“Micro-kindnesses” are like a smile – they can spread from person to person and can have a huge impact on our sense of connection and belonging.
Micro-kindness among teachers involves small, low effort gestures that build a supportive school culture, buffer against burnout and make the staffroom a warmer place. We know that teaching can be emotionally demanding and these tiny moments of peer-to -peer kindness and solidarity can change the feel of your work day.
These small, intentional acts like smiling at a colleague in the corridor, offering a genuine compliment or offering a quick 5-minute cover creates ordinary magic in the school culture. Working in education can sometimes feel like a high stress environment and these micro-moments act as a vital emotional anchor that can reduce feelings of isolation and burnout.
Micro-kindnesses you could try today:
- Time and task savers
The Photocopy “Cut-In”: Letting a colleague who only has a single page to copy go ahead of you when you are in the middle of a big printing job.
Spontaneous Class Coverage: Stepping into a colleague’s classroom for five minutes so they can take a much-needed restroom break or grab a glass of water without having to scramble for coverage.
- Words of affirmation
The sticky note: Leave a quick sticky note on their computer monitor detailing a specific positive thing you saw them do e.g. “I saw how patient you were with student X this morning. You are amazing.”
The 5-Minute Check-in: Dropping by a new or struggling teacher’s room at the end of the day just to ask, “How did today feel?” and listening without judgment.
- Staffroom: Food and drink gestures
The “Secret” Coffee: Making a cup of tea or coffee for a colleague whose next period is a difficult class.
Emergency Chocolate: Leaving a small bowl of snacks or chocolate on the main table with a note saying “Take what you need.”
By embedding micro-kindness into our daily routine we can collectively cultivate a more resilient and supportive environment for everyone in the school community.
“Smiling is infectious” by Spike Milligan
Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realised,
I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
Then realised it’s worth,
A single smile just like mine,
Could travel round the earth.
So if you feel a smile begin,
Don’t leave it undetected,
Let’s start an epidemic quick,
And get the world infected!
Published: September 21