Session 1 Script: Buddy Intro

1. Kindness Greetings (4 minutes)

Teacher (smiling, holding the Soft Toss Ball):
“Hello, [Student Name]! It’s wonderful to see you today. We’re going to be buddies and learn how to make school an even kinder place. To start, tell me one fun thing that happened to you today!”

– After the student shares, toss the ball gently to them. When they catch it, they respond with a friendly greeting or share another quick thought.
– Repeat 2–3 times.

Teacher (after final toss):
“I loved hearing about your day! Are you ready to learn about kindness and bullying?”

2. Define Bullying vs Kindness (5 minutes)

Teacher (pointing to chart paper):
“I’ve drawn two columns here: Bullying and Kindness. Let’s think together—what do you think bullying means?”

Student response

Teacher (writing under Bullying):
“Bullying is when someone hurts another person on purpose, either with words or actions. Now, what do you think kindness means?”

Student response

Teacher (writing under Kindness):
“Kindness is when we do something to help someone else or make them feel good. For example, calling someone a mean name is bullying, and helping someone carry their books is kindness. Can you think of one more example of each?”

Follow-up prompts:

• “Great! Why is that an example of bullying?”
• “Nice idea—how does that show kindness?”

3. Sort It Out & Worksheet (6 minutes)

Teacher (placing cards on desk):
“Here are our Bullying Kindness Sorting Cards. Let’s sort them into the right columns—bullying or kindness. You can place each card under the heading you think fits best.”

– Give the student time to sort. Offer gentle guidance if they hesitate.

Teacher (after sorting each card):
“Why did you put ‘teasing someone’s clothes’ under Bullying?”

Student response

Teacher:
“Exactly. Teasing on purpose hurts someone’s feelings. Now let’s complete our Bullying vs Kindness Worksheet. In the first two boxes, write or draw two things that are bullying. In the next two boxes, write or draw two things that are kindness.”

Student work

Teacher (circling examples, offering praise):
“Fantastic work! I love how you showed both examples clearly.”

4. Kindness Toss Game (3 minutes)

Teacher (standing up, soft toss ball in hand):
“Let’s play a quick game. I’ll toss the ball to you, and you name one kind act you could do at school. Then I’ll toss it back and share mine. Ready?”

– Play 3–4 tosses. Sample dialogue:
• Student: “I could share my supplies.”
Teacher: “Great idea! When I catch it, I’ll say mine—‘I could help a friend with their homework.’”

5. Set Buddy Goal (2 minutes)

Teacher (pointing to chart):
“Here’s our Buddy Goals Chart. This will remind us of your kindness goal this week. What one kind thing will you try to do?”

Student response

Teacher (writing on chart and offering high five):
“That’s an excellent goal—‘I will say something nice to a classmate.’ I’m proud of you! We’ll check back next session to see how it went. Great work today, buddy!”

Bullying vs Kindness Worksheet

Instructions

Today you will think about different ways people treat each other. First, you’ll show two examples of bullying, then two examples of kindness. You can write or draw your answers in the boxes provided. If you’re in Grade 4 or 5, try the extension question at the end!

1. Examples of Bullying

In the boxes below, write or draw two things that are examples of bullying. Bullying means someone hurts another person on purpose, with words or actions.

Box 1:

Box 2:

2. Examples of Kindness

In the boxes below, write or draw two things that are examples of kindness. Kindness means you help someone or make them feel good.

Box 1:

Box 2:

3. Extension (Grades 4–5)

For each example above, write one sentence explaining why it is bullying or kindness. Use the lines below.

1. Bullying Example 1 Explanation:

1. Bullying Example 2 Explanation:

1. Kindness Example 1 Explanation:

1. Kindness Example 2 Explanation:

Great job! We’ll use these ideas during our next session to set a kindness goal for you.

Warm-Up: Feelings Check

Time: 3 minutes

Materials: Feelings Chart (printed or drawn), paper, pencil

1. Identify Your Feeling (1 minute)

• Show the Feelings Chart or draw simple faces representing emotions (happy, sad, angry, worried, excited).
• Ask: “Which face shows how you’re feeling right now?”

2. Share Your Why (1 minute)

• Invite the student to briefly explain why they chose that feeling.
  “I feel ___ because…”

Student response:

3. Draw or Write It Out (1 minute)

• Ask the student to draw or write one thing that happened today that influenced their feeling.

Student drawing or writing:

Teacher Note: Acknowledge the student’s feelings (e.g., “Thank you for sharing. It makes sense you feel that way!”) and smoothly transition to the lesson’s first activity.

Reflection Exit

Time: 2 minutes

Instructions: In five words, describe one way you can show kindness at school.

Write your five words below:

Discussion: Feelings & Actions

Objective: Explore how our feelings connect to the way we treat others—kindly or unkindly.

Guidelines:

• Listen respectfully when the other person is speaking.
• Use kind words and complete sentences.
• Everyone’s ideas are welcome—there’s no wrong answer.

1. Feelings to Actions Connection (5 minutes)

Prompt: Think of a time when you felt sad, angry, or worried at school. What was happening? How did you act toward others in that moment?

Student response:

Follow-up Questions:

• What did you say or do? Why?
• In hindsight, did your feeling help you choose a kind or unkind action? How?
• If you could return to that moment, what kind thing might you do instead?

2. Kindness & Feel-Good Feelings (5 minutes)

Prompt: Describe a time when someone else showed you kindness. How did you feel? How did that feeling make you want to act?

Student response:

Follow-up Questions:

• What words or actions did they use that felt kind to you?
• Did it make you want to be kind to someone else right away? Why?
• How do you think kindness “spreads” in our classroom or school?

3. Role-Play Scenario (5 minutes)

Setup: The teacher and student choose one scenario below and act it out twice—once with an unkind reaction and once with a kind reaction.

Scenarios (choose one):

• A classmate accidentally steps on your foot.
• Someone makes a joke about your drawing.
• A friend forgets to invite you to play during recess.

Discussion Questions:

• How did each reaction (unkind vs. kind) make you feel?
• Which reaction helped solve the problem or make you feel better?
• What could you say or do next time to be a buddy instead of a bully?

4. Connection to Today’s Lesson (5 minutes)

Prompt: We learned about bullying vs. kindness. How do our feelings guide us to choose kindness?

Student response:

Follow-up Questions:

• What clues do our bodies or minds give us before we act? (e.g., feeling tense, thinking “I’m upset!”)
• How can we pause and choose a kind action even if we feel hurt or angry?
• What buddy goal from our Buddy Goals Chart can help remind us to pause and be kind?
   
   
  Teacher Note: Encourage the student to reflect honestly. Reinforce that noticing our feelings is the first step to making kind choices. End by briefly summarizing their ideas and tying them back to the kindness goal they set.

Activity: Sorting Cards

Time: 6 minutes
Materials: Bullying Kindness Sorting Cards, two labels or sheets of paper labeled “Bullying” and “Kindness,” desk or floor space

Instructions

1. Prepare the Sorting Area
   • Place two large sheets of paper or labels on the desk or floor: one titled Bullying and one titled Kindness.
   • Shuffle the Bullying Kindness Sorting Cards and place them face down in a pile.
2. Student-Led Sorting (3–4 minutes)
   • Invite the student to pick the top card, read it aloud, and decide if the action is bullying or kindness.
   • The student places the card under the “Bullying” or “Kindness” heading.
   • Repeat until all cards are sorted.
3. Discuss Each Placement (2 minutes)
   • Review the sorted cards together. For each card, ask:
     • “Why did you put this under Bullying/Kindness?”
     • “How might someone feel if this happened to them?”
   • Offer praise for accurate sorting and gently guide any misplacements.
4. Extension (Grades 4–5)
   • Ask the student to create one original scenario card: draw or write a short description of an action.
   • Have them explain whether it’s bullying or kindness and why.

Teacher Notes & Differentiation

• If the student struggles reading a card, read it aloud and highlight key words.
• For emerging readers, use picture-supported cards or allow them to match illustrated examples.
• Reinforce positive language: praise clear explanations (e.g., “Great thinking—teasing someone’s clothes does hurt feelings!”).
• Collect the completed sorting cards to revisit in a later session and connect back to the student’s Buddy Goal on the Buddy Goals Chart.