Daily Peace Action

Daily Peace Action 

Monday, October 14th: Kind Words

As a school we are implementing a social emotional curriculum aimed at addressing students' needs and promoting positive behavior.  One action we are focusing on this week is using kind words with one another.   During each one of my reading groups, I set aside 2-3 minutes of the session to have each child say something kind to two other students in the group. The students loved hearing and sharing kind words with one another!  Even though this activity didn't take long to implement, I can already see the lasting impact it will bring to the group if we practice it regularly.  

Tuesday, October 15th: Practicing active listening during family time 

Today's peace action is one that I tried with my own children.  I tried my best to practice active listening with my children, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings without any interruptions from my side.  I have a bad habit of interjecting at times, wanting to question more or offer advice.  I held myself back and allowed them to share whatever was on their mind.  I saw they were more open to sharing their feelings.  This is something that I want to make an effort in continuing to do every single day.  

Wednesday, October 16th: Complimenting my colleagues 

At my school we are planning a school wide event in order to educate our students about conflict, war and the events happening in the Middle East.  I am one of the leaders of this planning group.  As we met today to review our plan for the event, I made it a point to compliment the great ideas that I heard.  A statement which may seem so simple actually changed the demeanor of the people in the room. Incorporating more verbal appreciation in my interactions with my colleagues can foster a more peaceful and happier workplace. 

Thursday, October 16th: Praise

I have a student in one of my reading groups who is constantly zoned out, unfocused and seems to be uninterested in learning how to read.  Today during our reading groups, I made sure to acknowledge the little effort he made and made his actions into a big deal.  I repeated phrases like "I can see how hard you're working" or "Wow! Look at you today!"   His face lit up and I could see he started to become more interested in the lesson.  I made it a point to mention his effort to his classroom teacher in front of him.  The amount of excitement he showed blew me away.   Once again I am reminded of the profound impact of positive reinforcement.  A little recognition can surely go a long way.  

Sunday, October 20th: Positive Affirmations 

A classmate of mine shared that she tried doing positive affirmations and noticed a difference in the way she thought about herself. I decided to make this my challenge for today.  As I repeated to myself statements of my positive traits, I noticed a slight shift in my mindset.  Instead of letting doubts or negative thoughts dominate my mind space, focusing on the positive had a positive effect on my thinking.  It wasn't always easy to silence those negative thoughts, nor can I confidently say that my whole day was filled with positive thinking, but my consistently repeating about my resilience and worth, I could feel things began to slowly change for the better.  I remember taking a workshop a few years ago where the presenter shared a quote that struck me; "Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds.  You can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds."  

That is the power of the mind. 

Monday, October 21st: Notes of encouragement

For today's action, I focused on writing little notes for my children and placing them in their lunchboxes.  Each one of the notes I wrote contained an inspirational quote or a positive message unique to my child's circumstances.  These notes were meant to be a reminder of my love and support, offering them some positive energy throughout their day.  Even though it may be a small act, I do believe it is a way to keep connected with them even when they are away.  

Tuesday, October 22nd: Expressing Gratitude

The last peace action to be done is expressing gratitude to those around me.  Throughout the day, I will make it a point to express thanks to the people I interact with.  It could take on the form of a written note or a simple "thank you."  I will apply this both at school and at home; with my colleagues, students and my own family members.  
In Islam we have a saying of the Prophet where he said, "Those who don't recognize and thank people, don't show gratitude to God."  I try to always try to remind myself of this teaching, as it is shows how our connections with humans are also tied to our connection with God. By recognizing the kindness and efforts of those around us, we are expressing our gratitude to God for the blessings he has given us.