3 Ways to Make Gratitude a Habit in Your Classroom

To learn more about the many benefits of gratitude in the classroom—like better relationships, higher confidence levels, and more kindness and positivity—or to see the research cited in this video, take a look at the links below:

• 2020 study of strengths-based teaching and learning approaches for children, by Rod Galloway, Bronwyn Reynolds, and John Williamson
• 2020 article on how gratitude interventions in high schools support student well-being, by Giacomo Bono, Susan Mangan, Michael Fauteux, and Jason Sender 
• 2019 analysis of the effects of gratitude on interpersonal relationships, school resilience, and school well-being, by Imelda S. Caleon, Nur Qamarina Binte Ilham, Chin Leng Ong, and Jennifer Pei-Ling Tan
• 2019 study on teaching gratitude to children, by Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kristin Layous
• 2018 white paper on the science of gratitude, by Summer Allen for Greater Good Science Center
• 2016 review of school-based positive psychological interventions, by Rébecca Shankland and Evelyn Rosset
• 2016 study on gratitude and adolescents’ subjective well-being in school, by Lili Tian, Luyang Pi, E. S. Huebner, and Minmin Du
• 2016 study on the impact of practicing gratitude on focus and resilience in learning, by Jane Taylor Wilson
• 2010 study on gratitude, well-being, and the benefits of appreciation, by Randy A. Sansone and Lori A. Sansone

To find more strategies like the ones featured in this video, check out Edutopia contributor Lainie Rowell’s articles “3 Gratitude Practices That Don’t Involve Journaling” and “Cultivating a Culture of Authentic Gratitude,” as well as her 2022 book, Evolving with Gratitude. Marissa King’s article for Edutopia, “Encouraging a Sense of Gratitude in Students,” and Livia Chan’s article for Edutopia, “Teaching and Modeling Gratitude in Elementary School,” also offer more information about strategies seen in the video.