As the school year draws to a close, both educators and students often experience a mix of emotions. There’s excitement for summer, pride in accomplishments, and perhaps even some anxiety about transitions ahead. This time of year presents a unique opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and appreciation through the practice of gratitude.
Below is a 15-day gratitude journal practice for students designed specifically for the final three weeks of school. Teachers can implement this in various ways – as a daily warm-up activity, a closing reflection, or even a take-home assignment. The best part? No special supplies are needed, just paper or a notebook and pens or pencils.
Why set up a gratitude journal process for students?
Based on research and my personal experience in and out of the classroom, practicing gratitude has powerful benefits for mental health and well-being. Developing a gratitude journal practice for students can:
- Improve mental health and resilience
- Enhance social connections and classroom community
- Reduce stress and anxiety about upcoming transitions
- Create a positive mindset to carry into summer
- Build a lifelong habit that supports emotional well-being
Getting Started: Setting Up the Gratitude Practice
Introduction for Students
Take time to explain the concept of gratitude and its benefits. For younger students, you might describe it as “noticing the good things in our lives.” For older students, you can discuss the science behind gratitude and its impact on mental health. Consider sharing your own gratitude practice or examples.
Guidelines for Journal Entries
When introducing this journal practice for students, emphasize authenticity over perfection in their reflections. Remind them that this is personal reflection time, not graded work, which removes the pressure of academic evaluation. Let students know that entries can be brief—even just a few sentences is enough to capture a meaningful moment of gratitude. While creating opportunities for those who wish to share their reflections with the class, always make sharing optional to respect students’ privacy and comfort levels. Additionally, consider encouraging creative expression beyond writing, allowing students to draw, doodle, or use other artistic mediums to express their gratitude in ways that might feel more natural to some learners.
15 Days of Gratitude Prompts
Week One: Reflecting on Our School Year
- Day 1: What is something you learned this year that you’re grateful for? How has this knowledge changed you?
- Day 2: Write about a classroom memory from this year that makes you smile. What made it special?
- Day 3: Name someone at school who helped you this year. How did they make a difference for you?
- Day 4: What challenge did you overcome this year? What strengths or support helped you through it?
- Day 5: What is one way you’ve grown or changed since the beginning of the school year? How does this growth make you feel?
Week Two: Appreciating Our Present
- Day 6: What is something in your classroom or school environment that you’re thankful for? How does it help you learn or feel good?
- Day 7: Write about a classmate who has positively impacted your school experience. What qualities do you appreciate about them?
- Day 8: What is a small moment from today that brought you joy? Try to notice the details.
- Day 9: Name three skills or abilities you have that you’re grateful for. How do these serve you at school?
- Day 10: What tradition or activity from this school year would you like to carry forward? Why is it meaningful to you?
Week Three: Looking Forward with Gratitude
- Day 11: What are you looking forward to about summer? How can you bring gratitude into your summer experience?
- Day 12: Write a thank-you note to yourself for something you did well this year. What would you like to acknowledge?
- Day 13: What is something you’re grateful to have learned about yourself this year? How might this self-knowledge help you in the future?
- Day 14: Name someone outside of school who supports your learning journey. How do they help you grow?
- Day 15: As you complete this gratitude journal, what has been your favorite prompt to reflect on? What have you discovered through this practice?
Closing Celebration Ideas
Consider ending the 15-day practice with a special activity to honor the experience. These culminating events create meaningful closure and help cement the gratitude practice as a significant moment in your classroom community. The final celebration also reinforces the value you’ve placed on reflection and appreciation throughout this journey.
- Host a gratitude circle where students can share one highlight from their journals. Arrange seating in a circle to promote equality and connection, and consider using a special object as a “talking piece” that students hold when it’s their turn to share. This format creates a sacred space for listening and honoring each voice.
- Create a classroom gratitude wall where students post anonymous gratitude notes. Provide colorful paper or sticky notes in various shapes, and encourage artistic expression alongside written reflections. This visual representation becomes a powerful reminder of collective gratitude that students can visit throughout the final days of school.
- Write thank-you letters to people who made the school year special. Guide students through the components of a heartfelt thank-you letter, including specific examples of what the person did and how it affected them. Consider delivering these letters together as a class if recipients are within the school.
- Compile class gratitude quotes into a memento for students to take home. This could be a simple booklet, digital presentation, or even a recorded video montage of students sharing their reflections. Include a photograph of the class alongside these quotes to create a keepsake that connects gratitude to this specific school year.
- Plant a “gratitude garden” with paper flowers containing gratitude messages. Use colorful construction paper to create flower petals, stems, and leaves, with each component containing a different gratitude reflection. Display this three-dimensional creation in a prominent location, inviting other classes to view your gratitude garden blooming with appreciation.
Taking Gratitude Beyond the Classroom
Encourage students to continue their gratitude practice over the summer. The habits formed during these 15 days can become lifelong tools for resilience and well-being if nurtured beyond the classroom walls. By extending the practice into summer, students maintain an emotional continuity that can ease the transition between school years.
- Suggest keeping their journal going with a weekly entry on a designated day. Create a simple calendar template they can take home, with gentle reminders to pause and reflect. Explain that consistency matters more than frequency, and that maintaining even a minimal practice keeps the gratitude muscle strong.
- Share simple gratitude practices families can do together at dinner or before bedtime. Provide a handout with conversation starters like “What made you smile today?” or “Who helped you this week?” These collective practices strengthen family bonds while reinforcing the value of noticing the positive.
- Discuss how noticing good things can help during challenging transitions such as moving to a new grade or school. Help students understand that gratitude isn’t about ignoring difficulties, but rather finding balance by intentionally noting positive moments alongside challenges. This balanced perspective builds emotional resilience they’ll need throughout life.
- Invite students to write a letter to next year’s teacher expressing what they’re looking forward to in the coming school year. This future-focused gratitude exercise helps shift any anxiety about transitions into positive anticipation. Consider collecting these letters (with student permission) to deliver to colleagues before the new school year begins, creating a bridge between grade levels.
Ending the school year with gratitude provides closure while building essential emotional skills. By taking just a few minutes each day for these simple reflections, as shown in this journal practice for students, we give our pupils a powerful tool for navigating life’s transitions and challenges.
As educators, modeling our own gratitude practice can be just as important as guiding our students. Consider journaling alongside your class and sharing your own reflections when appropriate.
How will you incorporate gratitude into your end-of-year activities? We’d love to hear how you implement this gratitude journal in your classroom! Share your experiences, adaptations, and student reactions in the comments below or on social media using #TCEA and #ClassroomGratitude. Your insights might inspire fellow educators to bring gratitude practices into their own classrooms.
The investment of this 15-day journal practice for students can yield benefits that last far beyond the final school bell.