This was a great book to promote discussion around compassion and empathy.
We discussed how when we find common ground, we can feel connected with others and mindfully strive to be our best selves. Additionally, we came up with emotional regulation strategies and discussed the importance of resilence. I was impressed with how much students knew, and the various strategies they came up with, such as meditiation or breathing exercises. Through out my practicum, we practiced different meditation exercises as cool down and focus tools.
This book connects well with the "mindfulness" topic of this unit, and connects well to the books I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness because they are written by the same author.
I felt as though students were very engaged in the book because the illustrations are very eye-catching.
I connected this book to a Tribes reflection activity called JOY.
In this reflection, students reflected upon three questions.
J: What is something in your life that just happened?
O: What is one thing in your life you would like to do for yourself more?
Y: What is on thing that makes you unique or different?
I was impressed with the personal connections students made.
They also enjoyed combining their refelction with an acrostic poem.
After reading my students responses, I felt more connected to them, which helps me be more mindful in the classroom.
Verde, Susan. I Am Human: A Book of Empathy. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019.