Have you filled a bucket today?

We have taken on a "bucket filling" initiative at our school to create a more positive school atmosphere. Students imagine that everyone has imaginary buckets they carry around. They can fill each other's buckets by being helpful or caring. In some classrooms, students earn certificates when they do something to fill a bucket. In other classrooms, students write down compliments to other students when someone fills their bucket. We began teaching about bucket filling by reading Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. Then we discussed ways students can be bucket fillers at school.

Allison and I both teach fourth grade, and our classes are very involved in bucket filling. We have decided to create a digital story about bucket filling to teach teachers how to introduce it in the classroom, and to teach students how they can become bucket fillers. We will be taking pictures of our students being bucket fillers and explaining some of the ways students can become bucket fillers. We have noticed a positive change in our classroom environments since we introduced bucket filling, and we think it's a great way to acknowledge positive student behavior!

To learn more about bucket filling or purchase the book, visit the "Bucket Fillers" website!