10 things that made us smile this week

[10 things that made us smile this week]( As we digest this week's heavy news, it's vital that we all balance our media consumption with uplifting and inspiring content. Doom-scrolling is a quick way to slip into despair, so we're here to offer some joy-scrolling to lift your spirit. Here are 10 things that can help bring a smile to your face as you wrap up your week: [Read the Story]( [Elementary school teacher demonstrates the power of empathizing with students]( Josh Monroe has become one of the most popular educators on social media because of his unique TikTok videos that demonstrate how he supports his students' emotional well-being. The fifth-grade teacher at Bryan Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska first went mega-viral after posting a video demonstrating how he handles sleepy children in his classroom. The video is unique because it's shot from the student's perspective. It was a response to another teacher who shared a video about how they rudely wake up tired students. "I watched it and it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way," Monroe told Omaha.com. "So I created the same video but [showed] the way that I would react." [Read the Story]( [Students walk out of class in protest after school allegedly forced gay coach to quit]( The children are the future and this is proof of that. Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, allegedly forced their school's volleyball team coach to quit because he was gay. Inoke Tonga took to social media to share that he was asked by the campus pastor and athletic director to either "denounce being gay" or quit his job. He wrote: "With my head held high, and with tears ready to be shed for hours, even days, I walked away knowing that my journey as a coach at Valor Christian had come to an end – I was not going to 'denounce identifying as a gay man.'" [Read the Story]( [A school janitor had a 4-hour commute. Teachers gave him a gift that dropped him to his knees.]( Just four months after being hired as the janitor at Farmington Elementary School in Germantown, Tennessee, Robert Reed, 60, made such an impact the school repaid him with an incredible act of kindness. Reed is incredibly hard-working, always has a smile on his face, and even seeks out additional jobs at the school when he's finished his janitorial tasks. "No job is too big or too small," Reed told WREG. "I wanna make a safe, clean, sanitized environment for the students, the guests." It's hard work, but he's grateful for the opportunity to work at the school. "This building was built in 1975, so it takes a lot of work, but it's a blessing to do the job," Reed said. "I love these people up here. I love them. I couldn't have made it without them. Yes, it's a joy to work here. Joy. Pure joy." [Read the Story]( [This woman’s viral Twitter thread about men NOT assaulting her is a must read]( For anyone who thinks stories of sexual harassment and assault are complicated, writer Maura Quint has a story for you. Actually, she has quite a few. Quint posted a thread on her Twitter account that quickly went viral in which she talked about a number of real-life encounters with men that started out sexual, involved her expressing disinterest, and the men responding appropriately. It wasn't an unrealistic hero's tale of men handing over the keys to their autonomy. Rather, Quint's incredible thread made it clear that the only variable in cases of assault vs. non-assault are when a man doesn't respect the autonomy of the woman he's propositioning. Her thread opens up in an all-too-familiar tone, where we're led to believe it will go to an incredibly dark place: [Read the Story]( Let's be social! [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Website]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( Copyright © 2021 GOOD | Upworthy, All rights reserved. 1370 N St Andrews Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028 You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.