There was a moment Wednesday morning when I found myself in the middle of campus and I stopped. I had just left the 5th grade Heritage Project presentations, and I was walking toward the art rooms to talk about the opening of the Art Show that evening. Off in the distance, I heard the start of the dress rehearsal for the 3rd grade Greek Play and I also saw Alan, Dave, and Dan setting up chairs in the middle of the Village of Friendly Relations for the 1st and 2nd grade Author’s Walkabout that afternoon. I knew that in the faculty lunchroom, parents were setting up treats as part of faculty/staff appreciation day.
I took a deep breath and said to myself, “I am so grateful that I am part of this extraordinary community.”
This past week has been Gratitude Week, a new tradition started two years ago that encourages each of us to pause amidst the busyness of our daily schedules and express appreciation for the many gifts we have in our lives. Students were encouraged to write a note or, in the lower grades, draw a picture expressing their appreciation for something they valued. Examples of student work line the walls of the office. Children mention parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, and pets among the many things for which they are grateful.
As a school, we teach many important core academic skills, yet I strongly believe that the life skills we foster and encourage—including gratitude—are every bit as important. Several years ago, Harvard researcher and lecturer Shawn Achor visited Hillbrook to talk about his book, The Happiness Advantage, and the field of positive psychology. His basic argument, counter to the prevailing wisdom, is that success does not bring happiness. Instead, he argues, happiness leads to success.
Achor discusses a growing number of studies that suggest happiness and a positive attitude actually lead to better outcomes. As he writes:
“We become more successful when we are happier and more positive. For example, doctors put in a positive mood before making a diagnosis show almost three times more intelligence and creativity than doctors in a neutral state, and they make accurate diagnoses 19 percent faster. Optimistic salespeople outsell their pessimistic counterparts by 56 percent. Students primed to feel happy before taking math achievement tests far outperform their neutral peers.”
Achor’s book echoes insights from other recent books, such as the idea of a growth mindset introduced by Carol Dweck in her bestseller, Mindset. What both of these works have in common is an essential insight—our brains are malleable and the perspective we take on the world can have a dramatic impact on our success.
Inviting students to focus on gratitude encourages them to recognize the positive things in their lives and, I believe, contributes to a general sense of happiness and a growth mindset. Gratitude fosters optimism and empathy, and challenges students to think beyond themselves, a central part of our vision.
Earlier this week, Head of the Middle School Joe Connolly shared with me a moving story from last week’s 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. The group was visiting the Vietnam Memorial and, as Joe described it, he had spent a few minutes before they walked up to the memorial explaining its significance, including some stories about how difficult it was for many Vietnam veterans when they returned home. What happened next in Joe’s story inspired me:
“We began the walk down to the memorial and just as we arrived at the entrance we saw a woman taking a photo of her husband in front of the statue of the three soldiers. It was obvious that this man had served in the war. The students stood in quiet awe as the woman took the photo. When she finished, she looked at her husband and said in a quiet, but audible voice, “Thank you for serving our country.”
One of the Hillbrook 8th graders began clapping for this veteran and the rest slowly joined in until the entire class was applauding. The veteran was obviously moved by this gesture. He and his wife began walking through the line of students, who had gathered around him. When he reached the end of the line he walked right up to me. I extended my hand and thanked him for his service. With a small tear in his eye he spoke softly saying, ‘I was one of the lucky ones.'”
Perspective is a powerful thing. We are all lucky to be part of this community and this country. As we prepare for the start of summer—and as our 8th graders prepare to venture off into the world beyond Hillbrook—I want to extend my gratitude to each and every one of you for all you do to make this school such an extraordinary place for children AND adults.