
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness can be described as the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness is learning how to pay careful attention to your body, your thoughts, and what’s around you, to help free your mind from distractions and busy thoughts. Anybody can learn how to be mindfully present and how to integrate it easily into everyday life.The benefits of mindfulness in the classroom
- Mindfulness can help give young people (and adults) techniques for calming themselves down when their emotions feel out of control
- Mindfulness is a simple yet powerful tool to quiet the mind and deal with stress
- Mindfulness is great for any child who has difficulty paying attention
- Mindfulness can helps children and young adults understand their feelings and emotions
- Mindfulness can help with transition times, when students often have trouble shifting their focus from something they’re involved in, to something new
- Mindfulness can help students learn how to self-regulate their behaviours – helping them to avoid conflict and situations that might get them into trouble
How can you bring mindfulness into your classroom or school?
There are many ways mindfulness can be incorporated into the classroom or school culture. It can be as simple as a daily guided mindful practice or a whole-school approach integrated with wellness and social and emotional learning. Schools can encourage consistency among their staff in the delivery of mindfulness by introducing in school-wide programmes. These can positively impact the culture of the school and the wider community. ManageBac previously offered a guidebook and series of webinars on Building a Wellness Programme, presented by Dawn Summerfield, a private consultant who has more than 25 years of experience in both the American and International education systems. By providing teachers with dedicated time for mindfulness, the practice can become better adopted into everyday activities and language in the classroom, becoming part of what happens in the classroom rather than an add-on activity. Research has also shown teachers who have dedicated time for mindfulness can also improve their own emotional well-being and help better understand their students’ perspectives. In order to adopt mindfulness as a tool for mental health and happiness, students have to have the space and time to practice it. Mindfulness techniques can be broken down into different areas and teachers can utilise these based on their resources, experience, classroom environment, and students. Some ideas include:- Listening – such as drawing music or listening to nature
- Tasting - mindful eating can be a fun and interactive activity for students to try
- Visual – a sensory bottle or mindful jar works well for calming students
- Breathing – such as counting breaths or these five activities
About the Author
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