Kindness Works: Middle School Benefits From RAK Room

Kindness works. And students at one Texas middle school are proof. Houston's C. E. King Middle School is where students are eager to earn a chance to visit one classroom in particular; the RAK Room.

It's a room that is offered as a reward for Random Acts of Kindness. In the RAK room, students can exchange points they earn for being good students for prizes like T-shirts, sneakers, and basketballs.

It's all about rewarding and encouraging good behavior, rather than focusing on the bad.

The room is the brainchild of Treveia and David Dennis, cofounders of Houston Random Acts of Kindness. The couple say they designed the RAK room to resemble a store, hoping to get students excited about being good citizens. And according to C.E. King principal Edward Taylor, it works. Taylor says the RAK room motivates students to be on their best behavior and ultimately do better in school. And it is not just the good kids getting better. Since the RAK room’s debut, Taylor has noticed a sharp decrease in classroom disruptions.

It turns out, there is a science to kindness. When you show kindness to another, your brain and body go through a chemical change that elevates the good feelings and decreases the bad. It can even help you to live a longer life.

According to RandomActsofKindness.com,

And, according to Dr. Ritchie Davidson of the University of Wisconsin, kindness can be taught.

And, it's contagious! According to Jamil Zaki, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, just witnessing an act of kindness can increase your mood and encourage you to pay it forward.

Compliments are a form of social interaction that can significantly impact our emotional well-being. Receiving a genuine compliment can make us feel appreciated, valued, and more confident in ourselves. Likewise, giving a compliment can create positive feelings and strengthen relationships with others. That's precisely what the creator of the Compliment Squad, Celine McGee, is doing.

Celine McGee is the team captain of the Compliment Squad, whose mission is to spread smiles, kindness, and human connection one compliment at a time. Born in Philly, you can find Celine around areas like Rittenhouse Square delivering compliments to the people around her. Celine says this idea first came about after her father passed. While hosting a yard sale, she also gave out compliments to anyone who stopped by. After realizing how simple it is to make someone's day, Celine started making her compliment cards and handing them out in Philly. Her compliments go deeper than a positive comment on what a stranger is wearing. She does not hesitate to compliment someone on their character or a couple in love with one another.

The Compliment Squad says a good compliment is specific, sincere, and relevant to the situation. For example, instead of saying "You look nice today," a more effective compliment would be "Your outfit is really flattering, and it brings out the color of your eyes." By being specific, the compliment shows that the person has paid attention to the details and has taken the time to express their appreciation in a thoughtful way. When it comes to close family and friends, Celine encourages others to go deeper with their compliments. Thank them for listening, for supporting, or for making you feel loved.

Become a member of the Compliment Squad today! All you have to do is compliment others, it's just that easy! If you're unsure how to compliment a stranger, coworker, close friend, or significant other, the Compliment Squad is here to help.