Mindfulness Matters

 

The best way to practice BEING the CALM is by setting a good mindfulness practice for your self.

As we round the corner and head toward 6 weeks left we may all be feeling Spring Fever and the desire to be outside and ready to be done with school. A couple of years back this meme came to mind when I thought about how school staff feel this time of year...

We just want to skip testing and skip to the end and have summer. Students and staff alike feel it this time of year.

We all need help feeling motivated to wake up when the alarm goes off, get out of bed, dress, and drive to school. 

Studies show that having a good mindful, well-being routine, can help you stay focused, be healthy, and have the positive outlook you need to make it to the end, instead of skipping to the end.

In the course The Science of Well-Being, Dr. Laurie Santos shares studies on sleeping well, eating well, exercising daily, having a daily gratitude practice, extending kindness to others, creating connections, and having a daily mindful mediation practice. 

Starting your own mindfulness and well-being routine will  create a base for you to then be able to teach it to your students. Not just teach it to your students, but practice with them. If you want your students to become involved you need to lead by example. 

Remember if you need help with classroom mindfulness, I am resource, Inner Explorer is a resource, and I have a resource library of mindfulness cards, games, and books.

A fun mindfulness to do is the 5 senses. I would suggest saving the taste mindfulness for after May 13th when Ramadan ends. You could start with sight. Take students outside on a nice day and ask them to sit and observe the world around them. Ask them to take deep breaths and try to notice something new. Then move on to sound. Outside is another great place for a sound mindfulness. Again ask them to sit and be still and listen for all sounds they can hear. 

Next try touch. You could make small bags for each student and place something smooth inside, something bumpy, something fluffy, something cold (plastic ice cubs), something slimy, etc. Ask students to silently sit with eyes closed as they explore the bag with only a hand. 

Then explore smell. This one could be done outside or maybe as a silent walk through the building to note the different smells as they walk.

Last, is the fun tasting mindfulness. Bring a few options to try. Guide students to use other senses first encouraging them to look at the color, shape and size. Ask students to smell and touch and note everything they can about the food. Then ask them to place it on their tongue and hold it there. Does it make you mouth water, does it make your mouth hot, is it spicy, is it sour? How does it feel in your mouth, roll it around without chewing. Then chew. Slowly. Does it crumble? Is it chewing? Is it crunchy? 

Mindfulness can be an exploration and fun. It's about being completely in the present.

Find some time each day to create a practice for yourself and then find time to engage your students. 

Bummer Choice...But Mindfulness is Here for You

This week I wanted to share a resource I found a few years back. Parts of it has been shared in the past, but it would benefit us all to review some of the information.

The link I have posted below is directed toward working with students with RAD, Reactive Attachment Disorder. That being said, it has helpful information for working with all students. It is also important to know that studies are finding that at least 5 students per class are dealing with a form of an attachment disorder. We may not know which 5. Your class may have more than 5.

Open Letter to Educators

One thing that has long stood out to me in this information is this quote : "Remember that these educational strategies should ALWAYS be applied with empathy and NEVER anger. The objective is to return the units of responsibility back to the student, not to punish the student." 

"Return the units of responsibility back to the student"

Are you taking responsibility for your students actions or have you given responsibility back to the students? 

Mindfulness can help you center your feelings and frustrations and help you process situations better. Reflect on our last blog and Navy Seal breathing. Before making a choice take deep breaths. Before dealing with a situation with a student, take a deep breath.

Other great information this resource shares is utilizing one-liners with students. Be direct. Don't engage in the negative. Praise the positive.

Bummer choice. 

I respect you too much to argue with you.

How sad.

I'll be glad to listen when your voice is as soft as mine.

When we use mindful ways to set boundaries with students we allow space for social emotional growth. As we limit the negative communicate and eliminate the power struggle we allow positive praise to grow. 

Take a minute to think about your class. You may know the stories of some students, but there are students whos stories you may never know. When thinking about our students and their home history it is important to understand you may be facing a student whos brain has been shaped by trauma. The video below is a five minute chance to help you think about how your students may be facing each day.

Brain and Trauma

Think about how to clearly set limits, boundaries, and rules that provide safety and structure. It can be overwhelming to consider the potential for trauma in your classroom. Trauma often leads to attachment disorders and much more. 

More and more studies are showing that mindfulness, social emotional learning, and the science of well-being all help change the brain for the positive. 

Your students who have brains built by trauma do not have to stay living in survival mode. You can be their guide to a healthier way to interact with their world.

Practicing mindfulness daily will not take away from your teaching time, but give it back. The time you spend redirecting, refocusing, and reframing events in the classroom will reduce as your students learn self-regulation, social cues, and mindful self-reflection. 

The brain is amazing. It is adaptable, changeable, and growable. You are amazing. You can change a students brain. You can help a students brain adapt. You can grow a students brain.

Emotional Intelligence (SEL, Mindfulness, and so much more)

When was the last time you listened to or watched something and said to yourself (or out loud) "Yes! This! All of this!" ? 

This weekend I started another episode of Experts on Experts with Daniel Goleman. I can't say enough good things about this episode and am excited to share it with you. Daniel Goleman, Ph D is a two time Pulitzer Prize nominee and author. Dr. Goleman wrote the book, Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is SEL, Social Emotional Learning. Dr. Goleman talks on how all school should include SEL in every part of their school day. He also states that those that already do have SEL are setting their students up for success. 

In this podcast Dr. Goleman shares a story of working in a school in Spanish Harlem in New York City. This story occurs at 17:20-19:00. They speak on the tragedies students see and experience in this part of the city. They also talk about how the teachers help the students respond. They talk about Belly Buddies. 

Belly Buddies is a great way to teach young children how to take a deep breath. The deep breathing calms the body and brain.

As we continue into the podcast at 19:20-19:57 we have a chance to review some SEL and our Mood Meter (or the idea of the mood meter, it isn't directly named). The idea of a distraction strategy is shared. Dr. Goleman talks about what he calls, the Amygdala hijacks and how to shift thinking to the Prefrontal Cortex. Dr. Goleman shares that the simple act of naming a feeling can distract the Amygdala long enough to allow the Prefrontal Cortex to take back control. Using the Mood Meter daily gives students the language to express emotions when in a state of distress, frustration, anger, etc.

At 24:50-27:09  Dr. Goleman goes on to share another strategy to "Abort Amygdala Hijacks". At this time he shares about Navy Seal training and their controlled breathing which helps calm the body and the brain. Dr. Goleman talks about taking a deep belly breath in and filling the belly, then holding the breath as long as comfortably possible, and lastly releasing the breath very slowly. This is a process completed 6-9 times. This process allows the Prefrontal Cortex to engage in those executive functions such as; focus, attention, and responsible decision making.

I could go on and on with time codes, but lets be honest, I want you to list to it all. Dr. Goleman is amazing to listen to and he introduces his own podcast which focuses on emotional intelligence. I am excited to add this to my list of podcasts to listen to and gather information from to share with all of you.

In this podcast Dr. Goleman talks about a second grade class that every morning takes time to identify feelings. Again, here we are having our Mood Meter reinforced. 

If you haven't put a Mood Meter up in your class, please take time to do so this week. Use the last nine weeks of school to build a language of emotions for yourself and your students. Help them disrupt the chaos in their minds and bodies and bring their awareness to the present (mindfulness).

Dr. Goleman also talks about the importance of mindfulness. He shares his own journey and talks about a book he has written regarding the topic. Mindfulness is a great way to pay attention to our own thoughts and feelings to help us control our actions. Establishing this in our students will grow their emotional intelligence.

Another profound topic Dr. Goleman touches on is how our students are (or aren't) connecting with others and how they aren't learning emotional intelligence due to distance learning. Our students need to see our faces and hear our voices. Engage with your students however you can. Take time to get to know your students and let them get to know you. Connect. Build rapport. 

Please take some time this week to listen to the podcast and gather information and continue to build your personal mindfulness and SEL and then share it with your students. Dr. Goleman states that IQ is very inflexible, but EQ is flexible. Utilize emotional intelligence to grow a students resilience, determination, and effort. It will pay off in grades and behavior! 

  

Resilience a Mindful Key to Well-Being

 

Failure is a part of life. It happens to us all. As students work toward mastering a new skill they will fail first. When they fail, they often struggle. This struggle looks different for each person, for each student. Failure does not have to be seen as something to be ashamed of, or something to avoid. 

Teaching our students how to handle failure is a skill that will help them to build a better outlook on their skills and ultimately a better self view. 

Mindfulness is a useful tool to utilize when teaching acceptance of failure. Another way to frame this kind of education is; teaching resilience.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. 

Resilience is a skill that will help our students learn and grow. These are skills crucial to well-being and development. 

In the article What is Resilience we are introduced to the topic of resilience and how to build it in students. One point in the article states that we should celebrate students progress, not just success. We we celebrate progress, even in the midst of failure, we teach students to persevere in the face of difficultly. 

The tool of mindfulness teaches students to pay attention to the present moment and accept the present moment. This means accepting the moments of failure.

Reachout.com is a great resource with information on resilience. To help with learning resilience there are lessons you  can download, one of which is on mindfulness and another called learning from failure.

As we come into a testing season adding extra mindfulness and teaching resilience is not only a great idea but a necessary one.