Activity
Ongoing engagement, Reflective activities, Setting the tone activities

Gratitude Journal

Maha Bali

Maha Bali

Nadine Aboulmagd

Nadine Aboulmagd

Hoda Mostafa

Hoda Mostafa

Azza Awwad

Azza Awwad

Support students’ wellbeing by suggesting a daily or periodic practice of gratitude, promote radical self-compassion.

Share:

ACTIVITY PURPOSE

Support students’ wellbeing by suggesting a daily or periodic practice of gratitude, promote radical self-compassion.

USEFUL FOR

Promoting wellbeing at the beginning of semester, mid-semester, end of semester – beginning of class, end of class, asynchronous assignment, shared or private.

PREPARATION

Minimal – prepare prompts and tips (see resources).

INSTRUCTIONS

In the video, three faculty developers explain their own personal regular gratitude journaling practices. Ideas include making time in the morning to prepare for a day where you notice things for which you are grateful, and making time at the end of the day to reflect on things you are grateful for.

Teachers and students should feel free to adapt to what fits their purposes and suits their context.

Classroom applications include:

  1. Suggesting it for students to do on their own for their own wellbeing. Possibly ask them after trying it to write a reflection on the process or share with the class.
  2. Occasionally or periodically asking students to share some of their gratitude (without forcing all to share).
  3. Give students options to reflect on things they’re grateful for, things that bring them joy, their accomplishments, etc. Point out there are things that are within us (gratefulness for our own competence) and things that are external to us (gratitude for people in our lives) and things that we start to notice (taking joy in little things).

DURATION

Individually, it can take 5 minutes of someone’s day. It could take 5 minutes at the beginning or end of class, or if people want to talk, it may take longer. It can be a written assignment or just a suggested, ungraded practice, but you can grade students’ reflections on how it has made them feel (e.g. ask students to do it daily for a week or two, then reflect on the process). The Growing forward journal from Stacy Thomas is about 15 minutes of journaling.

ADAPTATIONS AND EXAMPLES

There are no rules with this activity, it can be done privately, offline, or collaboratively, online; it can be done orally or in writing, though the recommendation is to have it written in a place one can go back to. One adaptation might be to encourage people to take photos or videos of small delights they encounter in the day, and share with the rest of the class.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Pen/cil and paper (though one could write digitally too).

USEFUL RESOURCES

Watch Video

ABOUT

  • Educator prep: None
  • Student prep: None
  • Asynchronous
  • No tech needed, Paper / pens
  • Duration: 5-30 mins

This activity is one of a series of activities from Equity Unbound, focused on equitable online community building. 

Find out more

Do you have an activity that you would like to suggest?

Do you have feedback or suggestions?

More activities

Learning path

Community Building

Curated Activities

Guidance and help

Curated Activities

Reflective Activities

Curated Activities

Ongoing engagement

Curated Activities

Liberating Structures

Curated Activities

Setting the tone activities

Curated Activities

Introductory activities

Activity

Sailboat Retrospective for Reflection

Activity

Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy

Activity

Roses, Thorns, and Buds 

Activity

Decolonising Academic Writing through Spoken Word Poetry

Activity

Origin Stories

Activity

Learning to Love

Activity

Getting at Metaphor

Activity

Checking in with GIF, Emoji or Meme

Activity

Personalised Conversation Cards

Curated Activities

Warm up activities

Activity

Alternative Approaches to Grading

Activity

Guess The Topic Mingle

Activity

Ikigai: Help Students Find Their Purpose

Activity

Something Behind You

Activity

Auditory Affect

Activity

Creativity Booster: 16 Squares

Activity

Creativity Booster: An Ode to the Other Hand

Activity

Creativity Booster: 5 Senses

Activity

Creativity Booster: Yes, Let’s!

Activity

Ice Cream / Broccoli: Reflection on Enjoyment and Value

Activity

Create a Fake Photo Group Assignment

Activity

What We Don’t Know About Each Other

Activity

Share Music and Create a Class Playlist

Activity

Would You Rather?

Activity

Creating Escape Room Experience For Students

Activity

I Wish My Students / Teacher Knew

Activity

Using Metaphors to Express Thoughts

Activity

Using Dominoes in Teaching

Activity

Desert Island Songs

Activity

The Shape of You

Activity

Words From Your Names

Activity

What Can You Do With A…?

Top Tips

Tips For Increasing Engagement In Discussions

Activity

Choose a Plant

Activity

Which Picture Best?

Activity

Imaginary Buffet (or Potluck)

Activity

PowerPoint Karaoke

Activity

Office Hour Scheduling via Google Calendar

Activity

Tiny Tales

Activity

Cognitive / Exam Wrappers for Metacognition

Activity

Self-Assessment Tool for Social Justice in Teaching

Activity

Language Portrait

Activity

Lost in Translation

Activity

Wheel of Life for Student Self-Help

Activity

Thick Greetings

Activity

Estimate Workload

Activity

Simple Metacognitive Activities

Activity

Tiny Demons / Drawing Monsters

Activity

Start / Stop / Continue

Activity

Survey Students Early in the Semester: Pre-Course Survey

Activity

Pass the Paper

Activity

15% solutions

Activity

Two-Minute Paper

Checklist / tool

Trauma-Aware Teaching Checklist

Resource

Loglines

Activity

Appreciative Interviews

Activity

Pop-up Psychogeography Journey Journal

Guide

Choosing the Right Community Building Activity: Safety Tips

Activity

While We Wait

Activity

What Kind of Animal are You?

Activity

Two by Three by Bradford

Activity

Troika Consulting – Adaptation for Class Community Building

Activity

TRIZ

Video discussion

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy & How is Your Heart?

Activity

Tour of Where You Are

Activity

Third Places for Ongoing Community Building

Activity

Theatre of the Oppressed: Opposites

Activity

Theatre of the Oppressed: Image Theatre

Activity

Teaching Ethics with Theatre of the Oppressed and Liberating Structures 

Activity

Surrealist Free Drawing Introductions

Activity

Studio Visits

Activity

Structured Dialogues

Activity

Share an Object From Home

Activity

Room 101

Activity

Purpose to Practice

Activity

Pass the Ball & How Do You Make Rice?

Activity

Meditation

Activity

Wild Tea / Mad Tea Party

Activity

Introductions: Story of Your Name

Activity

Human Scavenger Hunt

Activity

Four Ideas for Checking In

Activity

Daily Creates

Activity

Critical Uncertainties

Activity

Conversation Cafe

Activity

Collaborative Storytelling

Activity

Collaborative Literature Review Matrix

Activity

Authentic Open Letter/Video Addressing Students

Activity

Asynchronous & Synchronous Introductions

Activity

9 Whys of Liberating Structures

Activity

Spiral Journal

Activity

Annotate the Syllabus