Students in Krause’s 5th-grade class at East Hills Elementary School learned a lesson about the power of words with a simple tube of toothpaste.

Working in groups, they were asked to squeeze out every last drop of toothpaste from a tube, then put it back using a Q-tip. They quickly realized how hard that is to do.

This led to a discussion about the power of words and how they should think before they speak because words can hurt, and just like the toothpaste, words can’t be taken back once they’ve been said.

The class discussed choosing words that are kind, supportive and positive.