“It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.”
Dalai Lama

Our classrooms can be places of hope, where we help our students see the kind of world we could live in, and where we teach students the academic and social emotional skills they need to make it happen.

It starts with creating a culture of trust, where students are empowered to voice concerns and question inequalities around them.

And of course, we need to have constant meaningful conversations, allowing students to share their thoughts and respond to each other in respectful ways.

We also need to provide inspirations of hope for our kids and each of the following books does just that. I’ve also included suggestions for extending each selection and provided links to each one on Amazon, as well as to the read-aloud versions on YouTube.

A Flicker of Hope by Julia Cook

We all have days when dark clouds hover over us, clouds others can’t see, but know they are there. This book reminds us to reach out to others, and to remember to always have that tiny flicker of hope.

Extension: After reading this story, discuss the importance of hope, hope builders, and sharing your own unique gifts with others. One idea is to give each child a box, or have them draw a picture of a box, and inside it have them include all their own ‘gifts,’ such as kindness, honesty, and having a sense of humor. This will help them to be resilient and ‘bounce back’ after a tough moment, and also remind them that they have special qualities that they can use to help others to escape their ‘dark cloud.’

A Flicker of Hope/ Read-Aloud Version

I Promise by Lebron James

I Promise is a public elementary school in Akron, Ohio that is supported by the LeBron James Family Foundation. The book shares the vows the young students make to improve their lives and achieve their goals. We see the kids all throughout their day helping each other, studying hard, and standing up for what’s right.

Extension: After reading the book, discuss LeBron James’ quote: Nothing is given. Everything is earned. Ask students to think about a goal they have for this year, this week, or even just today. Have them write it down and also make a plan that they will follow to make sure they stay on track to achieve it.

I Promise/Read-Aloud Version

Love by Matt de la Pena

All kinds of love is celebrated in this book, including love between a parent and a child, love between siblings, self-love, and even love lost. In one scene there is a family “nervously huddled around the TV,” and they are obviously watching some frightening news. In another a young boy looks out the window at his dad, as he rushes to catch the bus to work, and he realizes that that is love, just like the burned toast his mom gives him is. We also see a boy being comforted by his dog as two adults argue, and love being found “in made up stories that uncles tell in the backyard between wild horseshoe throws.” Kids can relate to everything in the book, and realize that they are not alone when faced with emotional difficulties.

Extension: Check out this link for a great opportunity for students to respond to the story and also for you to assess their learning authentically. You could also have kids design a tee-shirt or sticker based on the theme ‘love,’ and you can find a 16 page PDF download, with several extension activities and a 10 page student book for grades 2-8 here on this link.

Love/Read-Aloud Version

Life by Cynthia Rylant

In this beautifully illustrated story, we see that there are so many wonderful things about life, and we see them through the eyes of the world’s animals. We also see that there is strength in adversity. This is how it ends: “And if one day, it seems nothing beautiful will ever come your way again, trust the rabbit in the field, and the deer who crosses your path. Trust the wolf and the wild geese who find their way back home. All these know something about life: that everything is changing. And it is worth waking up in the morning to see what might happen.”

Extension: I think this would be a great book to have kids create a mobile about. They could choose their favorite parts of the actual story or make one based on the theme of the book. There are some fantastic tips for making mobiles with kids here on this post.

Life/Read-Aloud Version

Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein

Amelia inspires the world in this story! Seriously, she does. Because she smiles as she skips down the street, her neighbor Mrs. Higgins smiles too, and decides to send some cookies to her grandson Lionel, who happens to live in Mexico. The cookies give Lionel an idea, and his idea inspires a student, who in turn inspires a ballet troupe-in England! There are just a couple of ways happiness spreads around the world, all because Amelia smiled.

Extension: I love to use this book as an example of what it means to ‘fill someone’s bucket.’ Amelia’s example is a great way to show kids how when they make someone happy they are not only filling the other person’s bucket, but their own bucket too. It can also inspire them to perform an intentional act of kindness. There is a week-long unit based on Because Amelia Smiled (for grades K-3) that addresses how our actions effect others on this link.

Because Amelia Smiled/Read-Aloud Version

How are you creating a classroom of hope?

I'd love to hear your ideas and strategies.

If you would like to connect further, please feel free to leave a comment here on this post, or send a message via any of my social media channels.

Thank you so much for visiting the blog today. I certainly appreciate your time and attention.

Yours truly,

Jennifer

“Every day, set your mind in the right direction. Find something to be thankful for.”

Joel Osteen