Fifth-grade teacher Derek Brown of Phoenix, Arizona, wants his students to remember that he taught them how to become better people, not just better at academics. “Nobody comes to me and says, ‘Hey, Mr. Brown, remember that math test we did?’” he laughed. “No, they remember the things that had a deep impact on them as human beings.”
He loves teaching precisely because kids are moldable, like clay. “Kids grow up to be a product of their society. They are who they see, hear, and watch,” he said. He aims to teach by example behaviors of respect, kindness, generosity, and humility. “When they are around those behaviors,” he said, “they become that kind of person themselves.”
Brown also shares with his students impactful stories of people doing good, nearly every single day of the school year. Specifically, he shows them video stories from CBS reporter Steve Hartman’s “On the Road” TV series, which highlights people who have done inspiring acts of kindness in their communities.
Craving Real Human Connection
During the pandemic lockdowns of 2020, Brown saw a drastic decline in the effort his students put into schoolwork, as well as their general aspirations for learning. He was alarmed how his students seemed to be set back by the lack of meaningful in-person interactions. Once in-person classes resumed, Brown noticed that daily viewings of “On the Road” seemed to be having a greater-than-ever emotional impact on his students. “We would talk about them and cry,” he said.
He decided to reach out to Hartman. “I wanted to let him know how often I showed his stories and the impact they had, just to let him know how appreciative I was,” he said. To Brown’s astonishment, on November 1, 2022, Steve Hartman and his film crew walked into his classroom for a surprise visit. “My knees buckled,” Brown recalled. “ The kids went crazy. It was like Michael Jackson had just entered the room.”
More inspired than ever, Brown decided in fall 2023 that it was time to take action. “I felt it was time for us to get out of our seats and do something—some act in our community, where our kids could go through a project, put in the leg work, and see it through,” he said.
The “On the Road” story that resonated most with his students was about an anonymous wealthy businessman in Kansas City, Missouri, known as “Secret Santa” because every Christmas, he hands out $100 bills to people he thinks need extra cheer. Hartman has been covering the Secret Santa story for years.
Brown gathered a group of former and current students and their parents and suggested replicating the Secret Santa story in their own community. His idea was met with instant enthusiasm.
Brown’s school did not want to be associated with the project., so entirely outside of class time, Brown and his group of 18 recruits hit the phones, calling their friends and family to ask for donations. Brown set up a GoFundMe account for “Operation Secret Santa,” as they called it, and to everyone’s amazement, they raised $8,000.
Brown contacted Hartman to tell him what they were doing, and Hartman reached out to the original Secret Santa, who was astounded. Secret Santa then called Brown, saying, “I want to be part of this.”
One day in October 2023, Brown gathered his group after school, and Secret Santa visited them and spent an hour coaching the kids on how to approach people and what to say. As a parting gift, Secret Santa gave each student $100 toward their fundraising.
Spreading Holiday Cheer
Operation Secret Santa took place on December 4, 2023. Brown, his students, and their parents went into their community and, one $100 bill at a time, spread warmth, kindness, and Christmas cheer around town. Hartman and his film crew came for the event, documenting everything, and the story aired on CBS later that month.
“Nobody will ever forget that day,” Brown said. “It might have been the most meaningful day of my life.” Recipients and givers hugged and cried together, sharing their stories.
Looking back on his experience, student Cooper Herzog said, “When you genuinely take the time to check in on someone, they feel seen and appreciated and they often respond with so much love and kindness in return. It’s a beautiful reminder of how powerful human connection can be. And let’s not forget all the hugs we shared. That closeness made it even more special.”
Brown said it was wonderful seeing his former and current students genuinely connect with people. “Seeing them put down their phones and video games and actually communicate with somebody … It’s a skill that’s been lost: to look somebody in the eye, shake their hands, to converse and inquire and care about them.”
Brown’s chief reason for wanting to do Operation Secret Santa was to empower kids to be more empathetic, compassionate, patient, and caring. “I want to build better kids who will grow up to be better adults,” he explained.
Student Madelyn Herzog said the experience has changed her life. “I now realize how being kind to others can make you feel better. I also now know how kindness is contagious.”
Student Austin D’Agostino agreed. “I saw while we were working how vulnerable people became and how what we were doing affected them in a positive way,” he said. His sister Evangeline said, “The most amazing thing I experienced was seeing other people’s joy.”
Not only was Operation Secret Santa memorable and meaningful, it was addictive. Brown and his group could hardly wait to do it again the next year. In 2024, the group grew. Brown turned it into a registered nonprofit called “The Kindness Club.” Thanks to Hartman’s coverage of their story in “On the Road,” Brown received hundreds of emails from people as far away as Singapore wanting to donate. In 2024, the group raised $10,000 and Operation Secret Santa took place on December 7.
Brown hopes the group can expand into other kindness ventures in the near future. He wants to include more people beyond his school. “My goal is to expand this into the other schools in our district. … I’d love to reach a greater student body in the neighborhood.” Operation Secret Santa will occur again in December 2025, and it makes Brown smile from ear to ear because he knows it will keep having a huge impact on his students and his community.
From Nov. Issue, Volume V
