after-school and summer programs to extend our school’s focus on social, emotional, and academic learning beyond classroom walls since we all served the same student population.
I wrote short lessons and gathered resources, including Harmony Quick Connection Cards, to help community organizations support healthy relationships in ways that echoed what students were learning in school. This collaboration has expanded into a network of nine community leaders in our city working together to address the specific well-being needs of the youth they serve.
Giving back to the community by building knowledge with community partners has been a powerful way to ensure our students are supported from every angle. Together, we’re creating a stronger, more resilient environment where youth can grow and thrive in school and beyond.
A Tip for Instilling the Spirit of Giving Back
From Our Harmony Educators
We encourage children to share something positive each day. The perfect time is during Buddy Up, which provides opportunities for students to express themselves confidently, listen with empathy, and build emotionally healthy relationships.
Practicing gratitude and building empathy are powerful ways to maintain a positive outlook during challenging times. Check out Unit 2 in the Harmony Curriculum for excellent resources on teaching the importance of valuing others. The Empathy Actions Poster is a great starting point.
Join Our Upcoming Partner Webinar!
Learn more strategies for creating an empathetic community during our Action in Empathy: Enhancing Support for Students and Staff webinar hosted by All4Ed. Tune in on December 18, 2024 at 2 p.m. EDT!
A Parent’s Guide to Fostering Gratitude in November and Beyond
November, with its cooler air and focus on togetherness, invites us to slow down, reflect, and express gratitude for the warmth in our lives. But what if gratitude became more than just a seasonal practice? What if we intentionally taught our children to appreciate life’s blessings year-round?
Gratitude goes beyond saying “thank you.” It’s a powerful mindset—a way of seeing the world that emphasizes the good, even in tough times. This perspective not only helps children feel happier in the moment but also offers long-lasting benefits for their mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
At Harmony, we believe that teaching gratitude equips children with skills that build resilience, fosters stronger relationships, and helps them find greater calm in their everyday lives. And as parents, you are in the perfect position to nurture this habit in ways that will set your children up for success in school and beyond.
The Power of Gratitude
Research highlights how transformative gratitude can be. Studies show that practicing gratitude improves mental health, enhances self-esteem, reduces anxiety, and strengthens social connections. Children who adopt a grateful mindset are often more optimistic, better able to handle challenges, and more motivated to collaborate with others.
Even small daily practices, like naming three things they’re thankful for, can help children reframe their perspectives, reduce stress, and build optimism. Over time, these small habits can ripple outward, positively shaping how they interact with others and their environment.
Gratitude at Home
It doesn’t need to be time-consuming to teach your children gratitude. Simple, meaningful activities can weave it into your family’s daily life. Here are a few ideas to try:
Gratitude Journals: Encourage your child to write or draw about things they’re thankful for each day. These journals can become keepsakes they’ll cherish.
Gratitude Jars: Create a family jar where everyone adds notes about what they’re grateful for. Read them together at the end of the week or month.
Thank You Notes: Help your child write notes to friends, teachers, or family members to express appreciation for kindness they’ve received.
Acts of Kindness: Involve your child in community service or small gestures like helping a neighbor or sharing toys with friends, connecting gratitude with giving back.
A Parent’s Role
As the grown-ups in your kids’ lives, you set the tone for gratitude in your household. Here are a few ways to model and reinforce this mindset:
Talk About Gratitude: Share what you’re grateful for during meals or bedtime. Your openness will inspire your child to do the same.
Celebrate Small Moments: Show your appreciation for everyday kindness, like when your child helps a sibling or completes a task without being asked.
Encourage Reflection: When challenges arise, guide your child to find a silver lining or lesson, helping them see the positives in difficult situations.
A Call to Action
This year, let’s look beyond Thanksgiving as a single moment of reflection. Let’s use it as a starting point to nurture gratitude every day. By fostering this powerful habit, we can help children develop emotional intelligence and resilience while creating a more positive home environment.
Gratitude is more than a seasonal tradition; it’s a lifelong skill that can help our children—and our communities—thrive. Together, let’s teach them how to embrace and share this gift year-round.
By Dr. Nick Yoder Associate Vice President Harmony Academy at National University
A PhD in Psychology and Education, Dr. Yoder leads and manages this nonprofit university’s program, which provides curriculum, classroom resources, and professional development tools to rural, urban, and suburban schools across the US. His work focuses on research, policy, content development, and professional learning. With a career in education spanning two decades, Dr. Yoder’s work is underpinned by a strong foundation in research and data to improve educational outcomes. He can speak on a range of issues, including creating better environments for learning and collaboration inside and outside the classroom, combating chronic absenteeism, closing the learning loss gap from COVID-19, and responding to the student mental health crisis.
He is a former Chicago Public Schools classroom teacher, instructional coach, and a preservice instructor. Dr. Yoder earned his doctoral degree in education and psychology, his master’s in psychology, and bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Michigan. He also earned a master’s in education from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Spark an Attitude of Gratitude in November and Beyond!
November invites us to slow down, reflect, and express gratitude about what brings warmth to our lives. Gratitude is both a feeling and an action that has the power to transform our outlook, nurture emotionally healthy relationships, and cultivate a sense of peace.
When you incorporate gratitude into your daily routines, it creates a ripple effect that spreads kindness and positivity wherever you go. Educators, we challenge you to use this month as a springboard to teach the art of gratitude as part of your social and emotional learning strategies in the classroom!
Why Gratitude Matters
Gratitude is more than simply saying “thank you.” It’s a mindset—a way of seeing the world that focuses on the positives, no matter how small. Research shows that practicing gratitude has the following range of benefits (Ackerman, MA):
By incorporating gratitude into your social and emotional learning activities, you can contribute to better mental health and well-being in schools!
Gratitude Exercises In the Classroom
Our Harmony EAG members are excited to share how they help students understand and practice the importance of gratitude. By making it a regular part of their classroom lessons, they’re equipping young minds with skills that last beyond the holiday season!
Anderson Manuel
First Grade Teacher
Sudbury, Massachusetts
“November is a wonderful time to focus on gratitude as we approach the holiday season. Personally, I like to start each day by listing three things I’m grateful for. This simple practice helps me shift my focus to the positive and appreciate the blessings in my life.”
Cristy Fernandez
Fourth& Fifth Grade Teacher,
Reno, Nevada
“As a class, we create ‘Gratitude Jars’ in November. Students create their own gratitude jar and fill it with sentence strips describing what they are most grateful for. When my students write about things they are fortunate to have, it helps them account for the positive things that make them feel happy.”
Ashley Rhoads
Transformative SEL Facilitator
Long Beach, CA
“We have “Thankful” notes that staff, families, and students fill out and give to each other. I use our weekly parent newsletter to highlight family conversation starters. Students also work on community projects and brainstorm ways they want to give back to their school community.”
Connie Michael
Fifth Grade Teacher
Billings, Montana
“The Harmony lessons in empathy and critical thinking are wonderful for getting my students to Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes, helping them to see them through their mistakes and their background. The Harmony game Change Like a Caterpillar is also great for supporting these skills. By helping my students to develop empathy, I think it makes them more open to true gratitude. My students now understand how to be thankful.”
Want More Gratitude Tips?
Now included in Harmony Plus, our new peer-to-peer networking platform, Harmony Connect, provides an online collaborative space for educators and school leaders to share ideas, goals, and best practices. Reach out to harmony@nu.edu to learn more!
Gratitude Beyond the Classroom
Keep a Gratitude Journal: Establish a daily practice to recall moments of gratitude and reflect on what the valued individuals bring to your daily life. Taking just a few minutes each day to write down what you’re thankful for can shift your perspective and help you recognize the abundance around you.
Share Your Gratitude with Others: Research has found that expressing gratitude helps strengthen your relationships. Whether it’s a quick text, a handwritten note, or a heartfelt conversation, letting others know how much you appreciate them can deepen your connections.
Use Visual Reminders: Surround yourself with visual cues, like sticky notes or photos, that prompt you to appreciate the good things and people in your life. These reminders can serve as gentle nudges to keep gratitude top of mind throughout the day.
Go Through the Motions: Gratitude isn’t always about grand gestures. It can be expressed through simple actions like smiling, saying ‘thank you’, and writing letters of gratitude. These small acts can make a big difference in how you feel and how others perceive your appreciation.
Get Creative With Your Gratitude: Flex your gratitude muscles and think of different ways to express it more often. Share how you make gratitude a part of your everyday life—whether it’s through volunteering, sending surprise messages to loved ones, or taking time to savor special moments.
The lessons these teachers share aren’t just for students. As adults, we can also benefit from nurturing a spirit of gratitude in our own lives. Here are some simple reminders to keep that attitude of gratitude alive:
Thank You, Educators!
We are SO grateful to our entire educator community! While November is a natural time to focus on gratitude, it doesn’t have to end this month. Let’s ensure these practices carry on through the winter holidays and beyond, nurturing a lifelong habit that enriches lives!
Join Our “Art of Gratitude” Webinar!
Join our November webinar to learn more practical ways to integrate gratitude in your daily classroom practices. Register today!