None of us probably need a definition of happiness; a range of positive emotions that we know when we feel including contentment, calmness, joy, and satisfaction. Outstanding schools are those that contribute to happiness in children. We do have some secrets to share with you that can cultivate joy at school and make students happier. Here’s our 6 tips to making children happy.
Connect with them on a personal level
It’s always nice to take the time to really get to know each and every one of your students. This will not only help them feel more comfortable in class and help you build a caring classroom community, but it will help you understand them better.
Use humor
Use any opportunity you have to use humor in the classroom. Tell a joke or a funny story. You can even designate every Thursday as funny costume day and come to school each week with something different.
Incorporate music
They say music is food for the soul and it has a great effect on our feelings and energy levels. It’s also a powerful tool to make us happy. Whenever you get the opportunity to incorporate music into your classroom, do so, your students will thank you for it. Playing music as your students enter the classroom can be welcoming and can create a positive atmosphere.
Smile often
Even if you’re not a smiley person, try smiling more often. And more than that, they can have an effect on those looking at you. Give it a try and just see what happens if you smile more often at the people you interact with on a daily basis.
Allow them to get social
Provide opportunities for students to get social with their peers. You will see students will establish relationships that promote a positive classroom environment.
Students love to socialize at school and get the time to talk about things other than classwork and assignments. Giving students as little as ten minutes at the end of the day to just talk with their classmates will for sure increase their contentment levels. It might also make them pay attention more in class.
Give them choices
That might sound difficult but you can always give them choices about things that don’t really matter to you. For instance, ask them whether to give them their coming test on Wednesday or Thursday.
They will get so excited that they can have that extra day, because they always pick the latter of the two.
