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November 12, 2024
Discover three impactful activities to help students express appreciation, strengthen relationships, and nurture a positive school environment through heartfelt letters, creative scrapbooks, and community gratitude.
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By Patricia Wright
As we enter November, gratitude is likely top of mind. You may be helping your students learn about gratitude by taking turns saying what they’re thankful for and reading books about gratitude; but have you thought about teaching them how to write a gratitude letter? This goes beyond a simple “thank you” note to create meaningful, handwritten letter that acknowledges someone who has made a significant impact in your life. Gratitude Letter Writing is an evidence-informed well-being skill with social and emotional benefits that can transform a classroom—by helping students recognize and express appreciation, build emotional intelligence, and create a culture of positivity.
Research supports what these students demonstrated: Writing gratitude letters can elevate happiness, increase life satisfaction, and strengthen relationships—for both the giver and the receiver.
Earlier this year, NBC News highlighted just how impactful expressing gratitude can be on a school’s culture. When middle school students in Detroit wrote heartfelt gratitude letters to their teachers, many teachers were moved to tears—emphasizing the profound impact of gratitude on relationships. Research supports what these students demonstrated: Writing gratitude letters can elevate happiness, increase life satisfaction, and strengthen relationships—for both the giver and the receiver.
Try these three-step Gratitude Letter Writing activities to empower students and staff to deepen connections with peers, teachers and family members while enhancing their own well-being. There are activities for students at different literacy levels, including opportunities for those who primarily use pictures to express their ideas:
Additional Resources: Use this free printable gratitude letter template to help guide your students. You could also have the students share their gratitude letters to open an individualized education plan meeting or parent-teacher conference. Consider how starting from a place of appreciation might impact the tone and culture of the meeting.
Students who prefer a visual expression of gratitude or may not have access to written or spoken language can also create a Gratitude Scrapbook in Canva for someone they’d like to thank.
This is also a great gift idea for students during the holiday season!
Our schools are often the center of the community, and they rely on community support to function at their best.
Consider publishing the letters in your school newsletter, the local paper, or on social media. You might also ask the community for gratitude letters to school members.
Gratitude Letter Writing is a simple yet powerful skill that offers us an opportunity to slow down and reflect on the people who make a difference in our lives. By integrating gratitude into the classroom this holiday season and beyond, we can foster supportive, appreciative and connected school cultures that extend beyond the classroom to create a world where well-being wins for all.
This collection of preK-12 teaching resources is designed to help students understand the Thanksgiving holiday and use it as a reflective educational experience that honors the full breadth of its history. In recognizing the importance of this time of year, we are committed to shedding light on the stories that are often untold—particularly those of Native American cultures, whose land and lives form an integral part of the Thanksgiving narrative.
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