Giving It All

During a week when you feel like you have nothing more to give, remember this thought. If you only have 40% to give and you give all 40%, you gave 100%.

The week before a break is challenging. Everyone is ready to be out of school and home enjoying time away. Many of us have parties to plan, gifts to buy and wrap (so they look nice and not like they were wrapped in the dark by blind monkeys, aka my husband), meals to shop for, laundry to finish, dishes nightly, and we still come to work and pour into children. We come to work feeling that we have 10%, 20%, 33.3% to give. We often feel as if we do not have enough left to give. 

I love this idea that no matter what you have to give, if you give it, you gave all. My 40% given at a 100% is 100%.

You can make it this week. 

Don't judge yourself. Accept your feelings and work with them and through them, not against them. Mindfulness is accepting without judgement. Practice mindfulness by letting go of expectations and embrace what is. 

You are making it through each and every day. 

Let your mindfulness this week be a simple reminder that you are making it and you are giving your all. Be present. Don't judge. 

 

Santa Smiles and Grinch Hearts

A Message from Santa 

If that message from Santa didn't hit you with some perspective, watch it again. 

During this time of year we like to add fun and festive things to our lives. We have an elf on the shelf (who is sent to watch the naughty kids but is naughty himself....). We have colorful trees and lights. We say "Happy Holidays" and " Merry Christmas". But we are not always happy or merry. Too much gets in the way. Buying gifts. Planning get-togethers. And working.

Not every student celebrates a holiday this month, but many do. We add fun crafts, decorations, and elves to the school. We are cheerful and jolly. And when the students aren't looking we are exhausted and slightly grinchy. 

The message from Santa reminds us that we should not be looking at the students as "naughty" or "nice" but rather see their needs and who they are as a person. Are they showing frustration over a school subject? Is there something going on at home and they packed that emotion in their backpack with the school work? Are they too wearing a Santa Smile to hide a Grinch Heart? 

How do we help our students and ourselves be mindful and find a way to grow a Grinch heart three sizes?

Below is a list of ideas. Simply ideas. Not a to-do list which stresses you out and you have to check off one-by-one to ensure you are mindful. Find one or two that work for you. Explore a few for your students too.

Mindful Holidays 

1. Mindful Eating. This time of year there is LOTS of food. Mostly unhealthy, but so delicious. Remember to take time to enjoy. Don't chastise yourself for eating those extra calories. Enjoy them. Eat them slowly. Take a deep breath in and experience the amazing smells. Experience the flavors. Sip slow. Chew well. Enjoy.

2. Mindful Walking. I know that it's cold, but enjoy a walk. This time of year can be bleak and grey, but it can also be colorful and bright. Find a place that has a great light display and go for a walk. Take in deep breaths and experience the spirit of the season. Listen to the sounds. Maybe they are your feet crunching snow. Perhaps they are of animals in a distance. Find some peace in the calm of the night. When the walk is over try tip number one and have some hot cocoa with whipped topping. Remember sip slow and indulge. 

3. Morning Movement. Try giving your body a wake up stretch with yoga. The slow movements of yoga and the deep breathing can help you slowly wake your body. Stretch out all the sleep and give yourself time to slowly start the day.

4. Get Crafty. This is a great time of year to show off your creative side. Make some festive decorations. Bake a pie or some cookies. Create art. Nothing has to be perfect. Edible is a good goal. Pretty is appreciated. But even if you never reach perfect, enjoy the process. Find some flow and let go.

5. Quiet Time. Give yourself permission to recharge in a calm and quiet place. Turn off screens. Enjoy a moment of peace and calm. Give yourself this small gift.

6. Keep a Routine. This is a challenge. But research shows that we should never stray far from our normal sleep schedule. Give yourself permission to go to bed on time (or early). Give yourself permission to sleep in (or get up on time). Having a break from work doesn't mean you have to stay up late or sleep in. You can, but try not to stray too far from normal. When you keep your body on a normal routine your body feels better.

7. Set Priorities. Not everything has to be accomplished. Somethings you can forget. You can say "no". Set yourself a list of priorities and give yourself permission to ignore anything not on your list.

8. Conversations of Joy. A podcast recently reminded me that we don't have to talk about everything. We can choose to skip a conversation. It doesn't matter if Uncle Bob started the conversation and he wants your input. You can say you have set yourself a rule that at the holidays you only talk topics that bring you joy. If you aren't going to feel good after the conversation don't engage. 

9. Gratitude List. A great mindfulness practice is to start or end your day with a gratitude list. Make it season specific. List all of the things that bring you the most joy this time of year. Lights. Smells. Decorations. Faith. Family. Food. List what they are and why they bring you joy. 

10. Experience Presence not Presents. Be with friends and family. Put aside electronics. Put aside worry. Put aside stress. Put aside your to-do list. Give the present of your presences. Experience the moment in the moment. 

11. Give Grace. Give yourself some understanding and grace. If you didn't complete your to-do list. It's ok. If you ate every sweet at the party. It's ok. If you went to bed early. It's ok. If you slept in. It's ok. If you slowly drank your morning coffee, before you did anything for anyone else in the house. It's really truly ok. Don't berate yourself for taking a break. If you make it out on the other side of the holiday, that's enough. 

It's The Most Prosocial Time of the Year

This time of year children (and adults) can begin to engage in selfish behaviors. The season of giving has turned into the season of getting. It is a very "me, me, me" time of year (for some). But it doesn't have to be. It can become the Most Prosocial Time of the Year. 

What does this mean? How can we connect this to our students? Ourselves? Mindfulness?

Prosocial Behavior is a very well-being focused idea, and as we know mindfulness is focused on the present moment and making it a well-being moment.

Prosocial Behavior is defined as, voluntary actions specifically intended to benefit or improve the well-being of another individual or group of individuals. 

This time of year, as adults we can engage in prosocial spending. Spending our money to benefit others. But we can also engage in prosocial time. Giving others our time. I encourage you to take some time before break to spend a few minutes with each student. Give them a little one-on-one time before they go home for two weeks. They may not be gifted with prosocial time during break. Home does not always mean time with others for our students. Sometimes it means more time alone.

The idea behind prosocial giving/behavior, is that we work for the better of others. There are times that this can be reciprocal, such as our yearly Secret Santa (which is coming up, consider joining). This can also be altruistic, meaning that we give to benefit others, without return. This kind of prosocial behave is putting others before yourself and giving of yourself to them instead of giving to yourself.

Remember that activities such as Secret Santa are a fun way to engage in prosocial spending. This is also a great way to connect with others and build relationships.

But why should be do it? 

In psychology the questions have been posed and tested. We have learned the why.

Will a person be happier spending money on themselves or will the spending on others increase their happiness?

The answer is: Spending on others.

This is spending not just money, but time, self, and emotions.

How does this translate into the classroom?

Creating and allowing opportunities for students to engage in prosocial behavior is important and easy. 

Post a Mood Meter (I can send you a copy if you need it). Use it with the students. Teach them to identify their own feelings. This will help them identify feelings of others. Students can then begin to ask others if they need help, if they are alright, and what they need to be successful that day.

Prosocial behavior is teaching fair play at recess time. Teach students to resolve conflict, share, and play fair.

Encouraging positive peer connections. 

Have students write notes to each other, sharing encouragement, and letting someone else know that they are special.

Have a prize box and encourage students to tell you who they feel has earned a prize. 

Mx. Wray shared the idea that you can place a blank sheet of paper on each students desk. Then have the students rotate around the room writing a positive note on each paper. Give students some examples on the board and let them know that we want to say one nice thing for each student. 

This time of year is the perfect time of year to embrace and grow your prosocial skills.

It's the Most Mindful Time of the Year

 The German's have a single word to describe the feeling of joyful anticipation; Vorfeude. 

With the holiday season upon us many may be experiencing vorfeude. The reality of this time of year is that while many feel joyful anticipation, many do not. In fact, our brains have a natural tendency toward a negative bias. Our brains are programed to fear the worst. 

Statistics show:

85% of American's celebrate Christmas. 

16.9% of children in the US live in poverty

15-17.9% of Michigan children live in poverty

Songs tell us that this is the most wonderful time of the year, and for many of us it can be, but for some it's just another month of the year. 

During the month of December I challenge you to make mindfulness a priority. Studies show that we can help our brains shift focus with mindfulness. Studies also tell us that repetition deepens our desire to do mindfulness and benefit from it's positive effects. 

Use mindfulness to break up long days, long lessons, or provide a much needed calm down time. Use mindfulness to shift focus when you observe difficult moments.

Not all of our students will celebrate a holiday this December. Some will celebrate a holiday different than our own. Mindfulness can help you connect during a time in which students may feel disconnected from others due to having a different celebration, or no celebration at all.

One of my favorite winter time mindfulness activities is Hot Chocolate Breathing. You could even suggest other hot beverages if students don't like hot chocolate. There is always tea, cider, and coffee.

Hot Cup of Mindfulness Breathing

Author Kira Willey has new book out called, Hot Cocoa Calm which you can see and hear on the YouTube link.

It is a cute book for our younger students. 

Once you teach this breathing you could have a hot cocoa day and play this video while practicing the breathing and enjoying some hot chocolate. 

I would also encourage you to take some time to check out Kira Willey's Website to learn more about her books, yoga, and music. If you need some upbeat music to play while students have indoor recess, are cleaning up, or just need a movement break check out her songs on Spotify or YouTube. 

I would also encourage you to take some time to watch Kira's TedTalk called Bite Sized Mindfulness. She shares about how all kids can do mindfulness and how when you make it enjoyable they like it and want to do it. She also shares that no matter the background of a student (or adult) all of us can do mindfulness. She also reminds us that consistency is key. This goes back to our beginning thought about repetition deepening the ability and desire to do mindfulness.

Let's take time this month and as we close out 2022 to put a new focus on mindfulness. Open yourself up to a mindfulness practice and then share it with students. Make this the most mindful time of the year.

Resources to Help Build Skills

 This week I wanted to take some time to share some resources that you may find helpful for yourself and your students.

ADDitude Magazine

This website is dedicated to ADHD education. There are sections for; Professionals (educators), Parents, Adults with ADHD, and even a section for testing. The testing sections is a great little quiz you can review to see if behaviors fall into the ADHD category.

Below is a great poster you can download and print. It helps explain ADHD to teachers. It breaks down what you see and what is going on underneath.

If you take time to explore this site I guarantee you will find something helpful. I found this site through an article on utilizing praise systems for students with ADHD. 

The next resource is a great SEL (social emotional learning) resource. AND ITS FREE. 

Harmony

I have used Harmony over the years for various posters, material, and education ideas for students. This week they shared that they have added some online SEL games. They even have an app you can download. I have explored the online games and they are user friendly and help students with working on emotions and behaviors. There is a game called Battle the Bullybot. It is a game that gives scenarios related to bullying and asks the students what to do or if the right thing was done in a situation. This could be a great way to take brain breaks. Explore the site and try a game. Students can play alone or together.

Don't forget about Inner Explorer. Put this into practice daily and you will have the easiest 5-10 minutes of your day. Our kindergarten teachers tell me their favorite is the 2-Minutes of silent mindfulness lesson. Mrs. Cords states that it is the quietest her class gets. She states that they can do it and they do it well! Give it a try.

For teachers of older students, have you ever wondered about your students' strengths?

The Virtues in Action Survey is a great way to explore this topic. You can take it too. I've completed the survey for classes I've taken and I have loved seeing the results. The VIA talks about your top strengths as well as your bottom. They never say you don't have a quality on the list, just that you lack it more than others, It is presented less in your life. In classes I've had we were challenged to build our bottom strengths by utilizing our top strengths. I have used the VIA to help create daily goal plans for middle school students. The VIA was created with idea that we should look at strengths and not simply criteria for the criteria for mental health diagnoses  (ie the DSM aka a how to for billing insurance companies). 

With cold months ahead you may find you are inside during recess. You can utilize this time to present an option of controlled movement and mindfulness. ALO Yoga is a great site with free lessons. They use mindfulness and yoga to help children. They have some with titles such as; "Post-Lunch Refocus" and "Yoga for Confident Learning". Each session is under 10 minutes and features an adult and children working though the lesson together.

This week I want to leave with this last link. It is a video of high school students explaining how mindfulness has helped them. I love finding videos of students sharing out. We as adults can express the benefits, but when you hear from a student, the impact is different and powerful. The Power of Mindfulness

Circle Back to Better Resolutions

 

I found this graphic this week and thought it made a great follow up to last week.

Last week we talked about utilizing I Statements as a way to expressing feelings regarding a situation, without blaming others. 

When you read through The Grill Back you get blaming. 

When you read through The Circle Back you get accepting responsibility and working toward a resolution. 

As we work to be more mindful at school (and at home) it is good to take a few moments to reflect on how we are walking the mindful path.

Mindfulness teaches us to accept things as they are without judgement. That means accepting students and the fact that the may have behavior struggles. This does not mean accepting the behavior but rather accepting that they may happen. Then we can begin asking ourselves what message the student is conveying with the behavior, what needs they are seeking to have met, and how can you help them circle back.

Even reading the first line of each is a wake up call to how we address unwanted behaviors. Instead of saying "Um can we talk about earlier" just jump in and identify the challenge "Earlier was hard for us, wasn't it?" Let the student know the situation was hard on more then you and more then them. The second statement helps identify the feeling and who it affected (this is a nice little piece of a restorative conversation). 

When we begin to reframe from a feeling perspective we take ownership. This teaches our students how to take ownership too.

Owning feelings, especially the unpleasant ones is not easy for adults and we have a fully formed brain (if you are 25+ years old). We need to take intentional time to teach students this challenging skill.

Conflict resolution is a skill quickly being lost. With more and more students spending more and more time on screens they lose the interpersonal skills needed to work through a situation. For most of our students a resolution to conflict is to shut off a screen. What happens when its a person in front of you and not a screen? Our students struggle. Some adults do too.

Learning to talk with others helps us resolve not avoid conflict. Learning to address a situation from a feelings stand point helps with ownership instead of blaming.

Try some of the phrases from The Circle Back. Think of how you can reframe the way you address concerning behaviors and attitudes. 

How do you talk with your students regarding what you saw and what you want to see from them?

If you find you are using more statements from The Grill Back, follow the advice from The Circle Back and try and take more breaths.

Before you address a student do a quick self check and see if you can identify your feelings without judgment and if you can express them without blaming.

Take a breath together with the student. Lead by example. 

** Do Yourself a Favor and  Call the Number Below**

707-873-7862

It is a school project where kindergartners give you encouragement. It is the cutest. Enjoy!

The Power of "I"

 Feelings happen. 

If you take some time to study the brain and it's behavior, then you will learn that we utilize our emotion center more often than we utilize our logic center.

Our Amygdala, which is part of what is known as our Reptilian Brain, is our emotion center. This is our center for Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Faint. This is part of our sympathetic nervous system. Our fear response. Our safety center. We need this, however, we do not want to simply run on this all of the time. When we run on this we create higher levels of cortisol in our body. Cortisol is our stress hormone. Too much can do significant harm to our body.

We need to learn how to slow down our thinking, switch off the Amygdala and turn on the Prefrontal Cortex. Our Prefrontal Cortex is our wise brain, our logic center.

How do we start this process? Where do we begin?

More often than not when feelings arise we blame others, express them in a big way, or do not address them at all.

We need to learn to identify and express them in a healthy way. We need to lead by example so our students begin to do that same.

If you have never tried to utilize an "I Statement" try it today.

Teaching and utilizing the "I Statement" takes a feeling from blaming to owning. We own the feeling we have and we assert it, not blame it on others. 

I feel frustrated when you choose not to listen to directions because it tells me that you are not focused or ready for the day. I'd like you to take some time to refocus and find a way to help yourself listen better. Maybe you could take a five minute break in the calm down corner.

I statements express a feeling about a situation. They do not shame or blame. 

it's not... 

Why is it you never listen to directions?

Are you even listening to me?

Is there a good reason you aren't listening?

You never listen!

Children (and adults) more often than not will stop listening when a statement is blaming. It is a comment reaction to become defensive, shut down, and not change the behavior.

An I Statement expresses how an action makes someone feel. The feeling belongs to the other person, you cannot tell them it is right or wrong. When you hear a feeling statement you listen from a perspective of understand not defense. 

A mindful way to address a concern is to utilize an I Statement.

I statements give the listener time to use the logic brain not the emotion brain.

Support v Enabling

                      How do you support your students? Are you really enabling?

At times it is difficult to tell whether or not we are supporting verses enabling our student's behaviors. As we explore the differences we can learn to build a supportive classroom and ensure we are not enabling negative behaviors.

The goal of support is to build resilience and develop coping strategies.  

Support should always empower a student to move forward toward greater stability and independence.

When we support a student we acknowledge difficulties yet not eliminate them. We should not be removing obstacles for children but rather teach them how to navigate and work through them.

Supporting a student means working with a child to overcome obstacles, manage fears, and build confidence for the future.

It is important to acknowledge feelings and validate them. This does not mean that we encourage the negative or allow them to be presented in a negative way. We can allow difficult emotions as long as we teach students to express them in a healthy way.

We can support students by providing clear, simple, and practical assistance. We can model healthy coping skills.

Ensure that you are providing structure that is appropriate for a child's age and ability. 

Remember to notice the small steps forward and praise the effort even if the outcome isn't to your desired goal yet. Keep coaching through the problems and help them get to where you want them to be.

While setting up structure ensure that you are not enabling negative behaviors by giving in to complaints or demands. It is easy to create peace in the short term but it will cause harm to your structure in the long term.

Address what is going on instead of allowing children to avoid uncomfortable situations. When we do not show them how to address a challenge we inadvertently teach them to cover up what they did or cover up what they forgot to do. Talk through the challenges and address them in real time.

Do not wait. Address things as they happen. Teach students to express feelings in a healthy way. Do not speak up for them when they have the ability to speak for themselves. Allow them the time and space to state and express their own feelings. This will help them take ownership and create a better understanding.

Remember: If you get upset WITH them instead of staying calm, YOU create emotional fireworks. Avoid the fireworks and stay calm. Show them how to be calm in difficult times and work through the feelings instead of exploding them.

Allow students to experience disappointment. Do not protect your students from natural consequences. They need to learn how to accept failure, disappointment, and the consequences for their actions. 

A Space for Calm

How well do you calm down when your emotions are running high?

Do you always take the time to process your emotions? If no, how well do you function if you allow the emotions to continue to control your mind and body?

As adult we do not always address our emotions in the healthiest way, if we address them at all. Adults often compartmentalize, hide, deny, or pretend their emotions are not overwhelming. Not all emotions are easily handled. 

When emotions become overwhelming our focus is diminished and so is learning.

If you haven't already, consider making a calming space for you class. 

Below is a link to a really great example of a calm down corner. This example would be best used for 3rd grade on up.

Calm Down Space

I really like the idea of the check in sheet. Have students sign in with name and time they use the space. This will help you keep track and notice patterns. You can use this data to talk with parents regarding; classroom behavior, self-regulation ability, and emotional needs. I also like the idea of taking time to explain how to use the space and then practicing the procedure. 

Think about how your class runs now. Do you have what we call "high flyers"? The students who are walking out, always wanting a break, or simply being disruptive? Perhaps they have some unchecked-in on emotions. Perhaps they brought home emotions to school and do not know how to separate home and school and they do not know how to process the feelings.

All classes can benefit from a calming and peaceful space. Below is another example of why and how to set up a structured space.

Peace Corner 

A peace corner should have a set of agreed upon limits. Five minutes is a great amount of time to get a student in a better spot. We have previously reviewed that chemically, our body only experience an emotion for about a minute and half. After that time it is our brain ruminating. Five minutes allows for feeling, processing, and calming. In the beginning a student may need a few more minutes until they begin to learn self-regulation and the ability to utilize the needed materials or manipulatives to help with a specific emotion.

When you set up and explain your calming space don't be afraid to share about the brain, the science, and the why behind the space. Normalize the need and encourage students to give each other understanding and privacy. Talk about not watching students. Talk about not asking why the space was used. Encourage the understanding that we all need to process emotions in a healthy way.

Set limitations and post them. Make it known that it is one person at a time, to help with challenging and distracting feelings. Ensure the students know that the space is not an escape from learning and should not be used to play or sleep.

The time you give to explaining and demonstrating the use of the calm space will be given back to you the more students learn to utilize the space and calm their emotions.  

If you need help setting up a space please reach out. I have resources and can help you take time to explain the space to your students.

Mindful Inclusion to Reduce Bullying

 Mindfulness creates an Inclusive Culture where everyone can say " I Count".

October is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month. 

As a school we need to do more than be anti-bullying, we need to take meaningful action to empower victims, heal bullies, and create an inclusive culture.

Studies have shown that schools with only an anti-bullying program do not have a reduction in bullying, but rather see the same level or an increase. Anti-bullying program can inadvertently teach bullies new ways to hide behavior, provide new ideas for behavior, and empower them to continue. Anti-bullying programs also keep the victim as a victim and do not empower them, leaving them vulnerable to more incidents of bullying.

Schools need to do more. They need to get to the root of the problem. Culture. Values. Expectations. 

Mindfulness is a great way to create a positive and inclusive culture. Mindfulness will empower the victim and help encourage the bully to become a better person.

Bullies often have low self-esteem and are bullied themselves. Bullies also often display a lack of impulse control. Mindfulness has been shown to improve mental health, reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem, and help promote impulse control.

Mindfulness could be the key (or a key) to reducing and ending bullying in schools. 

Mindfulness empowers victims allowing them to understand that bullying while targeted at them is not about them. Understanding this helps them to reduce reactivity to the bullying events. When reactions are diminished bullies are more likely to reduce and give up behavior. When a bully does not see the response they are looking for they move on or give up all together. 

In 2014, three years after Inner Explorer was launched a study showed that those who implemented the program at their school saw a 50% reduction in reactive behaviors of children. Mindfulness programs, such as Inner Explorer, help teach students to think through their actions before taking action.

In 2015 the National Education Association shared that 1 in 3 students report being bullied and 7 in 10 report they are cyber bullied. (This are pre-pandemic numbers, with the pandemic cyberbullying has seen an increase). It was also reported that 50% of the bullying stops when peers intervene. 

The need to empower and equip our students with the ability and bravery to stand up and stop bullying is great. Mindfulness helps bring awareness to the "here" and the "now" which helps students stop and think about their actions. Mindfulness increases focus, attention, and calm. These are tools to help the bully and the bullied reduce negative behaviors and empower standing up for what is right.

Janice Houlihan, co-founder of Inner Explorer and an author has been quoted saying, "Mindfulness practices help the bully, victim, and any witness involved develop a deeper awareness of themselves, resilience, compassion, and a greater ability to regulate their emotional responses."  

Take some time this week and all through the month of October to begin (or continue) a mindfulness practice in your class. Ten minutes of mindfulness a day can reduce reactivity and increase empathy. 10 minutes of mindfulness a day can help improve behavior, self-esteem, and students grades.

Try Inner Explorer today. Connect with me if you need assistance. Let's work together to get to the root of bullying and create a school where ever student and adult can say "I Count".

The Sounds of Mindfulness

Simon and Garfunkel once sang to us about The Sound of Silence. In this song they stated "no one dared disturb the sound of silence." Can you say the same for your class?

Mindful listening can help us with mindful silence. It isn't simply to gain a calm and quiet class for the mere sake of quiet, but for the science behind why we need peace and calm in learning.

Over the years, dating as far back as 1972 , studies have explored the idea that sound has an effect on learning, memory, and cognition. 

Some of the original studies focused on children who lived near airports and children who were living on the main floor of apartment buildings. These studies found that the increase in sound, decreased reading skills and comprehension at school. With theses studies as the foundation more studies were conducted with similar results.

A 2006 study focusing on 3rd grade students found that when there was babble present in the learning environment students test scores decreased. 

In 2010 a study of 1st graders found that both verbal and non-verbal (ex: talking and slamming doors) had a negative impact on memory of material.

Children are less able to separate and ignore irrelevant sounds and are more susceptible to sound-induced disruptions. 

These studies have also found that children with attention concerns, such as ADHD and children who are non-native speakers, such as ELL, are even more at risk for educational deficits due to sound disruption. 

Is the volume in your class inhibiting learning and memory? Would you like to see higher test scores and better readers?

Have you taken time to include mindfulness in your day? Have you found a mindful way to reduce the sound without sound?

Shouting for your students to be quiet is not working. 

Mindfulness encourages us to take a moment and become silent. To slow down and observe. How can you utilize mindfulness to calm the babbles, the chatter, and the non-verbal sounds that disrupt learning?

Try a sound mindfulness practice. Studies show that nature sounds are calming, white noise is calming, and soothing music is calming.

Take your students on a mindful sound walk. Have them explore the school and investigate the sounds around them. Take a mindful sound walk for yourself. Explore the halls and listen to classes. Are there any in which you would thrive? The sounds studies show that while children are more greatly affected, sound does have a negative impact on adults as well. Are there any rooms in the school which might promote learning and increase attention? What can you learn from your mindful sound walk?

Using mindfulness and specifically sound mindfulness can be a good way to help students learn to focus attention. 

Some small studies with adults have also taught us that adults are easily distracted by simple sounds such as a ping of text message. Participants in a study of sound found that if they heard a text message ping during a message they enjoyed the experience less. Even as adults sounds can turn us from calm and joyful to irritated and unfocused. 

Try utilizing the sound practices on Inner Explorer. These are 1-2 minutes of sounds to help calm and focus the mind.

Embracing Autumn with Mindfulness

 How do you see autumn?

An article from the New York times shared that the poet Percy Bysshe Shelly once compared the falling leaves of autumn to decaying corpses in the grave. 

How do you see about the season?

In some recent small studies it has been found that those who tend to ruminate or are more easily preoccupied with thoughts in the autumn season also are more likely to be affected by season depression in the winter (SAD).

The studies also found that unlike the "spring forward" time change, the "fall back" negatively impacts mental health. More depressive episodes occur around the autumn time change than the spring time change.

Autumn is a time of change. The sunlight is becoming less. The temperature is dropping. Leaves and plants are dying. Many people begin to reflect on nature's change and relate it to their own lives. 

Autumn becomes a time of discomfort with change. A mourning period for the lost summer sun and days at the beach.

Autumn does not have to be "Death's second self" as William Shakespeare once said. This season is a perfect time to build a mindfulness routine. Dr. Wilson of the University of Mississippi has called fall the prefect time to "harvest" the good from the summer and be present and enjoy the fall.

We can use fall as a season to build resilience. 

Resilience is ones capacity to adapt to challenging life experiences. 

Dr. Kecmanovic the founder of Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute, shares that autumn is a time to work on acceptance of uncertainty. Accepting uncertainty is a great way to build resilience.

In some recent studies it has been found that the "intolerance of uncertainty" is associated with poor mental health.

While we are all faced with uncertainty at times we do not have to be intolerant. We can use mindfulness to learn to lean in and cultivate rather than run from the uncertainty. 

Dr. Kecmanovic encourages us to put aside what makes us comfortable and in control and face uncertainty, lean in, build resilience. 

A great mindfulness practice for fall is, Step Back-Observe. 

 Instead of seeing autumn through the eyes of the poet Shelly or the playwriter Shakespeare, Step Back-Observe and embrace and enjoy.

See the leaves not as merely dying, but as going thought a beautiful transformation in their lives. Take time to sit out in the crisp fall air and observe the changing colors. Notice the sounds of fall. Be with nature not separate from nature. 

We all have a life cycle. Embrace each moment of the cycle without focusing on the end. Mindfulness teaches us to be present in the moment, on purpose, without judgement. This is a perfect way to embrace autumn. In the moment, on purpose, without judgement. 

Embrace the season to help support positive mental health.

NY Times Article https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/21/well/live/fall-autumn-mindfulness.html

Empowering Student, Avoiding Power Struggles

 

If this graphic is not clear enough to read check out Mindshift on Facebook. Or click on it and it will create a popup of the picture and it will be clearer. 

I loved this idea of addressing power struggles, giving students power without releasing your own, and asking students to obey (follow) the rules, not you.

Avoiding power struggles can be a difficult task. One we often cannot do alone. Power struggles are real and happen before we even know we have entered into one. 

My four-year-old is a delight. She is funny, smart, and full of personality. At night she turns into a "tiny terrorist." If you'd like to see an example of a power struggle head on over to my house at 7:00pm. What should be a simple request, put on your pajamas, turns into mommy walking away frustrated. I know I should remain calm. I know I should give clear instructions and not engage in a back-and-forth. I know these things, but I just want her to  go to bed.

Do you ever feel this way with students? You know you should remain calm. You know you should only give clear instructions and not engage in a back-and-fourth...and yet you do. 

The two quotes on the graphic ring true to me. 

"The reality is that no one wins a power struggle"- Ross Greene 

"See a child differently...see a different child." - Stewart Shanker

While thinking about these two quotes I did some mindfulness research to find a mindful way to handle power struggles. 

Before my research, my go-to mindfulness practice at my daughter's bedtime was to step out of her bedroom and take deep breaths. I noticed this worked for me, but it didn't work for her. She didn't change her behaviors. She was still avoiding pjs and now crying that mommy was taking a timeout. 

I found an insightful article on how to approach power struggles using a mindfulness technique called pause and use PLACE. I know about a mindful pause, that's what I do for myself, but it's the use of PLACE that was new to me.

PLACE 

P: Playfulness. This one seems odd by name when you are thinking about keeping your own power and at the same time seeking direction following from a child. What playfulness means for this practice is; lightness, hope, and openness. When we are playful we have a lightness to our personality, we have a hope for things to go well, and we are open to the experience. 

When you are asking students to follow directions and they are struggling to do so, stay open, light, and hopeful. Instead of yelling, try gentle talking. Instead of getting louder, get quieter. Be calm and at peace, not stressed.

L: Loving. We can love our students with kindness and firmness. An honest love for a child is kind and sets clear boundaries. 

A: Acceptance. "Perfect just as is" even when challenging behaviors arise. Children need to know they are accepted even when their behaviors are not. We accept who they are, not how they are acting. 

C: Curiosity. Be fascinated and wonder. Aim to understand the behavior. When we simple seek to stop a behavior we do not learn how to prevent a reoccurrence. Seek to understand what happened before the behavior, during the behavior, and how you were able to best address the behavior. When we know the need we can help meet the need or find a compromise. 

E: Empathy. Students want to "feel felt." They need you to put yourself in their shoes. They need you to feel with them. Do not stop feelings, understand them and work through them.

PLACE isn't easy and it takes time.

I took time to try it with my four-year-old. Bedtime wasn't perfect but better. I stayed and took deep breaths and gave clear instructions with love and watched her behavior at the times she was not following directions. She wanted to pick out her bedtime books. We found a compromise. PJs and then books, or no books. She loves books so she took time to pick out pajamas. 

This week take time to think of one student with whom you engage in power struggles. Try the mindfulness practice of PLACE. 

Getting to Know Others and Building Relationships

 "You are so brave and quiet I forgot you were suffering." - Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

When I saw this quote over the summer I immediately made a note and kept it to share with all of you. The idea of the overlooked quiet kid really gave me pause. 

Who in your class is quiet and brave? Do you know them yet? 

We were all encouraged the first two weeks of school to spent quality time getting to know our students. Build rapport. Build relationships.

Relationships are key.

This week I listened to an episode of The Happiness Lab, one of my favorite podcasts. The podcaster, Dr. Laurie Santos dug deep into the topic of making friends as an adult. 

The ideas which were shared I feel can apply to how we also interact with our students. Are we mindfully building into our students, building them up, building their strengths? Or have we already labeled and dismissed students we feel are going to be a high flier?

It takes us back to the topic we talked about in PD; are you a walnut tree or a marigold? Side note; my marigold are still blooming in sunbursts of orange, yellow, and red. 

In the podcast they talked about how the best relationships are those we work to cultivate, not those that simply just happen. Most people believe it to be the other way around and do not try to make friends. But research shows us that when we work to create, build, and keep a friendship, that friendship will flourish and we will be happiest. 

Have you worked on your connects to your students? To another staff member?

Mindfulness is a great way to begin.

As Mrs. Dixon shared for our Mindful Monday, just start with well wishes. This is one of my favorites we have talked about a few times over the years. 

Well Wishes Mindfulness can also be called Metta Loving Kindness.

This was first introduced to me when I took a class called The Science of Wellbeing with professor, Dr. Laurie Santos. 

It feels amazing to send well wishes/loving kindness; even when sending those thoughts to those you do not like.

I encourage you to try with all of your students. 

In a post from a couple of years ago I suggested taking time in the morning as you set up class, to walk around the room and send a well wish to each student as you pass their desk.

Start your day with a positive thought on each student.

Lead the Mindful Way

 "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they they have never failed to imitate them."-James Baldwin

Our students mindfulness practice must start with us. As the educators in their lives we are responsible for leading by example and educating through action. 

In the link below you will find a wonderful article which articulates the case for mindful educators and mindfulness in education. 

Mindfulness in Education

At the beginning of the article the idea of a class mindful leader is introduced. I love this idea. Begin with showing them mindfulness through your actions, then teach them how to be mindful, and as they grow encourage them to take responsibility for mindfulness. Empower them to teach others how to be mindful. This is an idea that I plan to try in my classroom mindfulness lessons.

Finding your own mindfulness practice will help reduce your stress and help you find a calm. This is not always easy when there is chaos.

Over the long weekend my family went camping. We stayed up late, as you do when camping. This meant our four-year-old was WAY OFF her sleeping routine. If you have ever had or known a tired four-year-old then you know you are dealing with meltdowns and BIG emotions. I understand that when her emotions are too big for her to understand and I need to be her calm in the chaos of emotions...daddy on the other hand does not. I found myself over the weekend talking about being the calm, showing the calm, and that joining in the big emotions, by yelling to stop melting down, will only create another meltdown. 

In your class, in the halls, at lunch, in specials, and at recess, you will see big and small emotions. You don't have to yell to grab attention. Use mindfulness to calm your own emotions. Equip yourself with mindful emotion check ins and then help your students learn to do mindful emotion check ins too.

Be the Calm in Their Chaos. 

Be the mindful example they need to see and you want them to imitate.

This week let's practice taking deep breaths to calm our minds and bodies. Try the 7/11 Breathing. Breath in, through your nose for 7. Breath out through your mouth for 11.

When we take mindful breaths it's a good thing to remember that the out breath should always be longer than the in breath. This will trigger the parasympathetic nervous system ( the system of the body that calms you and helps you feel relaxed and safe).

Start your mindfulness practice this week as you begin sharing the mindfulness journey with your students. 

Helping Your Anxious Students

Welcome Back!

For those of you who are new, welcome to the mindfulness blog! I will be posting weekly. 

For those who are returning, welcome back! Keep up the great work.

Hopefully you will find something that connects to you. Maybe you will read something that connects to you personally or that you find will help your class. My goal is to always be a support and provide information. I am always listening to new podcast, watching videos, and reading articles. If you find something don't be afraid to share. I love to learn and grow. I hope you do too!

This weeks lesson is on Anxiety and how to support students who present with anxious behaviors or express anxious thoughts.

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Starting back to school can create a lot of anxiety for students. In the video and article links below you will learn that there are genetic and environmental aspects to anxiety. Anxious children often have anxious parents.

As you watch the video or read the article think about the ways you can support your students in the first few weeks of school. How can you help an anxious student?

10 Tip for Parenting (or teaching) an Anxious Child (youtube video)

0:14 Don’t try to eliminate anxiety 1:00 Don’t avoid things just because they make a child anxious 1:35 Express positive, but realistic, expectations 2:08 Respect their feelings, but don’t empower them 2:36 Don’t ask leading questions 3:11 Don’t reinforce your child’s fears 3:34 Be encouraging 3:53 Try to keep the anticipatory period short 4:25 Think things through with your child 5:07 Try to model healthy ways of handling anxiety.

10 Tips for Parenting an Anxious Child (article on Child Mind page)

As a school we utilize the Inner Explorer program. It is an easy to use program that can help you and your students learn and explore mindfulness.

Remember that mindfulness is a great way to teach students self-management. Help them help themselves learn to manage anxiety.

Almost There!

 

Are you ready for your mindful summer? All you need for a good mindful summer is, You! (and whoever else you allow to bring you peace and rest.)

Mindfulness does not have to end with the school year. Encourage your students to download the Inner Explorer at Home app. It's free! Inner Explorer is planning on having a summer mindfulness series. 

As you close out the year here is a link to some free printable mindfulness activities for your students. Free Mindfulness Activities

Here are some more mindfulness activities to share with students for this week and ideas for them to take home for the summer. More Mindfulness for Summer

Take a deep breath, we've almost made it. 

Summer Mindfulness Bucket List

 

We are all feeling the end of the year feelings. This is the time we need extra self-care and mindfulness. Find mindfulness is the cleaning process. Find mindfulness in these last days with students as you look forward to the peace of no alarm clock and no students.

A mindful summer can look like different things to different people. Remember mindfulness in it's simplest form is to be aware in the present moment without judgement.

Take some time to help your students create a Summer Mindfulness Bucket List. Then take some time to make one for yourself.

I took some time to help get us all started. 

Summer Mindfulness Bucket List

1. Set Summer Goals and follow the WOOP format (look back into last years blogs to find that information)

2. Practice Deep Breathing

3. Go to Bed at a Good Time

4. Take a Mindful Walk

5. Drink More Water

6. Have a No Tech Day

7. Listen to Calming Music/Sounds

8. Watch/Catch Fireflies 

9. Wake Up Early

10. Watch a Sunrise/Watch a Sunset

11. Start a Gratitude List

12. Organize Something

13. Yoga

14. Pet an Animal (Leila and I take a yearly summer trip to Calder's Dairy Farm and feed goats)

15. Write in a Journal

16. Read a New Book/ Reread Your Favorite Book

17. Paint/Draw/Color

18. Blow Bubbles/Use a Bubble Machine and Run in Bubbles

19. Have a Healthy Snack

20. Do a Random Act of Kindness

21. Make a New Meal/Make a Favorite Meal

22. Have Quiet Time

23. Watch a Favorite Movie

24. Watch a Mindfulness Video

25. Have a Water Day

26. Use Sidewalk Chalk

27. Visit a Park

28. Watch the Stars

29. Watch the Clouds

30. Grow a Plant

What would you add to a summer mindfulness bucket list? 

Finish Strong

We are at the end of  the last full week of school. We are in the homestretch and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

All we need to do now is finish strong. I found a great article on how to finish the year strong. It is a short but good read. 5 Tips for Finishing the School Year Strong

Four of the five tips are classroom and student focused.

5. Understand the needs of your students. -Remind them why routines are helpful. And make sure to address and understand mental and physical exhaustion.

4. Celebrate student growth. -Showcase their work. List their wins. Utilize year-end mapping.

3. Create a plan of continued growth. -Summer reading lists. Summer review and growth plans.

2. Cover the most important subjects. -Consider the most important information to prepare for next fall.

And as you take time to help students prepare for the close of the school year and help them finish strong, don't forget about you.

1. Prioritize health and wellness! - Recognize when you need your quiet/alone time. Find restful activities to recharge. And I'll add: Practice Mindfulness.

Taking time to take care of you will help you finish the year strong. 

When you are living this...

                                                                You need this...

If you have made it to the end of this blog come see me Friday and work on some mindful self-care. 😁

Mindfulness to Improve Students and Ourselves

This graphic is a simple way to understand the benefits of teaching and practicing mindfulness. Would you rather react or respond?

When you take a minute to look at the definitions you see that a Reaction is a action or feeling expressed and a Response is an answer.

Mindfulness helps us step back from an action and helps us answer.

A student who is always has an action related to a stimuli needs our help with finding the answer instead.

Mindfulness with older students can be a challenge, but it's not impossible, and it's needed.

With each passing year our technology increases and in-person communication skill decreases. Children are not playing games together in-person, but rather online. Online they call each other names and simply shut the device off when they are frustrated. In-person they would have to face the other person while saying mean words and learn to resolve conflict.

As educators we need to think about the interpersonal skills lost and how it affects education. Are you seeing a rise in behaviors such as; students responding with a "no", students touching each other, students leaving class, etc?

If we think about our student's days we can guess that after school they spend time on a screen, on social media, and they stay up late. Some of them may have parents who work late, others like the oldest two in my house simply go to their room and only come out at meal time. Our students are not interacting with others in-person.  Our students are causing, creating, and joining conflict online and not resolving it. And it all spills into school.

What if we had a way to teach them to quiet their minds, calm their bodies, and focus their energy? What if we had a way to teach self-reflection, self-compassion, and conflict-resolution? 

We do.

Mindfulness.

Research after research after research continues to show us that mindfulness improves school attendance, improves grades, improves mental health, IMPROVES STUDENTS!

If you need help with teaching students mindfulness use Inner Explorer. Last week several third graders, Mrs. Ali, and myself had the opportunity to meet one of the creators of the program who also voices several of the mindful practices. Our students were interviewed about mindfulness. The Inner Explorer team that came to the school also included a former NHA employee. The team was impressed with our third grade and hearing about our kindergarten team and how they all utilize mindfulness daily.

If you still need help after implementing Inner Explorer, reach out to me. I have resources for ALL ages in my office. That means even middle school resources. 

Take a minute to really look at this next graphic and think about your students.

The website mentalup.co shared this graph and then the information listed below:

Mindfulness for teenagers:

• Promotes happiness
• Reduces stress
• Helps overcome anxiety
• Helps deal with ADHD
• Enhances learning ability
• Raises body awareness
• Grows patience
• Encourages considerate actions
• Helps defeat depression
• Builds tolerance
• Sharpens memory
• Increases focus and attention
• Builds social intelligence
• Helps evaluate and control behavior
• Helps manage emotions
• Supports mental health

Please take time to think about the positive impact of mindfulness and how to help your students finish the year strong.