Smiling and being friendly possess incredible transformative power within oneself and the world. In this Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lesson, Grade 1 students embark on a journey to understand the impact of a simple smile and the importance of treating others with kindness.
Before delving into the core themes, the lesson begins with a brief empathy review. Students are reminded of the importance of understanding and sharing the feelings of others. Empathy creates a connection that transcends differences and helps build meaningful relationships. With empathy as a guiding principle, students are encouraged to explore new ways to contribute positively to their environment.
The teacher proceeds to explore one of the most effective ways to exhibit friendliness — smiling. Without uttering a word, a smile conveys a genuine sense of happiness and warmth. To engage the students actively, they are prompted to recall a previous SEL activity where they made faces. Revisiting this exercise, they enthusiastically show their worst mad faces, droopiest sad faces, frustrated faces, and super fantastic smiling faces. This exercise helps them recognize a smile's power in shaping their emotions and influencing the atmosphere around them.
"Grade 1 students are encouraged to consciously think positive thoughts about being friendly, take the positive action of smiling at people they encounter, and observe how this affects their feelings. By being intentional about their smiles, the students become aware of the reciprocal nature of emotions and the power they hold to uplift others."
To reinforce the lesson's message, the students come together to act out a poem called "Are You Smiling?" Each verse of the poem prompts the students to engage in actions such as splashing, patting, and sprinkling on their faces as they recite the lines. The interactive nature of this activity enhances their understanding of how a grin or a smile can illuminate their faces with sunshine, conveying happiness and fostering friendship.
With smiles still adorning their faces, the teacher writes "Friendship" on the board, accompanied by its definition. The students are encouraged to recite the definition in unison. Through repetition, the concept of friendship is instilled in their minds, setting the groundwork for further discussions.
The lesson takes a practical turn as the teacher introduces an exciting experiment. Grade 1 students are encouraged to consciously think positive thoughts about being friendly, take the positive action of smiling at people they encounter, and observe how this affects their feelings. By being intentional about their smiles, the students become aware of the reciprocal nature of emotions and the power they hold to uplift others.
As a tangible reminder of their commitment to friendly behavior, each student is given a smile sticker to wear for the remainder of the day. This small, cheerful emblem serves as a visual cue, prompting them to maintain positive thoughts and genuine smiles. Additionally, the stickers act as a catalyst for spreading joy, as they encourage others to reciprocate the smiles and experience a boost in their self-esteem. Through this simple gesture, everyone is reminded of the golden rule: to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated.
In the journey of social and emotional growth, the lesson on smiling and being friendly emerges as a powerful tool for nurturing positive relationships and fostering a positive classroom environment. As the classroom resonates with smiles and laughter, the students are empowered to create contagious positivity that extends far beyond the boundaries of their classroom.
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