Earth Day the Mindful Way

Earth Day, April 22, 2025

While the official Earth Day has come and gone for the year, I thought it might be fun to explore it in a mindful way. We can continue Earth Day all year long.

Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970. Each year it grows and currently it is globally recognized by 193 countries and involves over 1 billion people. 

While Earth Day has played a role in environmental advocacy, it can also teach us a thing or two about being mindful.   

According to Calm.com (online of the Calm app), celebrating Earth Day can benefit mental health. It has been shown to give people a sense of purpose and belonging. Working together with others creates a community and a sense of accomplishment. Being out in nature can also help improve mood and ones overall sense of wellbeing.

How can we as a school connect Earth Day, or simply caring for Earth, with mindfulness? Let's explore!

When we engage in activities involving caring for others we give our brains a positive mental health boost. Caring for the earth can be just as rewarding for our brains.

Studies have shown that spending time in nature can reduce stress and depression. 

Caring for nature can help us look outside of ourselves and consider the ways we can better our community and surroundings.

Being out in nature also encourages us to turn off and put down screens and be present. Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment. Putting down our phones and stepping outside to be in nature and care for nature boosts our present awareness. 

This time of year as it warms up it is a great time to take students outside to spend time in nature. It is a great time to be of service to nature and encourage your students to take care of our school and clean up the playground and back field. 

You can find many Earth Day/Earth friendly mindfulness on the Calm app. If you do not have the Calm app YouTube has a variety of mindfulness related to the earth, being outside, and the elements.

This time of year I love to have students take outdoor walks to help calm, refocus, and help them be ready to reenter class. Taking time to watch and engage in a walking mindfulness and then trying it out with a student or your whole class could be a calming and helpful experience for you and your students.

Make every day Earth Day in a mindful way!

How do you RSVP to Power Struggles?

Power Struggles don't have to happen. I love how Dr. Becky says that when kids invite us to power struggles we do not have to accept the invitation. RSVP No to the power struggle party. That is not a party you want to attend. (If the link does not work go to Instagram and search Dr. Becky and look for Power Struggle post, it's a good one.)

But power struggles happen. They happen at home with our children. They happen at school with our students. But they do not have to happen. We have options. 

According to Psychologytoday.com, a power struggle is defined as an attempt to use coercion, force, and threats in response to a challenging behavior.

We have all seen adults RSVP Yes to a power struggle when a student will not comply. When an adult engages in a power struggle it is a sort of co-escalation situation and is almost always counterproductive.

Power struggles take an already challenging situation and make it even more difficult. All emotions begin to escalate and a resolution becomes much more difficult.

Students, as well as adults often face a variety of frustrations outside of school in their personal lives. If unskilled at addressing emotions those frustrations may find there way into school and interactions with those at school. 

When a power struggle appears to be starting it is important to remember that it is the job of the adult to support a student, not control a student.

Before we get into some strategies presented by psychology today and the website needsfocusteaching.com, I would like to encourage you to take the time and read the linked article from Edutopia.

The article from Edutopia gave some great examples of being curious (call back from two weeks ago!) as a way to prevent a power struggle you see coming.

We can utilize curiosity as a great way to reduce the likelihood of a power struggle. We can take time to show interest and understanding. 

Below is a great list of ways to prevent power struggles:

1. Communicate respect and promote dignity. 

    When we lead by example students are more likely to trust us. We need to show respect even in challenging situations. Modeling behavior is a great way to teach behavior.

2. Build and maintain good rapport

    There will always be that one student who can push even the calmest of calm teachers. Build a healthy relationship and work on maintaining it, no matter how the student pushes back.

3. Q-TIP

    That's right. Erin's wise words she shared at the beginning of the school year are here in psychology today. Quit Taking It Personally. Again this is that idea that we need to manage our own feelings before we can address others feelings and behaviors. Reflect back on what we already talked about with students and adults bringing in outside baggage. Q-TIP! Know your triggers and tap out when needed.

4. Provide Choices

    Choices you are ok with the student picking. "Are you going to get started or just sit there?" are not good choice options. Never ask a question you do not want the answer to. "Are you going to put on your coat?"

    Try: "You may choose to do your work now and have a fun recess. Or you may do your work at recess."

5. Pick Your Battles

    Not every battle needs to be won. Not every battle needs to be fought. Ask yourself if the battle matters enough. Does it meet a goal? Is it an important part of the curriculum? Is it contributing to the positivity and productivity of the classroom?

6. Reinforce Desirable Behavior

    Focus more on the positive than the negative. Try to have more positive interactions. For every negative interaction try to have two positive interactions.

7. Simply Be Helpful

    Be supportive and uplifting. Show students you care.

8. Change Staff

    We've talked about knowing your triggers, Q-TIP, and tapping out if needed. It is ok to need a break. It is ok to know your limits. It is better to ask for help than to get into a power struggle that escalates you and the student.

9. Provide Leadership Roles and Opportunities

    Instead of a power struggle, give responsibility. Give a student a reason to want to be in your class. Help them by asking them to help you (remember that blog and lesson from good ol' Ben Franklin?).

10. Collaborate with Them

    This idea has me reflecting back to the Edutopia article from earlier. Work with not against a student. Be curious. 

We have choices. Choices other than engaging in power struggles. We can build relationships, collaborate, and support good behavior. We can ask for help, not take it personally, and give opportunities for leadership. 

RSVP No to power struggles.

Below is a picture with some more help tips regarding how to avoid or deescalate power struggles.

Mindful Apology Acceptance

Teaching our students how to give a proper apology is not that hard. We can talk them through all of the steps beyond saying "I'm sorry." The step after the apology is often and easily missed. 

Have you ever been part of an apology? Have you ever listened to an apology? More often than not the response to an apology is "it's ok." And this is anything but ok.

Research by psychologist Dr. John Gottman shows the importance of being able to rebound from conflict and return to positive communication.

Dr. Gottman also shares in his research that apologies can be humiliating, which is often a deterrent to repeating negative behaviors.

On the Calm app's Daily Jay from April 7, 2025, Jay talks about how apologies allow space for self-awareness and accountability. 

When we consider what Jay shares and Dr. Gottman, then we need to consider how we respond to ensure we are supporting the process of self-awareness and accountability. When someone apologizes and we respond with "it's ok" we negate the accountability. 

Psychologists Dr. Regina Lazarovich and Dr. Catherine Nobile have also researched giving and accepting apologies.

Dr. Nobile shares that apologies are a chance to heal and grow. She also shared that declining an apology is the polar opposite and can lead to unhealed wounds, unresolved negative feelings, and resentment. 

This lesson teaches us that the apology is just as much for the giver and it is the receiver. In fact, even if we may not feel ready to hear the apology we need to allow the space and time for it to happen. We can then share a variety of helpful responses. Expressing appreciation for he other person taking responsibility reinforces the improvement of behaviors. 

The following are some examples of apology acceptances we can give and can teach our students to express.

1. Thank you for apologizing. I hear that you didn't mean to cause me harm, and I know that admitting your mistake was a vulnerable thing to do. I accept your apology and appreciate your commitment to doing better in the future.

2. Thank you for your apology. It really helps me that you have taken accountability. 

3. Thank you for admitting how you contributed to this situation. I accept your apology, and I'm also sorry for my part. 

4. I accept your apology and I'm still feeling very hurt and upset. I want to forgive you, but I need more time to process what happened.

5. I really appreciate this, and your apology resonates. How can we make this less likely to happen in the future?

6. I accept your apology, and what you did was not okay. For us to continue to have a relationship, I need X,Y,Z to change going forward.

7. It takes a big person to admit when they are wrong. I appreciate that.

8. I accept your apology and what you did was not okay. The harm that you caused is not something I can forgive. To protect myself from further hurt, I no longer want us to have any sort of relationship or communication. Please respect my decision.

Obviously that last one is for true hurt that breaks trust and limits the ability to rebuild trust. The last is to be used when significant harm has occurred. 

Responding to the apology matters just as much as the apology itself. Teaching children to show an understanding that it takes a lot to apologize teaches empathy and compassion. Apologizing is not easy and should never be dismissed. Take the time to hear a student apologize. Take the time to practice apologies and apology acceptance with students.

Stay Curious, Stay Connected

 

At the beginning of the year it is easy to be curious when it comes to our students. As the year progresses we begin to feel that our students should understand and follow expectations and we be come less curious and more judgmental. 

We need to stay curious. The clip below, from the show Ted Lasso, reminds us about being curious.

Instead of judgment regarding a situation, behavior, or even a student themselves; be curious. Back in December we had a blog on the question why, if you do not remember it I encourage you to look back and reread it. That blog asks us to begin exploring why things are happening and why a student behaviors the way they do, why we feel the way we feel, etc. Being curious means asking why,  and not assuming you know the answer.

As we remember to stay curious we can be more open to building or if needed repairing relationships with students. 

A simple way to connect, build relationships, or begin repair, is to engage in mindfulness with your students. 

Before spring break we concluded our Inner Explorer mindfulness competition. During the month of March you were encouraged to do mindfulness daily with your students, and even invite admin to join. I hope that this does not stop. In fact, I would encourage you to continue to use mindfulness as we move into testing season. Continue the connect with a mindfulness before you start a test.

According to Edtopia.org a study conducted in 2020 showed that student teacher relationships are associated with outcomes related to academic achievement. The better the relationship, the higher the academic success.

If our relationships with students support their achievement then right now is a perfect time to refocus on your relationship building. You may have one student who really needs your encouragement before they begin taking state testing.

A study from 2022 showed that students are more likely and more willing to go the extra mile with their academics if they are being educated in a supportive environment and adults have built trusting relationships with them.

Below is a video I came across this week. It provides a good laugh and a little food for thought. How do you handle the student you can tell "hates" you? How do you build that relationship?

Build and bank relationship time.

Remember that emotions are contagious. A 2021 study suggests that teacher emotions have a powerful effect on students. The students will reflect them and more often than not it takes a greater amount of time to recover from negative emotions over positive emotions. Your mood can change the mood of your students in a positive and negative way.

Be the mood you want to see in your students.

When asking the why  questions take a minute to separate yourself from a situation and ask if a student's behavior is a reflection of your mood? Could you be the why?

Making sure that we do our own mindfulness and are participating with our students can help us ensure we are always checking our attitudes, feelings, and thoughts. We can help our students by being the example of mindfulness and connect with them through mindfulness.

 

Remember that relationship building does not have to end after the first month of school. We can continue to find ways to connect or reconnect with our students.

Spring Cleaning for Your Space and Mind

 Spring Cleaning. 

Many people take time in the spring to engage in spring cleaning. Going around their space and cleaning out the old, decluttering, organizing, and making the space clean and comfortable.

In the spring (or any time of year) we can spring clean the mind. We can use mindfulness ideas to help clean our space and our mind.

We can sweep away self-criticism, declutter negative thoughts, organize our needs, and polish up what keeps us moving forward.

Studies show that a space filled with junk and clutter creates stress in the brain and body. The external stimuli of a cluttered space can make for a cluttered mind.

In a recent survey most Americans listed home organization and cleanliness among their top five stressors. 

Spring cleaning our space can have a positive effect on our mental as well as physical health. If we add spring cleaning of the mind to our spring cleaning to-do list we can increase the benefits for our mind and body.

It can seem overwhelming to start the spring cleaning task. You may not know where or how to start. Here are some mindful tips for spring cleaning space and mind.

First, make a do-to list. What spaces need to be clean? What words of self-criticism need to be removed?

Next, decide your pacing. Would you rather go slow and steady (last week's turtle) or clean in short bursts? 

Slow and steady looks more like picking a space and slowing cleaning until it is done.

Short bursts is about picking a time limit and clean as much as you can in that time.

Do you need to slowly stop your negative self-talk, reducing it down day by day or can you mindfully stop and swiftly clean it out of your life.

Have a plan for your "junk." A Keep, Give, Toss, system. After you have cleaned consider the idea of 1 in 2 out to keep the space clean and keep the clutter from returning. 

 As you consider your keep pile, spend time reconnecting with items and their meaning. As we reconnect with why we are keeping an item spend time reconnecting with your values. Use a mindful approach. What are you keeping in your life that serves your greater mental and physical well-being.

Studies show that women specifically carry higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, especially when a space is cluttered. Taking control of your environment can help you take control of your physical health as well.

Cleaning also creates a physical activity. We have to move. This is something to consider for your daily routine. What can you clean daily? How active are you with this cleaning? Can you be more active?

Reframe your feelings toward cleaning. Reframe your feelings toward yourself. 

Cleaning is scientifically proven to improve your living space, your physical health, and your mental health. 

How can we apply this to our students?

Have daily cleaning chores in your class. Do spring desk clean out. Do cubby spring cleaning. Do locker spring cleaning. 

Talk with your students about organization and help them set up a system to stay organized. Make a daily check list of cleaning and organization. 

Consider the whole class space and make to-do lists for each space. Give responsibility to your students and let them take charge of cleaning.

Before you start do a mindfulness and talk about cleaning out your mind.

Do a wrap up mindfulness and talk about how good it feels to sit in a clean space.

Take a trip outside. Encourage them to clean their outside shared space. Talk about being in nature and caring for nature.

Remember mindfulness is being in the present moment and paying attention without judgement. Do not criticize during cleaning time. Make it mindful. Encourage, praise, and remind that as we declutter our space we can take deep breaths and declutter our minds. 

 

Mindfulness Helps Win the Race

 ****This was set to go out last week and then the full moon and eclipse took over and our students kept me busy. As you read the beginning of this blog keep in mind it was typed out last week and I didn't want to edit it. *****

Endurance 

We are simply trying to make it through Friday, a full moon, and a lunar eclipse. And then the final week before spring break. We are simply attempting to find endurance.

In 2018 studies found mindfulness trending up.

In 2020 Google Trends showed mindfulness had dropped by a 1/3.

Here we are in 2025 seeing more and more research showing us that mindfulness has more benefits beyond calming students, focusing brains, and helping to reduce stress.

Recent studies show that athletes who regularly practice mindfulness (one study used a baseline of at least 41.7 minutes a week) showed more endurance and less mental fatigue. 

If athletes gain endurance and reduce mental fatigue utilizing mindfulness, we too can use mindfulness to endure the week before spring break. We too can reduce our metal fatigue. We can also help our students do the same.

As I researched this topic I thought of Aesop's fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. This could almost be a story of mindful endurance verse distracted overconfidence. When we think we do not need mindfulness and become overconfident we allow distractions to control our brain and thus our actions. Yet when we mindfully keep pace and have a focus, we can accomplish our goals.

Think about ways you can use mindfulness to gain endurance. Think about how you can use it to help your students.

Here is a fun mindfulness that came to mind as I thought about the tortoise....

Have students hold out their hand, palm up. Ask them to imagine a tiny turtle on their hand. Share that like turtles we need to move slow with our breath. Have them a deep breath in. Then while breathing out slowly encourage them to imagine the tiny turtle slowly walking across the hand. 

Here is a mindful turtle coloring page which is free on TPT. 

After you teach your students the turtle breath give them the coloring page and allow some quiet mindfulness time. Encourage them to be the mindful tortoise and be slow and steady with their coloring. Encourage them to take time to be calm, quit, and color the very best they can.

Slow and Steady.... Mindful Endurance helps win the race.

Which Voice Do You Hear? ....how about your students?

 

Talking to yourself doesn't make you crazy. In fact it might make you smarter, happier, and healthier. 

Just this week I overheard a first grader state "my life is the worst!" This kind of self-talk is negative self-talk and can be harmful. A lot of our students and perhaps a lot of us adults, often engage in harmful negative self-talk. 

While negative self-talk can harm us, positive self-talk can support our mental health, help regulate emotions, and reduce anxiety. 

Our words matter. Especially the ones we say to ourselves. If we do not talk kindly to ourselves we are less likely to talk kindly to others. 

For many of our students positive talk does not occur at home. They likely hear a lot of negative talk about adults, themselves, and negative self-talk from caregivers. 

In her book Good Inside Dr. Becky talks about adopting mantras and encouraging children to do the same. Mantas are another form of self-talk. A short sound, word, or phrase that create a positive and productive feeling and behavior. Dr. Becky shares that mantras help during challenging situations. When there is a struggle a mantra can help build confidence. 

Below are a few examples of mantras and positive self-talk.

Children who struggle with test taking may need a manta such as:

-My mind is brilliant

-I've got this

-Trust my gut

Students who struggle with motivation may need a mantra of:

-Move 1% forward

-Progress not perfection

-I am choosing to have a productive day

A child who struggles with feelings and emotions may need:

-I am in control of my emotions

-I am grateful for my life

-My positive thoughts guide me

Other good mantras to adopt:

-Trust the process

-Forgive and let go

-Everything is figureoutable

-I am responsible for my reactions

-I am moving forward

-I believe in my abilities

-There is no can't only won't

-Things are hard before they are easy

-My power comes from my choices

-Discomfort means growth

-I'm not afraid to be wrong

If you awork with younger grades you'll know this one from Inner Explorer;

-I have the power to make wise choices

If we choose to adopt a mantra and positive self-talk and then use it around students they will hear and learn this behavior. 

When we want to change a student's behavior we must start with our own. For a lot of young children learning by example is easier than being told what to do. We've talked before about students barrowing our calm or chaos. They will also barrow our positivity or negativity.  

What moments during the day could use more positive self-talk or a mantra?

Once you start, then take time to begin to encourage your students to start using mantas too. 

Try putting a mantra post-it note on desks daily. 

Greet students with a positive affirmation or mantra.

Find ways to add more positivity to your day for you and your students.