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Someone truly said that a teacher can change a thousand lives. One such example is an elementary school teacher from Kansas, who came up with a simple idea of ending each school day with children repeating positive affirmations. What began as a small classroom routine soon caught on, inspiring other teachers across the school to adopt the practice. At a time when conversations around children’s education often revolve around academic performance, grades, dress codes and whatnot, this simple initiative offers a gentle reminder that just a few words of encouragement can become an opportunity for children to recognise their own strengths and leave school feeling valued and with a sense of belonging.
Because a child’s experience of school extends beyond what happens during a lesson, this is an important part of the story.
Before leaving the classroom, his young students repeat positive affirmations, including phrases such as “I am kind” and “I can do hard things”. Speaking about the practice, Paulus told KSN News that it was a good way for students to feel loved and appreciated before heading home and to end their day on a positive note. Tyler Richards, a first-grade teacher at Rex Elementary School in Haysville, Kansas, has been receiving appreciation for his simple approach to ending the school day. The idea soon caught the attention of the school’s principal, Shane Paulus, who appreciated the way it helped children feel welcomed and valued. One of the significant aspects of this initiative is its emphasis on making children feel that they belong. For young students, school is not only where they learn academic skills. It is also where they build relationships with teachers, interact with classmates and begin to understand how they fit into a larger community. Richards has emphasised the importance of creating a safe place for children. Children spend a significant amount of their day at school. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
