Kindness Counts in 1st-Grade Spanish

Lowell’s integrated approach to learning shows up even in unexpected spaces. Students regularly engage in activities that require them to draw on knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines, like writing persuasive essays about topics covered in social studies, designing technology to support a unit on equity, or even combining social-emotional lessons and language learning. By putting their skills in Spanish to practical use and in service of others, 1st-grade students are making the most of their time with specialists.

K–1st-grade Spanish Teacher Lourdes shares a snapshot from her classroom:

“The 1st-grade mindfulness lesson is a time I take to help reset students after Spring Break. Students are already familiar (or at least many of them) with the story, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. They get to define what kindness (la amabilidad) is and how it looks with practical actions and words. How? By writing short messages of appreciation and encouragement to peers, such as ‘te quiero’ or ‘te amo’ (I love you), ‘eres un buen amigo/a’ (you are a good friend), or just a simple ‘gracias’ (thank you). As they commit to this practice, children experience a sense of confidence and awareness of service and giving. Children at this age are often all about ‘me,’ and learning to compliment and celebrate each other’s successes does not come naturally. Having an opportunity to exercise just that—complimenting others—is a big step! 

Students each created a paper bucket, hung it in the hall, and wrote little notes to be dropped into each other’s buckets. In this way, they fill someone else’s bucket and their personal bucket. After all, it feels good when we do good to others! For the rest of the school year, we help one another remember this lesson by asking, ‘Did you fill a bucket, or did you empty a bucket?’”