Teacher Tips

"When the class won’t settle down and we find ourselves slipping into negative projections, we can learn to feel the emotions in our body as sensations.

Instead of circulating in our frustrating thoughts we can drop down into our bodies and figure out what scripted, learned responses the chaos in the classroom is bringing up for us."

Daniel Rechtschaffen, The Way of Mindful Education,    2014

“Instruction is good for a child;

but example is worth more.”   

                                               ―  Alexandre Dumas

 

When we slow down and model self reflection, self-awareness, self regulation and self care, we are modelling important life long skills to our students.

 

Setting up the framework for our students to learn and practice these skills, students can then begin to understand the connection between their body, how they feel, how they are interacting and impacting themselves, others and how their breath can regulate them through the day.

  

Select something as a cue for you to stop, and take a mindful moment anytime.

 

Example:

Take some mindful breaths with the ringing of the bell between classes or as a message comes in from the intercom in your classroom.

 

Each time you sit down to check your email, take three mindful breaths before opening your inbox. 

 

When you are stopped at a traffic light, put your hand on your belly and count how many breaths you take while you wait for the light to turn green. 

 

When you arrive home from work, take three mindful breaths before putting key in keyhole. 

Scripts for leading by example

“I had a challenging morning before coming to school,

I’m going to take a breath and just relax

for a minute before we begin."

"I need a moment right now,

the class is really rowdy.

Some mindfulness will help me."-

"Let's get ready for our test by practicing

one minute of mindful breathing together." 

" Time to transition to math/reading, etc.

Let's practice some mindfulness before we continue.”

Practice for a few minutes, or as little as 3 breaths. 

 You can also use this short video in

Mindful Minute - Snow


 

 

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

 

— Anne Lamott

Scheduling Me Time for your class

  1. Practice every day. 
  2. Choose a time for mindfulness with and without your student. We are creatures of habit: start of the day, after lunch, transitions.
  3. Get the students involved. Begin with mindful listening and then mindful breathing. With a bell rotation schedule, if your students know it’s their day to lead mindfulness, they will remember and you won’t have to. 
  4. A simple lesson to repeat daily is one minute of mindful listening and one minute of mindful breathing.
  5. Find a teacher buddy to do it with.  It doesn't have to be physically in the same classroom, or even at the same time, but find another teacher who's also looking to establish a regular practice and commit to helping each other out to strenghthen your commettent. 

                           

Mindful breathing script

  1. Take a comfortable seat. Hands can rest on lap.
  2. Let your spine grow tall. (“Mindful Body”).
  3. Let your eyes close or look for a reference point somewhere on the floor where you can return your eyes when they get distracted.
  4. Bring your attention to the flow of your breath. 
  5. Simply notice each breath coming into the body with in-breath, and leaving the body with an out-breath.
  6. If you notice your mind is caught up in thoughts, emotions, or body sensations, know that this is normal. 
  7. Notice what is distracting you and gently let it go, by redirecting your attention back to the breath. 
  8. The mind is a thought generating organ. The mind wandering is part of the practice. Notice what is distractiong you and simply come back to the practice. 
  9. Thank yourself for taking this time.

Mindful Corner

Think about a space in your class  where you can create a mindful corner.

 

Somewhere students can go to practice some mindfulness that may help them relax, regulate their emotions, regain focus, ...

 

Whether a few comfy cushions, a blanket, bean bag, or a chair and a small desk, create your own little space together.

 

Some ideas:

Hoberman sphere

Breathing technique sign

Glitter bottle

Emotion chart

Gratitude wall (Cut out pictures of different things the children are grateful for and hang them or put them in a binder and place them in your mindful corner)

Timer: Sensory liquid bottle or Sand Timer


Attitude of Gratitude


"Research convincingly shows that, when compared with their less grateful peers, grateful youth are happier and more satisfied with their lives, friends, family, neighborhood, and selves. They also report more hope, engagement with their hobbies, higher GPAs, and less envy, depression, and materialism."

 -  The Youth Gratitude Project

 

        Daily dose of gratitude is good medecine for all!

 

Intentionally practicing  gratitude in any grade level at any school can improve the culture of a classroom.

 

When we practice gratitude regularly, we are rewiring our brain to scan the world looking for things to be grateful for.

 

“It is not happiness that brings us gratitude,

it is gratitude that brings us happiness.”

 

  Practice gratitude with students every day or once a week. Consistency is what counts!  

How to talk to Kids about Gratitude

Stress Reduction Ideas

 

Journaling

Exercise

Yoga

Hobbies

Counseling

Spend time in nature

Cup of coffee or tea 

Gardening

Enjoy the sun or a breeze, walk

Get plenty of sleep

Get a hug

...

 

Explore diffrent ways to nourish the Self. 

Morning, mid-day, evening  self care  habit ideas. 

Any technique that supports a sense of comfort, joy, peace, and optimism can make a valuable contribution to quieting the mind.

 

Mental Health Online Resources for Educators - MORE


Mindfulness in Education Books


The Future of Our Schools:                               An Urgency For Change