Teacher Script: Huddle Up for Kindness

Warm-Up: What Makes a Great Teammate? (5 minutes)

"Good morning, future Kindness Champions! Today, we're going to huddle up and talk about something super important that makes our classroom and our school like the best team ever: being a great teammate, on and off the field!

Take a moment to look at our first slide, 'What Makes a Great Teammate?' What do you think it means to be a great teammate? What does a great teammate do? What does a great teammate say? Turn to a friend and share your ideas, or raise your hand if you'd like to share with the whole team."

(Listen to student responses, affirming and guiding them towards positive interactions, connecting them to team play. Encourage examples like sharing, helping, giving high-fives, and listening.)

"Those are fantastic ideas! Being a great teammate is all about being friendly, caring, and thoughtful towards others, just like how a team works together. It makes everyone feel strong and happy, like you just scored a touchdown of kindness!"

Explore Calm & Kind Plays (10 minutes)

"Now, let's look at some specific plays we can make to show kindness every day. Our next slide is 'Teamwork Actions.'

When we are at school, it's important to use gentle passes when we share our toys or materials, and gentle hands when we're near our friends. Can everyone show me gentle hands, like you're making a gentle pass? Perfect! We also show kindness by sharing our equipment and space, just like sharing the ball during a game. If someone needs help, we can help a teammate get up. And a simple high-five or encouraging smile can make someone's day! It's also really kind to listen when the coach or a teammate is talking, just like you're listening to me now.

(Transition to 'Fair Play Words We Use' slide.)

"Just like our actions, the words we choose are super important for fair play! On this slide, 'Fair Play Words We Use,' you'll see some words that can make a big difference. Say them with me:

• 'Good game!'
• 'Nice try!'
• 'I'm sorry, my fault.'
• 'Can I join your game?'
• 'That was a great play!'

Let's try a quick role-play. If you want to play with a friend's blocks, what's a fair play thing to say? (Pause for responses, guiding them to 'Can I join your game?') Great job! Or if you accidentally bump into someone, what's a kind thing to say, just like a good teammate? (Guide to 'I'm sorry, my fault.') You've got it!

Remember, using a calm voice and friendly words helps everyone feel like part of the team, safe and happy."

Cool-Down: Share One Kind Play (5 minutes)

"You all have been amazing kindness detectives and great teammates today! Now, look at our last slide, 'Be a Kindness Champion!' Because guess what? You are all kindness champions, like the best players on the field!

Before we finish, I want each of you to think about one kind act, one 'good play' you will make today, or one fair play word you will use. It could be for a friend, a teacher, or even someone at home. Who would like to share their kindness superpower with us?"

(Allow a few students to share their ideas, offering encouragement and praise.)

"Wonderful! I am so proud of how much you've learned about being kind and calm, and being great teammates. Let's all try to be kindness champions today and every day, scoring big with kindness! Give yourselves a silent cheer for being so kind and thoughtful!"

Kindness Playbook Catcher Activity

Objective: To create a visual reminder of kind actions and words to promote positive team interactions and good sportsmanship.

Materials:

• One square piece of paper per student (8.5x8.5 inches works well)
• Crayons or markers
• Score Big with Kindness! Slide Deck (for reference)

Instructions:

1. Fold into a cootie catcher (fortune teller), your Kindness Playbook:

   • Place the paper colored-side down (if it has one).
   • Fold the paper in half diagonally, then unfold. Repeat with the other diagonal.
   • Fold each corner into the center point of the square.
   • Flip the paper over.
   • Fold the new corners into the center.
   • Fold the square in half, then unfold. Fold in half the other way, then unfold.
   • Slide your thumbs and pointer fingers under the four flaps on the bottom to create the "pockets" of your playbook.

2. Decorate the outside: Your Team Logos!

   • On the four outer squares (the ones that show when it's closed), draw pictures of things that make you think of being a great teammate or playing fair (e.g., a football, a jersey, a goalpost, two friends giving a high-five).

3. Add fair play words to the next layer: Your Cheers!

   • Open up the outer flaps. On the triangles underneath, write four fair play words or phrases. You can use ideas from our lesson, like "Good game!", "Nice try!", "Share the ball," or "Help a teammate."

4. Write kind actions on the inside: Your Winning Plays!

   • Open up the triangles. Inside, you will see eight smaller triangles. In each of these, write or draw a picture of a kind action, like a "winning play" for kindness. For example:
     • Share my toys/ball
     • Use gentle hands/passes
     • Listen to my friends
     • Give a compliment
     • Help a teacher
     • Ask to join the game
     • Say sorry
     • Give a high-five

5. How to use your Kindness Playbook Catcher:

   • Work with a partner, like two teammates. One person holds the Kindness Playbook Catcher and asks the other to pick one of the outer pictures (a team logo). Move the catcher according to the number of letters in the word/picture chosen.
   • Then, the person chooses one of the fair play words (a cheer) on the next layer. Move the catcher again based on the number of letters.
   • Finally, the person picks a number on the inside flaps. Open up that flap, and read the kind action inside (a winning play). The goal is to encourage each other to make that kind play! This is a fun way to practice being kind and remembering all the wonderful ways we can be great teammates and show good sportsmanship.