Instead of a prank, these seniors left positive Post-its for their classmates
Seniors at New Prague High School did something a little different to leave their mark on the school.
Instead of a traditional senior prank, a group of seniors went around and put a Post-it note on every locker in the school, New Prague Area Schools wrote on Facebook. So when their classmates got to school Thursday morning, they were greeted with a positive message.
Some of the messages included "You're better than a triple-scoop ice cream cone with sprinkles," "Choose hope," and "One day you'll be at the place you've always wanted to be."
At the bottom of each note were the hashtags #GiveALittleLove and #MyKindOfSeniorPrank.
There are tons of studies about how negative messaging can negatively impact teenagers (and everyone else), but not as much research has been done on how positive messages – like the ones seniors left for their classmates – can have on people.
One study found when there's a sense of community in a classroom, students tend to be more engaged and enthusiastic about learning – and they tend to perform better in school. A few years ago, The Huffington Post reported on a teacher who left notes for each student before a test, which helped ease their nerves.
Other research has found positive affirmations – both from others and yourself – are known to have a positive impact on students and coworkers, but they can backfire if the person doesn't believe the message is sincere, studies show.
