Random acts of kindness from teachers and students to warm your old, cold heart
We asked, you responded.
Community members share moments that reminded them that empathy is alive and well in the world.
When our community engagement team here at KUOW was looking for stories of random acts of kindness, we knew who to reach out to: teachers and students.
In my previous life I was a middle school teacher. People like to talk about the meanness of tweens, but over the course of my seven years in public schools, I saw quiet and profound acts of empathy in my classroom all the time.
There was one time a seventh grader’s voice cracked when he asked a question in front of an entire class of seventh and eighth graders. Without missing a beat, an eighth grade boy from the opposite side of the room chimed in, "It’s cool, man. It happens to me all the time."
We loved all of the stories you shared with us. Highlights are below or you can check out our original Twitter thread.
A standing ovation from the class
Tweeted by high school teacher Marrene Franich
An unexpected gift
Tweeted by Debbie Aldous, a teacher at Showalter Middle School in Tukwila
Generosity on the street
Emailed to us from University of Washington student Claudia Teran Logan
“Standing at the bus stop on 4th and Pike I saw a man digging deep into the garbage for food. A girl walked up to him pulling something out of a paper lunch bag and said to him, 'Excuse me sir, would you like my apples?' The man took the Ziploc bag full of sliced apples and the girl just smiled at him and said 'God bless you'."
A ride home after dark
From UW student Emma J. Weeks
“Last time my friend and I went to get manicures, our appointments ended after it had gotten dark. Since we’ve been visiting her for years and since we were her last clients of the day, she went above and beyond and offered to drive us back to our apartments in the University District. After a long day of work, she was generous enough to make sure we got home quickly and safely, and we couldn’t have been more grateful for her kindness!”
Supporting a struggling peer
TED-Ed Innovative Educator Jennifer Ward in Grandville, Michigan tweeted a "pick-me-up letter" for peers.
"This past year I've watched my group of sophomores grow more and more empathetic. They watch out for one another. We learned of someone in class having a hard week, and the next day her classmates brought her special treats and pick me up notes."
Put it on my tab
From UW student Fa’amanuia (Nia) Fa’alava’au
“While out with friends, I noticed that one of them hadn't joined us in ordering food so I added an extra order to mine and had then given it to her because I didn't want her to be the only one in the whole group who didn't eat or have food.
It wasn't until after when she had pulled me aside that she thanked me in tears being that, unbeknownst to everyone there and a lot of her friends and some family, she was struggling financially on her own and had little to no money, living off of paycheck to paycheck and was relying on managing off of skipping meals here and there.
This random act of kindness led to an opportunity for vulnerability to be strengthened within our friendship, a moment that both her and I were touched by.”
A kind note from a professor
From UW student Zeyu Ziang
“This story happened in 2017, my first quarter in UW. Professor Kimberly Mitchell’s Educ 310 was my first class of my college life. We had a course evaluation during the last class. Kimberly waited outside the classroom for us to complete the evaluation.
Everyone hugged with the professor when they went out. She gave me a small paper as I left with a note on it that motivated me to go forward. I was really lucky to meet such an excellent professor in my first class of college.”
How are you doing?
Sent by UW student Gabreielle Nicole Phillips
“Being at a university with over 45,000 undergrad students you begin to think of yourself as just another number. You get lost in the size of the school, but recently I have had a person in one of my classes continually sit next to me every day. I can get lost in my phone, but every day she asks how I’m doing and if there’s anything new in my life. This may seem like one of the simplest acts of kindness, but it is one of the most meaningful things to look forward to every Tuesday and Thursday.”
It's the small things
UW student Shuyi Xiang reminded us that random acts of kindness are probably all around us, if we’re looking.
“I think there are many small acts of kindness that happen every day, such as holding the door for others, pushing the elevator button for someone who is carrying something, boiling hot water for my roommate, etc. These actions, while small, are powerful enough to make others happy and make me happy at the same time. Just as an old Chinese saying goes, a gift of roses leaves fragrance in your hand.”
Did you miss our original call for stories?
If you want to see more stories fueled by your everyday experiences or have your own random act of kindness story to share, sign up for our community newsletter and reach out at engage@kuow.org. We’re listening!
