I am a school nurse, and I have a “Take What You Need” display in my office with cards like Love, Friendship, You are okay, and You can do it. Sometimes that’s what kids need even more than Band-Aids.

When I know a student has a performance or competition coming up, I give them a You are awesome card, with a handwritten note on the back. It means a lot to them to know that their teacher cares, and it feels good to me, too.

I set out a huge pile of cards at a staff meeting and invited each teacher to pick a message that spoke to them: You are enough. What you do matters. Patience. You can do it. Teachers need to hear these things just as much as their students do.

Below are five ways to use Kindness Cards to build empathy and self-awareness in your school or classroom. They are not meant to be comprehensive or prescriptive, but to inspire you to find ways to use these cards that really serve you and your students. Thank you for your willingness to practice and experiment!

Connect with Individual Students
Relationships with teachers can have a big impact on students’ engagement and motivation. These cards can help students feel seen, valued, and supported.

• Appreciate them for something unique or important that they bring to the classroom

• Encourage them on tasks or projects that you know to be challenging for them

• Cheer them on for an upcoming performance or competition

• Celebrate noteworthy improvements, achievements, or effort

Make a Take What You Need Station
Kindness Cards can help prompt us to recognize what we need, and practice getting those needs met in healthy ways. One way to encourage this in your students is with a Take What You Need station. Laminate a set of cards and put them in a basket or on a bulletin board for students to access at the beginning of class, before a test, or whenever they need them.

Make a What Can You Give? Station
You can play an important role in building trust and goodwill among students by encouraging them to use Kindness Cards with each other, and with people outside of the classroom. Make cards and pens available, and prompt them to think about who they might give a card to:

• What’s something you’re grateful for? Who was involved in making it possible?

• Who is going through a hard time or big changes, who could use some comforting or encouragement?

• Who is someone you would enjoy making smile?

Support Faculty and Staff

• Give cards to teachers to honor their contributions, encourage them through challenges, or simply make them smile

• Put cards in the teacher’s lounge for them to take for themselves or give to one other

• Use cards at the beginning of staff meetings as a way to connect on a human level and invite open dialogue

Collaborate with Parents
Give or send cards directly to parents after difficult or emotional meetings, or to honor their child’s effort or success