This post originally appeared on the Breakfast Club Blog on November 22, 2013.
This year, I had an opportunity to help my sister set up her sixth grade classroom. Outside the door, she had the following poster:
T: Is it True?
H: Is it Helpful?
I: Is it Inspiring?
N: Is it Necessary?
K: Is it Kind?
Although educators, whether they work during in or out-of-school time hours, have many of these mantras in their classrooms, this one struck me as special. It not only encourages students to THINK, but it also promotes character development and social skills.
T: Is it True?
The “T” encourages students to think about the validity of a statement and to discern fact from fiction. This can apply to academics as students learn how to develop informed opinions and to not take everything at face value. It can also be applied to social settings, particularly when students need to learn to deal with rumors and gossip. The students can be taught how false statements can hurt their peers and how to deal with negative emotions.
H: Is it Helpful?
Students can be encouraged to think about “H” when interacting with other students and adults. Before acting, the student needs to ask if the action will be helpful to others. Again, this is very appropriate for helping to develop positive social skills. Rather than teasing a student who is struggling with a task or an assignment, the other students should think about how their next statement or action could help the struggling student. Once a group of students begin to work together to ensure that their actions are helpful, a happy and healthy environment should follow.
I: Is it Inspiring?
Everyone can use a little “I.” The instructor or classroom leader needs to inspire dozens of students each and every day. Students need to inspire each other to do their best and to challenge one another. In many ways, this may be the most difficult theme. There are some days when inspiration can be hard to come by. By working together, both the adults and youth can develop ways to inspire one another. Perhaps it is just a smile or hug. Maybe it is a colorful picture made by a student or a quote that a teacher reads in a book that really spoke to her and kept her going through one more class. Inspiration can be found everywhere. We just need the ability to use it creatively to inspire ourselves and others.
N: Is it Necessary?
Every single one of us gets bogged down by details and issues that in the long-run do not really matter. For tasks related to work or assignments, youth (and adults) can be taught to ask if a task or action is necessary, or is there an easier way to accomplish a task? How will a certain action help accomplish the end goal? If it is a distraction or something that delays progress, what can be done to work around it? Thinking about “N” is also something that can be applied to everyday life. Will this action help me accomplish my life’s goals? At the end of day, can you say that your actions made a difference in someone’s life? These are how we can define necessary actions.
K: Is it Kind?
Finally, is it kind? This can come in handy, particularly for potential conflicts. Before youth say or act in any way that may be hurtful to another, they should ask if themselves is it a kind action? If the response is “no,” the youth need to take a step back to consider other options that may be more kind. When students or youth who do something kind for someone else without being prompted, they should be recognized for their efforts in a way that inspires other students to model that behavior.
When working with youth, try asking them to THINK how a particular action is meets the True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind criteria. Even as adults, particularly during stressful times, we may want to take a step back to make sure that our actions also meet these criteria so we can continue to become positive, motivating role models for all.
Author: @taradonahue
For breakfast, I had baked french toast with fruit, sausage, orange juice, and tea. Still eating leftovers from a brunch I hosted on Sunday!