Nov 20, 2023 Cultivating Appreciation, Celebration, and Gratitude All Year Long | Favorite Activities and Reflective Prompts

Gratitude is a reflective act, practice, and attitude that I try to weave into my workshop sessions and classes all year round. This can range from simple gratitude-centered conversation starters and reflection prompts during community and rapport-building activities like Handshake Mingle or Concentric Circles such as:

“Share with a High Five Partner something you appreciate about spending the day with this group of people.” “Share with your ‘Fist Bump Fireworks Partner’ something worth celebrating about this school year.”

—to designing whole lessons or experiences focused on sharing appreciation and gratitude for others. Here are some of my favorite strategies for intentionally reflecting on gratitude—useful for any time of year and all age groups.

I love to use an appreciation-focused welcoming activity at the start of a class or program, such as inviting group members to choose a gratitude-focused quote card as they enter an online or in-person class or meeting. Or selecting an object or image on their way into the class that represents a strength of their group or themselves.

When facilitating online workshops, I often ask participants to bring an artifact from home or office representing a success story, lesson learned, challenges overcome, or knowledge gained in their recent facilitation or teaching. We then blend it into small group sharing and other reflective activities during our time together.

In my favorite community building and reflection activity, Team Tally, I always weave in some gratitude-focused questions, such as

“One point for each person who can name a leader, teacher, or coach who influenced them. To receive the points, describe this person’s positive leadership qualities – i.e., what was it about them that made them such a positive teacher/leader/coach? 

“A point for each person who can share something they are proud of when they think of their work with this team/organization. This could be a success story with a student, your work, or something you are excited about coming up in your upcoming programming.”

A point for each person who can share how they plan to bring joy, laughter, ongoing celebration, and reflection into their practice as a counselor (Email me for Team Tally Templates).

When I want to facilitate a focused lesson, circle, morning meeting  or family night event focused on gratitude and appreciation, I use activities like “Peek-a-Who” Celebrations, “Appreciations Notes,” “Graffiti Wall,” “Celebrations Charades Race,” “Postcard or Object Strengths Reflection” and “Postcard to Your Future Self.” See the blog archives or chapter Eight of the Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner book.

One of my go-to appreciation activities for adult learning and team-building programs is “Recipe for Group Success.” This activity combines an appreciation of the strengths and accomplishments of the group with some vision and group norm-setting.

Hopefully, some of these ideas will not only help you wrap up classes and meetings with an optimistic closing before the holiday break but can be woven in throughout your work to cultivate gratitude year-round.

Visit archive editions of the Inspired  Educator blog or Chapter Eight of the Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner: Experiential, Brain-Based Activities and Strategies to Engage, Motivate, Build Community, and Create Lasting Lessons book for more ideas and strategies for celebrations and appreciations.