Mindfulness for You and Your Students

 Spring break is great time to jump start your mindfulness routine. To teach mindfulness we must first practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is an important part of a student's educational experience. Mindfulness is an important part of anyone's day. 

"MRI scans show that after an eight-week course of mindfulness practice, the brain’s “fight or flight” center, the amygdala, appears to shrink. This primal region of the brain, associated with fear and emotion, is involved in the initiation of the body’s response to stress.

As the amygdala shrinks, the pre-frontal cortex – associated with higher order brain functions such as awareness, concentration and decision-making – becomes thicker." -Quote from Scientific American

Upon our return from spring break we will enter week one of the ten weeks left to this school year. What would it look like inside your classroom if you utilized those ten weeks to put a greater emphasis on a mindfulness practice? 

Studies continue to show how mindfulness calms the brain and helps with emotional regulation. 

This time of year can become a challenge with the up and down weather, rain, and even still the possibility of snow. School is drawing near to the end of students are ready for summer. This time of year there is more testing. Mindfulness can help students be calm and ready for testing. Mindfulness can help students better accept indoor recess when the weather is bad. Mindfulness can help students focus when all they really want to do is be outside 

Mindfulness can help you find a place of calm when you are stressed about testing and scores. Mindfulness can help you relax and refocus your plans when you have to have indoor recess.

Mindfulness can help you focus on the moment when all you want to do is be outside enjoying the sun and warm weather. 

Benefits of Mindfulness in the Classroom

Please take a few minutes to watch this video and think about how mindfulness could help you and help your students. Mindfulness in the classroom

The Toolbox is You This link is to the mindfulness mentioned in the video link above. It has some easy mindfulness exercises you can utilize with your students. 

We are in the homestretch and mindfulness can get us to the finish line with less stress. 

Why not give it a try?

RULER

 This week I had the opportunity to spend some time in music class. I observed a great conversation about mindfulness, ways to calm down, and utilizing the mood meter. 

I wanted to take some time to share the RULER method which can be utilized along side the mood meter.

RULER

R: Recognize emotions in Yourself and Others

U: Understand the Causes and Consequences of emotions

L: Label emotions with Nuanced vocabulary (using the Mood Meter)

E: Express emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context (how you show emotions in various places)

R: Regulate emotions with Helpful Strategies (maybe you need to learn healthy ways to let them express an emotion)

The first step to Ruler relates to simply acknowledging you have a feeling. Recognizing your own emotions is an important step in helping others recognize their own emotions. 

Then we need to understand the emotion. We cannot simply say "I am having a feeling" and walk away. Stating a feeling exists is only the first step in emotional intelligence. Understanding emotions means we know where they are coming from, what has caused this emotion to arise? And then understand the consequence of the emotion. Will this emotion benefit me? Will it cause a problem if not addressed? 

Label this emotion. Once you have recognized you are feeling an emotion give it a name. This is the psychology saying of "name it to tame it." Help students label their emotions. Giving something a name makes it real and relatable. Giving it a name also gives you permission to feel the emotion. 

No emotion is wrong. There are not "normal" or "abnormal" emotions. All emotions are normal.  

Labeling emotions can be a struggle. My husband always resorts to "what's wrong" and never "what are you feeling?" Because of this our 9 year old has picked up the phrase. I am saying over and over that when we ask what is wrong, we are implying something is wrong and how we are feeling might be wrong. Let's ask "what are you feeling and how can I help?" Allow yourself and others to identify and label an emotion. You can say "it appears you might be feeling upset," but give your students a chance to try to express themselves first. 

The E... this is the sticky one for our friends. I had a conversation this morning with a fifth grade friend about this topic. You are allowed to feel your feelings. We encourage you to name them and understand them....then....it's time to express them in the school appropriate way. The friend I spoke with is well acquainted with anger and expresses it as they feel fit, stating "where I am from..." I retort, "It's not where you are from, it is where you are at." We need to teach ourselves and our students how to express emotions in a way that is not harmful to themselves or others. We need to model this and express this over and over again. We are often facing students who will say "my dad says to hit back" "my mom said don't let them see how they affect you." The norm for school is; we don't hit/hit back and its not only acceptable but encouraged to share how someone affects you. Yesterday I had the opportunity to work with sixth grade boys and teach them "I statements." One of the young men came back later in the day to clarify how to properly use the statement. " I feel.... when ... because " "I feel upset when you call me out  for talking, because I am not the only one talking but I feel singled out."

Then comes the last R. Regulation. This is key. Our students need the skills to regulate their emotions. We cannot simply tell them to stop being angry. Maybe no one has ever taught them how to calm the storm inside. 

Mindfulness is a great tool for emotional regulation. It teaches us to calm our bodies to explore our feelings in the present moment. A guided mediation like those on Inner Explorer can present new ways to feel an emotion and let go of an emotion. 

Take some time this week to explore using the RULER method with your students. 

Let's Get Gritty

Before you click on the link below I wanted to give you some time codes. Feel free to watch it all if you would like to address hypothesis and theory in psychology....but for our purposes now start at about 2:40 and watch to 6:30 with a focus on what she says at about 5:30.

Bean Bag Epiphany

Now that you've watched our selection from the video I encourage you to take time to reflect on her words. She said that when she had her bean bag epiphany, for the first time she realized while she would be alright, her students would not. While she has been through college, statistics says that only about 2-3 students in her class will graduate college. 

For me this video says it all. What we do each day is for our students and their future. My future is already on a good path. I've been to college, I am employed, and I am doing well. Our students are in the statistical demographic that says they are more likely to fail than thrive. 

But we can change that.

How did the speaker of our video, Clair Robertson-Karft, PhD, director of ImpactED at University of Pennsylvania grow her students TWO YEARS in ONE YEAR?

Grit

Grit is defined as a disposition toward perseverance and passion for long-term goals.

Do you have grit?

Studies have shown that gritter teachers are more effective teachers.

Studies have shown that gritter teachers stay in the profession longer.

How does this connect to mindfulness?

Mindfulness matters, but if you do not do it with grit you may not see the benefit. You need to have the disposition toward PERSEVERANCE and PASSION for LONG-TERM.  

In a study out of New Zealand, acting with awareness and non-judgement predicted grit.

Mindfulness teaches us how to act with awareness in a non-judgmental way. 

From this we can see that as the teachers, educators, leaders, and staff at the school mindfulness can help us with our own grit. We can then help instill the grit into our students by utilizing the skills of mindfulness.

Much of grit research connects strongly to having a growth mindset. Studies have shown that students who have a growth mindset can and will outperform those without a growth mindset. This is true no matter the IQ level of the students.

Looking at grit and growth mindset we can use mindfulness to open students to the idea of being present and aware each and every day. We can use mindfulness to literally grow and change their brains toward a growth mindset and grit.

In the article Grit and Mindfulness we can read information on brain growth through mindfulness and how this can help build grit and a growth mindset.

This week I challenge you to utilize Inner Explorer, even if your students groan or make comments about not liking how it sounds. You may have one student who is silent but needs it and loves it. And those loud voice against it.... keep using it and build grit. Let your grit build their grit. Have the passion and perseverance to continue.

If you are still with me and showing some grit right now I want to get personal. I have a student who struggles daily. I am using my grit to not give up on this student. In this student's life people have given up. I want to show true grit and keep going. I am using his signature character strengths and my own signature character strengths... the VIA assessment link to find your own is in a previous blog Character. This student is a long-term goal but I'm not giving up. My daily mindfulness practice of gratitude helps me focus on the positives. My mindfulness practice of deep breathing keeps me calm. My mindfulness exploration to write these blogs helps me gain perspective and gives me a renewed trust in my grit.

Do you have grit?

How gritty are you?

Curiosity

We have have all heard the term "multitasking." Some people believe they are master multitaskers, others admit they find this a challenge.

Truth is science tells us that our brains cannot multitask. What our brains truly engage in is what science calls "switchtasking." This is the process of quickly shifting from one task to another and then back again. 

Switchtasking has been shown to lower productivity and reduce comprehension. 

What does this have to do with mindfulness and our students?

The word that keeps coming to my mind: Curiosity

If we engage our students in curiosity daily they cannot be bored. As we know brains cannot truly multitask. So either you can cultivate curiosity or you can let boredom grow.

I have students come to my office day after day and tell me that they were acting out because they were bored.

How can we cultivate curiosity? 

Mindfulness teaches us to be present in our current feelings, space, and time. 

Utilize mindfulness to create curiosity. 

Your own personal mindfulness practice can help you become curious too. Instead of thinking "why did he do that again?" Be curious and ask "what is he feeling at this moment?" "why is he showing his feelings in this way?" "how can I help?"

Use curiosity when talking about practicing mindfulness. Give the students guiding questions? 

What am I feeling in my body?

Is my mind present?

Am I feeling safe?

What do I need today?

This curious mindfulness fits with daily asking students to identify feelings on the mood meter. When we share our feelings they will become curious about their own and where they are coming from.

Get Curious This article talks about curiosity and mindfulness. One of the things that stood out to me is the thought that we get stuck on the way we believe things should or should not be. Do you ever have an idea of the way things should go in your classroom, or the way they should not go? What if you became curious about why they are going different from how you imagined or planned? 

The article references the old expression "curiosity killed the cat..." In fact, it hypothesized that curiosity might help us not kill the cat. What does this mean? Use mindfulness to be more curious about student behavior and maybe, just maybe the student will thrive. 

I encourage you to participate in the mindfulness challenge using Inner Explorer. It's not too late to start. Mindfulness is important. 

Remember to reach out if you need help or guidance. I am always happy to help. 

 

Well-Being Matters

 

The two memes I have posted above both come from an education/teacher page on Facebook. The first breaks my heart and the second has me saying "Yes! This!"

Sadly too often the idea that social emotional learning, mindfulness, mental health, self care, and I personally would replace self esteem with well being (we can talk more about that later), emotional regulation...and the like...are left to the idea of "if I have time."

Positive Psychologist Dr. Seligman and one of his doctoral students ran a study with students in the small Asian country of Bhutan. The Ministry of education in Bhutan had a goal of Gross National Happiness. Dr. Seligman and his student looked at what the students needed to accomplish the goal building this GNH and came up with the list of: mindfulness, critical thinking, decision making, communication, creative thinking, empathy, problem solving, interpersonal relationships, resilience and self-awareness. 

A program was created which wove the list of skills into the existing curriculum. They ran this program for 15 months and then stopped for a full year. After a year the well-being of students and teachers was the same as at the end of the program. The findings at the end of the program and a year later? Statistically significant positive well-being.  But that's not all. The students in the program out preformed peers not in the program....BY A FULL YEAR!

The experiment has been conducted in larger settings too and the researchers continue to find that students in the well-being program outperform peers by a little as 3 months, some up to six months, and in Bhutan a full year!

Do you have a student who is low?

Do you want higher test scores?

Do you want your students to grow?

Do you want to be less stressed?

Why not take time for SEL?

Why not engage in small mindfulness activities?

Why not use the mood meter?

Why not every morning ask your students "what went well yesterday?" "what is your gratitude today?"

Think about how you can add SEL, mindfulness, and well-being into your daily schedule.

Morning Greeting can become: Good Morning I am glad to see you today, what went well for you yesterday?

Make morning work to set a WHOOP goal. This is an opportunity to have students work on writing skills while gets a goal and making a daily plan. 

Throughout the day utilize the mood meter to check in with students emotions and your own. (I can send or print for you a small or large mood meter.) I had a great conversation with Ms. March and her 3rd grade class. The idea we talked about was using the mood meter as needed, no matter what is going on. If a student is frustrated with math, let them move their mood sticker (or something of the like) to "frustrated". As the teacher you can acknowledge this and support better. "Hey Cameron, thanks for moving your mood dude, I noticed you identified the feeling of frustration while working on fractions. Is that feeling helping with math? If not, can we work together to figure out how to shift the mood?"

You use the mood meter too. If the class is off task and you are feeling irritated, move your figure on the mood meter. Let the children silently know you are in the red. If you are using the mood meter daily the students will have the common language with you and know that they are not feeling pleasant. If you have built a relationship with your students and the mood meter, perhaps one student will ask if your mood is helpful and if not, how can they help.

After specials, lunch, recess, or any high energy time do a mindfulness. Set one time as your Inner Explorer mindfulness. Use the other times for a quick breathing and mood reflection time.

Close out your day by thanking your students for being in school and present and participating. Let them know that you wish them well as they go home (our Metta Mindfulness... I wish you well...).

Studies show that how we start and end a day, a conversation, our time with others, really matters. It's what people reflect on most. 

Show your students their well-being matters. 

Show students your well-being matters.

 

Emotions Matter, So Do Their Stories

Before we begin, I encourage you to take a Meta Moment. Marc Brackett, Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, defines this as; a time to pause and activate our best self.

If you remember from our Meta Mindfulness, this was a loving-kindness mindfulness. Meta, means showing love and kindness. Taking a meta moment means showing this love and kindness to yourself, allowing your emotional regulation to be in the green and yellow sections of the mood meter (refer to last week's blog).

When we are our best selves, we then allow others the space to be their best selves.

As I continued my course  Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress I was presented with information which helped me see how I present my emotions when working with students. The concept of emotional co-regulation is one that stood out to me. This is the idea that as social creatures we respond to the emotions of others. Studies have shown this to be a truth over and over again. 

When we take time to reflect on the Mood Meter and check our own emotions we then create a safe space for our students to feel and properly identify their emotions. We model what we want them to know. This can easily be done in the classroom through checking in throughout the day with students and letting them know where you are on the mood meter. This is also something that should be done when utilizing Inner Explorer. Taking this time to engage in the activity with your students, rather than having them do it on their own while you play paperwork catch up.

Think about a challenging time in class....transitions from lunch, recess, or specials back to core educational topics... this is a time for co-regulation, not command. Let the students know that you see they are at a high level of energy and that you want to help them and prepare to move toward a lower energy for greater focus. This is the perfect time for mindfulness and Inner Explorer. 

Studies have shown that most students cannot identify a "safe adult" in school. This means that students feel they have never been allowed or encouraged to give voice to their feelings. When we see a student yell, we tell them to stop. We assume anger behind the yell. In SEL the idea is presented that Behavior does NOT equal Emotion. Most of the time we need the story to truly understand. Take time to listen to the student and their story. Really hear them without judgement.

RULER is a way to help students with understanding and regulating emotions. 

In this video, RULER you have an opportunity to hear from school staff and students about how utilizing RULER has be beneficial. 

R: Recognizing emotions in oneself and others

U: Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions

L: Labeling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary

E: Expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context

R: Regulating emotions with helpful strategies  

Mood Meter and Perspective Taking

 "We are all in the same storm, but we are not in the same boat."

This quote is from the collage course I am currently taking called, Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress. This class is through Yale and their center of Emotional Intelligence. The course is directed toward those working in schools and is an excellent source of SEL information. I highly recommend taking this course. Feel free to ask me more questions.

The quote stood out to me when thinking of the pandemic, our school, our staff, and of course our students. We are all experiencing the pandemic, but not in the same way. Some may feel they are on a lifeboat rowing through icy waters as they watch the Titanic sink. Others may feel moderate concern for their medium sized vessel as it sails through a gale on a Great Lake. And then others may feel they are on a pleasure cruise down the Mississippi, enjoying drinks and playing poker while a light breeze dances across their face. The storm is the same but due to your location and your boat size some feel safer than others.

To help ourselves, our co-workers, and our students through the storm we need to engage in perspective taking. 

Another idea that stood out to me in my class is that we need to engage in perspective taking more than empathy. One article in the reading stated that empathy can be challenging. The idea of empathy is to put yourself in someone's shoes. But how can you put yourself in another's shoes when you have never seen those kind of shoes before. This created a deeper understanding for me as I thought about our students and even co-workers.

Imagine someone walking into the school building with the strangest shoes you have ever seen. To you they appear uncomfortable, binding, limiting, and maybe even ugly. You probably do not want to try them on. Wearing the shoes would be empathy. Instead of asking to try on the shoes, take time to ask how they feel, where they are from, learn the story. This is perspective taking. 

Too often we assign a label to the emotions of others based on how we might feel in the same situation. Again, we are in the storm with others so we assume they are experiencing it the same way we are, even though their boat looks vastly different from our own. 

Marc Brackett, the professor of my course and the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, wrote a book entitled Permission to Feel and in this book he addresses the topic of identifying emotions without judgement. (If this concept sounds familiar that is because it directly relates to mindfulness.)

In his book Dr. Brackett share the Mood Meter.

This graphic is a great way to start a conversation regarding feelings. This X and Y axis table helps us observed our feelings to be a Data Point in our day and not the Definition of our day.

I would encourage us all to start utilizing this chart to check in through out the day. See if you are low or high on the X-Pleasantness and low or high on the Y-Energy.

Once you are able to identify the feeling and give it a name you can address the feeling in the way that will best help you. You can then ask the question "does this feeling serve a greater purpose for my well-being?". In psychology there is the idea that you have to "name it to tame it". Once you name a feeling you can learn to sit with it (Yellow and Green) or shift it (Blue and Red). 

The better you become at naming your own feelings the better you will be able to help your students name their own.

Take a day next week to set up random times for mood check ins. Ask yourself where you are at on the chart, note the level of X and Y and note what you are doing at that time as it relates to the feeling. After you are comfortable asking yourself about feelings set up a day to engage in this activity with your students.

SEL (social emotional learning) should never be seen as an "if I have time" but rather should be built in to your schedule daily. Studies show that those who are better able to identify their emotions achieve higher. 

This storm is strong, but so are we. Take some time to listen to another person and learn how well they are faring the storm in their boat. Take a minute to see how well you are sailing your own boat.