30 Seconds Or Less: US Teacher's Rule To Teach Students Kindness

Do you remember the last day of your school? Apart from prize distributions, dance performances, nostalgia and good food, has anything stayed with you even today? School is considered the foundation of a person's personal growth. If the schooling is good (I am not talking about fancy schools in particular), students step out into the real world with good values. The last day of school automatically becomes the last chance to build good values in students. With this belief in mind, a Minnesota teacher taught her fourth-grade students about kindness tweaking it interestingly as the "30 seconds or less" rule. 

Natalie Ringold, an elementary school teacher, recently shared a video of her teaching kindness to her students. With the belief that kindness must be instilled in a person at a younger age, Ringold taught her students about kindness in an innovative way.

The rule of "30 seconds or less"

Ringold taught kindness using the self-curated "30 seconds or less" rule. This not only simplified the complicated concept of kindness but also gave a starting point to practice it. The rule demonstrates how a person's words can impact others.

In the viral video, Ringold is seen saying, “If somebody can’t change something about themselves in 30 seconds or less, then you shouldn’t be mentioning it to them."

To make the concept more comprehensible, she gives some practical examples. To show the things that can be changed within thirty seconds, Ringold uses examples like an untied shoelace, a piece of lint on their shirt or a zipper that has fallen down.  

However, later she says, "But if you comment on someone’s hair colour or hair texture or hairstyle or body — they can’t change that in 30 seconds or less."

For this too, she uses a visual example. She talks about squeezing a toothpaste. She says that the act of squeezing is telling someone to change something about themselves within 30 seconds. However, just like the squeezed toothpaste can never gain its original shape, the words of the person cannot be taken back no matter how much apologetic the person is. 

The 29-year-old Ringold explains that by apologising, a person cannot completely take their words back. 

Watch it to understand 

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A post shared by Ms. Natalie Ringold 🍎 Elementary Teacher (@always.upper.elementary)

The caption of her video on Instagram too demonstrates this idea. It reads, "We are responsible for our words & actions. Our words & actions have power and an impact on others.” Talking about the lessons that she taught to her students, she writes, "We need to spread kindness and love; we choose what to put out into the world." Adding further, "Once our words & actions are out in the world, we cannot erase them or fully take them back. We can choose to fill other people’s “buckets” or do the opposite. Apologizing is an important part of making things right after we make a mistake."

Starting the caption with how to help rude students, Ringolds ends it by saying, "I reminded my students that we did this lesson on the last day of school because I want them to remember this concept for the rest of their lives! Of course, there are small, random exceptions to this 30-second rule, but making this concept concrete for my students has been incredibly helpful!"

Taking to Today.com, Ringold recounted her experience in schooling which helped her understand the need to teach good values to students. She said, "It’s so important that they understand that words can leave a lasting impression that might never be erased. I still remember hearing things when I was in second grade that have stayed with me all these years."

Netizens amazed by Ringold's lesson about kindness

Ringold's video has gained more than 23 million views on Instagram. Netizens are amazed by the unique way of teaching kindness to students. 

One of the users said, "BLESS YOU!!! As a person who was relentlessly racially harassed as a child, I wish this was taught." 

Another added, “This made me cry. Can I start my college courses with this?”

A third user connected it with dating and said, “Can we send this to all men on dating apps? Thank you for being a great teacher.”

So what do you think about this "30 seconds or less" rule of practising kindness? Practice because its practicality makes more sense than the disillusioned society that considers comments as compassion.