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The power of kindness

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It is well established that post-secondary students are experiencing elevated levels of stress, anxiety and loneliness. Teachers are also experiencing heightened levels of stress in their workplace.

Kindness and well-being can feed and fuel optimal learning, Dr. John-Tyler Binfet told an audience of about 150 participants during his keynote talk at Intercollegiate Ped Day on Jan. 13. Describing himself as “covered in dog fur most days,” Dr. Binfet is a professor in the Okanagan School of Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Trained as an educational psychologist, Dr. Binfet’s research focuses on understanding how students conceptualize and enact kindness in schools; and the effects of canine-assisted interventions on student well-being, particularly around stress reduction.

Tiny shifts toward a kinder environment
Through stories and examples, Dr. Binfet shared many practical ways to be more kind to ourselves, our students, our colleagues and how to create kinder classrooms as well as apply kindness to various aspects of college education, such as assessments.

He proposed adopting some “low cost, high yield” interventions, such as greeting students at the door of the classroom, scaffolding each class by letting students know what is coming to reduce anxiety, using students’ names in classroom discussions, setting an intention for yourself and inviting students to set intentions or expectations for the class. These do not have to take much time or effort, just intention. “These tiny shifts will create learning environments that are good for both the instructor and learners,” he said.

Dr. Binfet is always on the lookout for kindness, and he aims to celebrate and acknowledge kind acts. “Being kind promotes well-being and bolsters mental health,” he said and listed some of the specific benefits: helps develop favorable perceptions of others, curbs rumination, gives one the helper’s high, and fortifies relationships. “Students need connection as well as content,” he said.

Benefits of kindness
Specifically for students, engaging in acts of kindness leads to more favorable self-perception, more favorable perception of school, their teachers and classmates, and it boosts their happiness. One way to be kind to students and for a teacher to show they care about them is by practicing “pedagogical kindness.” He gave an example of a student who had opted to perform a song instead of doing a presentation. The day of the performance she had stage fright, so he decided to let her record the song instead of performing it in front of the class.

Many students have increased anxiety and fear of presentations, he said. “Be flexible and create options for students,” he encouraged teachers.

Dr. Binfet’s prescription for kindness
Dr. Binfet prescribed three acts of kindness per week to see these sorts of results. To be kind means to take initiative and sometimes it requires bravery. Dr. Binfet said that being kind can be perceiving a need or opportunity and responding to it, like holding a door for someone, or it can be quiet, like forgiving someone or holding back an insult.

An exercise he suggested for everyone is to create a mental health plan. Many people can share their work out plan, why not a mental health plan, he said.

“Develop and adhere to a mental health plan,” he challenged the IPD audience. “(It could include) one hour of physical fitness, making time for meaningful interactions with people who are close to you, regular expression of emotions, curbing negative self-talk, weaving stress reduction into our workday.”

“Practicing mindfulness is taking care of yourself in a professional manner,” he said. “Be open to grounding yourself in mindfulness. Be calm, clear, intentional and supportive.”

Dr. Binfet cited the Harvard Business Review and said “do not underestimate the power of kindness.”

Note

An act of kindness for yourself: make a mental health plan

Your plan is personal, but it could include elements, such as:

  • Planning an hour of physical activity every day
  • Finding meaningful ways to connect to people who matter to you every week
  • Being intentionally kind to others
  • Finding time to do things you love regularly
  • Curbing negative self-talk

Check out his article in Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/canines-kids-and-kindness/202104/kindness-and-your-mental-health-workout-plan



Last Modified: January 30, 2025