Bucket Fillers for the Entire School Year!
I have been working with my class on doing random acts of kindness for each other. They have really become so good at this through "Bucket Filling". At the beginning of the year, we read "How Full is Your Bucket, " by Tom Rath. We followed his model of doing and saying things that make others and our buckets full. It also reiterates what would make other's buckets tip (not being included, teasing, etc). I had a lot of teachable moments occur, especially at the beginning of the year, with students filling buckets as well as students buckets spilling over.
As October was fast approaching and I was planning on all of the crafts and space on my walls needed for Halloween decor, our bucket fillers (which were pockets made out of construction paper that hang on a clothesline in front of the windows) were "in the way." I didn't want to get rid of bucket filling since I felt it was so meaningful, but I needed to come up with something- fast. That's when I thought of changing out the buckets and making "ghost" pockets out of construction paper and changing the wording on the slips we were using to put into each other's buckets into something more "Halloween" themed! This was where my idea of monthly bucket filling started. For November, we filled each other's "cornucopia." Now in December, we are filling each others "lightbulbs" and writing notes to classmates describing how they made their day brighter! January is fast approaching and I had my very sweet aid help me cut out 62 mittens (2 per student) to prepare for their bucket filling theme, "keeping each other out of the cold." You can purchase this product here in my TPT store.
I have attached pictures of what each of the "buckets" looked like and how I display them in my classroom so the students are able to access them throughout the entire day. I posted November as a "freebie" in my store, you can get that here.
October
October "Ghost" Buckets (this picture was before I put them together or wrote their names, I was checking if the size was ok). The notes read, "It was a "treat" when you ___."
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November
November "Cornucopia" Buckets. The notes are also pictured in the basket below which give thanks to their classmates.
December
December "Lightbulb" Buckets. The notes they sent to each other (not pictured) read, "You made my day brighter by ___."
January |
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| January "Mitten" Buckets. Students thank and acknowledge one another for their random acts of kindness. February  February "Heart Valentine" Buckets. The notes look like small envelopes that read, "You made my heart smile when ___." March
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