Kinder Than Necessary

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For those that don't know, I am student teaching in a 7th and 9th grade English classroom this semester, and it is SO AWESOME. I'm sure I will write more about it sometime when I have more than 10 minutes. Anyway, I am currently reading one of my favorite YA (young adult) novels with my seventh graders right now. Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a fantastic read for middle schoolers, and everyone. The central theme of the novel focuses on kindness, and every one of us could always use the reminder to be kind.

Last week I had my students read an excerpt from the novel to prepare them to read it, and I was astonished by how well they connected with it. I just really need to share it with everyone.

This is a speech by the principal in the book, Mr. Tushman. I hope you can take away the same message that my seventh graders did.


A Simple Thing

“…. When you reflect upon this past year, I want you all to look at where you are now and where you’ve been. You’ve all gotten a little taller, a little stronger, and a little smarter… I hope… But the best way to measure how much you’ve grown isn’t by inches or by the number of laps you can run around the track, or even your grade point average—though those things are important for sure. It’s what you’ve done with your time, how you’ve chosen to spend your days, and who you have touched this year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of success.
            There’s a wonderful line in a book by J.M. Barrie called The Little White Bird: “Shall we make a new rule of life… always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?” Kinder than is necessary. What a marvelous line, isn’t it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it’s not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. Why I love that line, that concept, is that it reminds me what we carry with us, as human begins not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness. And what does that mean? How is that measured? You can’t use a yardstick. It’s like I was saying just before: it’s not like we measure how much you’ve grown in a year. It’s not exactly quantifiable, is it? How do we know we’ve been kind? What is being kind, anyway? Such a simple thing, kindness. Such a simple thing. A nice word of encouragement given when needed. An act of friendship. A passing smile.
            I want to impart to you today an understanding of that simple thing called kindness… I want you to take away from your school experience the sure knowledge that, in the future you make for yourselves, anything is possible. If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, wherever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary—the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.”
                                                                                    Mr. Tushman

                                                                                    Wonder by R.J. Palacio


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