Being Kind Goes a Long Way: Create a Classroom Culture of Kindness

Being kind—more than a state of mind.

Kindness is one of the most powerful tools you can build into your classroom culture. It boosts confidence, builds community, and helps every student feel safe and supported.

Whether you're starting fresh this month or adding to your ongoing SEL routines, a kindness campaign can energize your classroom and help students shine in ways that matter most.

Let’s explore a few simple, teacher‑loved tools to make kindness visible, celebrated, and part of your everyday routine.

🌳 Build a Kindness Tree That Grows with Your Class

Turn any wall or bulletin board into a living “Kindness Tree” with one of our oversized bulletin board sets:

Apple Time Jumbo Tree (CTP 8661)
Woodland Friends Jumbo Pine Tree (CTP 10394)

Use apples with student names to represent kind actions throughout the week. Students love watching the tree grow with every act of kindness they give or receive.

Ideas for Your Kindness Tree:

Add an apple when students are caught being kind
Include peer-nominated kind acts on sticky notes or cut-outs
Create themed trees each month: “Helping Hands,” “Friendship Tree,” “Compliment Tree”

Also, Check out our Holiday Kindness Tree Post.

👑 Reward Kindness with Crowns They’ll Be Proud to Wear

Celebrate students who go out of their way to be kind with a wearable reward that stands out—our Caught Being Kind Crowns (CTP 11018).

Give the crown at the end of the day or week to a student who demonstrated empathy, teamwork, or thoughtfulness. Let them share what they did and how it made them feel—this creates a ripple effect of positive behavior.

Bonus idea: Let students “pass the crown” to a classmate they saw being kind!

🌈 Promote Inclusion with Stickers That Speak Volumes

Our Diversity Rainbow Stickers (CTP 10667) go beyond decoration—they send a clear message of unity and acceptance.

Each sticker includes a powerful phrase:

Stand for Kindness
Better Together
Equality. Diversity. Inclusion.

Use them to:

Reward students for inclusive actions
Add to your kindness tree as badges of honor
Start conversations about empathy and belonging

💬 Reinforce Kindness Daily

The most effective kindness programs are consistent and visible. Try these teacher‑friendly routines:

End each day with a “Kindness Shoutout”
Let students write anonymous kindness notes to peers
Reflect on the week’s kind moments during morning meeting
Take photos of your tree to celebrate how far your classroom community has come

🌟 Final Thought

Kindness builds classrooms where students thrive—not just academically, but emotionally and socially.

Let your students hear this message all year long:

Being kind goes a long way. And in our classroom, kindness counts.