Gratitude and positive affirmations can make a major impact in our lives. By helping our students develop these practices, we set them up for future success. This gratitude journal can be used as a one-time activity when teaching about gratitude and positive affirmations, or it can be bound together to create a gratitude journal that your students can use to build their gratitude habit.
Gratitude Mini-Lesson Plan:
- Start off with a discussion on what gratitude means and why it’s important. Encourage students to share examples of what they are grateful for.
- Next, pass out the Gratitude Journal activity sheets and ask students to write 6 things they are grateful for in the flower petals. Remind students that these are not limited to tangible things; they can express gratitude for experiences, feelings, etc.
- After students have journaled, invite them to share what they’ve written and reflect on how expressing gratitude impacts their mood or feelings.
- Then, introduce positive affirmations by offering one of your own. Be sure to tie a gratitude statement into your affirmation. For example, “I am grateful for the opportunity to inspire and support my students every day.”
- Invite students to brainstorm a few affirmations and record them in the rectangle at the bottom of the Gratitude Journal sheet.
- Invite students to share their affirmations and practice reciting a few as a class.
- As you close the mini-lesson, remind students that the best way to reap the benefits of gratitude is by creating a regular practice, and encourage them to use the affirmations they’ve written throughout the week.
