Few kids are excited to show up to school on a weekday morning, but the students in Nicole Schlapper's kindergarten class are a different story. In her classroom, Schlapper designates a class greeter who welcomes each fellow student every morning with a gesture of that student's choice. An adorable video of the class's sweet morning ritual has gone viral and now is inspiring people to reconsider how we teach kids about both kindness and consent.
Each of Schlapper's 15 students gets a choice every morning to pick from a hug, a high five, a fist bump, a wave, or a handshake from the greeter.
The teacher, who works in Birchwood, Wisconsin, told Good Morning America she started the exercise as a "daily small, simple gesture of friendship and kindness" that she hopes will stay with them long after they leave her class. But many have noted that it's more than just a gesture of friendship; the exercise is also showing kids how to listen to each other, respect each other, and treat each other with care.
When the Birchwood School District posted a video of the greetings, it unintentionally created a viral sensation.
In just a few days, the video has racked up more than 1 million views and 34,000 shares.
Dozens of people commented that the idea was a perfect way to teach children about consent.
By choosing how they'd like to be greeted, the children are able to decide what level of interaction they're comfortable with on that day and learn a valuable lesson about respecting each other's boundaries.
Others just wanted to know where they could get the signs to implement the greetings in their own classroom.
But some argued that the class greetings weren't as sweet as they seem, especially because the greeter doesn't appear to have a say.
Obviously, consent has to work both ways, and the child doing the greeting should have a say, too. But people shouldn't worry that any greeter is being forced into the role. Schlepper told Good Morning America, "The children absolutely love this job and show great excitement when their turn comes up."
She also said the greetings have "been a wonderful way for the children to connect with each other, build relationships and show kindness. I truly believe it promotes a sense of community and sets a positive tone for the day."
