Are you In Grouping or Out Grouping your students?

What is the driving force of your classroom?

What is your driving force?

Social Identity Theory and the idea of In-Group and Out-Group may be shaping your classroom without your awareness.

Henri Tajfel in 1979 explored the idea of how our social identity impacts how we interact with others. He stated that our sense of who we are is based on the in-groups we belong to and how we view our in-group verses how we view the out-groups.

Our in-groups create a sense of belonging.

Brene Brown shares that our actions are driven by a need to belong.

H.Tajfel proposes that our self-esteem is driven by belonging to an in-group.

Once we have an in-group we identify with we then create a sense of “us” verses “them”. The us and them scenario can comfort but it can also create conflict and stereotyping. When we begin to stereotype, exaggerations occur. The exaggerations of, the difference between the in-groups and out-groups and also the exaggerations of the similarities within the in-groups.

If you have been trying to practice mindfulness in your classroom and it has not been working consider the social identity theory. Take some time to ask yourself if you are in an out-group from your students. If you are in an out-group, has your classroom become a “me” verses “them” scenario?

Mindfulness research shows that we need to practice mindfulness to be fully able to teach mindfulness. We need to create a shared identity that mindfulness matters.

It would be worth your time to explore ways to create a more in-group environment in your classroom. Connect with your students. Create a shared identity that will drive connection.

Naturally your classroom will be “in-group/students” and to your students “out-group/teacher”. According to H.Taifel there are three stages of mental processes related to social identity. 

1. Categorization

2. Social Identification 

3. Social Comparison

The final stage, social comparison, creates rivalry between groups. Those in an in-group/students, will see the teacher as a rival and do what they feel is necessary to maintain identity with the in-group/students. This often means following the rules they believe other students in their in-group have set as membership qualifications.

Ex: A student who is quiet and keeps to themselves is asked to sign a paper written by many more outspoken students. This quiet student agrees to sign, not knowing what they are signing, to ensure they remain in the in-group.

When it comes to mindfulness these in-group/out-group mentalities can derail your efforts.

Take some time to explore students needs. Utilize mindfulness as a connection with your students.

Inner Explorer has a lesson called Connection-Differences (#69 for grades 1-4 and #68 for grades 5-7), this explores ways we are similar to others and ways we are different an how to connect. These practices help students use their minds to explore connections with the world around them and the people in the world around them.

Making Mindfulness a part of life, not set apart from life.

This week let's take a step back and explore some research and reasons for mindfulness.

A recently published study out of Harvard, in conjunction with MIT and the Center for Educational Policy Research, found that mindfulness is connected with: higher grades, higher standardized test scores in math and ELA, better school attendance, and fewer suspensions. (Gutierrez, Krachman,Scherer, West, & Gabieli, 2019)

These findings were across the board, even accounting for; gender, economic disadvantage, race/ethnicity, English language learners, and special education students. 

Knowing that mindfulness helps, no matter a station in life, is an empowering reason to build mindfulness into our day.

Daniel Rechtschaffen, in his book, The Way of Mindful Education, shares that the rich-poor achievement gap is up 40% in 30 years, (Reardon, 2013).

If we look at this information we can plainly see that there is an unmistakably large gap in achievement based on economic status. At the same time we can also observe that mindfulness helps increase achievement across the board, no matter economic status.

Why wouldn't we utilize this tool of mindfulness to help close this achievement gap and support our students?

D. Rechtschaffen continues on in his book to share that impoverished students are more likely to drop our of school, develop addictions, and end up incarcerated.

What if we could help reduce this likelihood by giving our students a tool which will support them not only in school, but in all aspects of their daily lives?

As we explore why mindfulness is beneficial let's also take some time to reflect on what mindfulness is and what it is not.

I was talking about mindfulness with my sister over the weekend and learned that the high school she teachers at tried it for a time. The teacher that utilized it, utilized it in an unproductive manner and mindfulness got a bad reputation. Due to this poor reputation mindfulness was stopped. My sister shared that students were using mindfulness as nap time and missing class and the rest of the teachers had to play catch-up with student learning.

Mindfulness isn't about napping. It may relax you enough that you fall asleep but it has a deeper purpose.

Some see mindfulness as a way to eliminate emotions, or reactions to emotions which they do not wish to see in their classroom. Mindfulness isn't about ridding our lives of the negative emotions. In mindfulness we do not dismiss our feelings but rather try to understand them, embrace them, learn from them, and then release them in a healthy and productive way.

One emotion that people most often would like to eliminate in students is anger.

I met with a group of 4th grade girls the other day and asked them "what emotion do you believe you are not allowed to show at school?" They all answered with a synonym for anger. Sadly students and adults often believe they need to get rid of, suppress, or eliminate the emotion of anger.

There is nothing wrong with being anger.

You are not wrong to have anger.

Mindfulness teaches us to accept our anger, process where it is coming from, sit with the anger, and then let it go in a healthy way.

Mindfulness can help us productively channel and display an emotion.

Mindfulness isn't about making challenging students easier to handle, but rather, it opens the doors of our hearts, minds, and classrooms to a new understanding of those students. Mindfulness helps us accept the present state our students arrive to school in and helps us extend more understanding and empathy.

                                      

Pause.

Breathe.

Make it happen.

Make mindfulness a part of your daily routine. Don't set it apart from your routine. Normalize. Practice. Display. Participate. Encourage.

Structure into your day mindfulness. Consider times such as; first thing in the morning, after lunch, after recess, after specials, or at the end of the day.

Mindfulness education research shares with us that to effectively teach mindfulness to our students we need to practice it ourselves.

This week consider how you can make your classroom a more mindful environment that sets your class and yourself up for success.

Perhaps printing a photo you or your students find calming. Place that photo in your calm down corner, or in various places around the room.

Engage your students in the process of creating a mindful classroom. Participation creates ownership.

Remember you have many tools available to you including; Inner Explorer, this blog, and resources in my office....and me!

Empower Ourselves, Comfort Our Students....and other lessons I learned from a hostage negotiator

At first glance you may not see the mindful benefits of learning tips from a FBI hostage negotiator, but don't worry, you'll understand by the end.

When we are mindful for ourselves we learn to be at peace with the interactions we encounter when we engage with our students. Mindfulness allows us to be able to accept when our students say the word "no". 

Chris Voss, who was the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator prior to his retirement, can help us word our sentences in such a way that we actually get our students to give us the answer "no". The answer which is what we mindfully want.

Surprised or put off? Understandable, but keep reading, don't give up on this idea.

Science has found that the word no creates a sense of comfort for those who us it. It is empowering and can help settle stomachs. Studies have shown that the answer "yes" creates a sense of conditional obligation that people most of the time are not ready to commit themselves to making and keeping. 

Science has also shown us that the human brain only has the capacity to make a set amount of decisions in a day. High power individuals typically wear the same or very similar outfits on a daily basis. When asked about this they will report that they do not want to waste brain power early in the morning on clothing choices. They save their days decisions for more complex and important aspects of their day.

Chris Voss, in his blog on using the word "no" talks about how by the end of the day if you ask him anything other than a "no-oriented" question it is likely you aren't getting an answer right away. Ask him a "no-oriented" question and he doesn't have to make a decision and you get an immediate answer.

Aren't there times you want an immediate answer from a student and you don't get one?

Chris Voss has shared some very easy "no-oriented" question starters.

*Is it ridiculous...

*Would it be horrible...

*Is it a bad idea...

And the one that might fit school the best:

*Have you given up on...

This last one triggers the safety of "no" and the Prospect Theory. 

Prospect Theory is the idea that loss aversion drives action more than the desire to gain.

People are two times more likely to take action to avoid a loss than they are to accomplish a gain.

Example of use:

You observe a student not working. This student frequently will not work on assignments. You have had confrontations in the past and interventions to help haven't worked well. This time you try a "no-oriented" question.

"Have you given up on this assignment?"

More often than not a student will say "no" to avoid trouble, or loss. This can then open a conversation about their struggles preventing them from working.

"I'm glad you haven't given up, now that we know you want to complete the assignment lets work on the ways we can help you."

Another great use for "no-oriented" questions is putting them in place of a "what" or "how" question. "No" is quicker to answer and can actually lead to better, more open discussions.

Have you ever asked a student " Why are you doing that?" and you get a shrug, an "I don't know" or a "'cuz".

What if you changed the question to, " Is this a bad idea..." "Is this a productive idea..." ?

Asking if something is a productive idea can then lead to asking them to help explore productive ideas.

Now that we have explored the use of "no", lets circle back to mindfulness.

Using our mindful strategies of wishing a student well, starting with the heart, taking a deep breath, accepting an answer and letting go of a feeling; can help you begin utilizing "no-oriented" questions.

Another great mindful way to think about no is how it feels to say no. We have already established that "no" comforts us and calms anxiety. 

Mindfully giving your student a time to say "no" can increase their focus and ability to remain calm and ready them to work.

"No" can support you as well.  When you are able to say "no" it takes away stress of commitment, it relaxes you and gives you time, and creates a comfort of control. We can't always say no, we have commitments we have to make and keep. There are times we need to back away and take care of ourselves. Reflect on our self-care mindfulness. "No" is another form of self-care.

In times of brain fatigue, give yourself some self-care and utilize "no-oriented" questions and say "no" when you can.

Here is the mindfulness challenge for the week:

Reflect on a question you often use with a student. Is it "no-oriented"? If it is, great, keep up the good work. Chances are it is not and you just answered "No"(you're welcome for an easy answer and limiting your brain fatigue).

I want you to sit mindfully, take some good deep breaths, utilize the 4-7-8 pattern we learned in the fall training. Breathe in for 4, as you breathe in think about the question you often use with students. Hold that question in your brain and focus on how it works or does not work with students, as you hold your breath for 7. Then release that question as you breath out for 8.

Next, lets do the same pattern for a "no-oriented" question. Consider which you would like to try and think about it as you breathe in for 4. Hold it in your brain and consider which student it would work best for as you hold for 7. Then release your breath for 8 and make the commitment to try it this week. 

This weeks mindfulness is much more for our own benefit in the immediate sense. In the long term it will benefit our students as we show them more compassion and understanding.

Remember to come visit my office and take a look in my mindfulness library. Explore my Mindful Activity cards and see if one fits with how your class is doing this week. Utilize Inner Explorer and consider making it a daily class activity.

Leverage the human inclination to say "no". Make "No" work for you. Mindfully say "no" and mindfully accept "no".

                                  

A Nature of Courage with Heart

What is your nature? 

The Old Man and The Scorpion

When you are working hard to teach a student, one whom others (or perhaps you) feel does not want to learn, do you give up? Or do you show courage and persist? Who's nature controls your actions? 

Think about the story of the old man and the scorpion when you consider how mindfulness is going in your classroom. When the students resist do you back away or do you persist? Is your nature one of courage? 

Brene Brown teaches that courage is being willing to be vulnerable with others and yourself. Brene defines vulnerable as; doing something in the face of, Uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. She goes on to tell us that vulnerability is not weakness but the truest measure of courage. Are you practicing mindfulness with your students, showing them you are open to this new activity? Are you displaying the truest measure of courage? Are you leading by example?

Mindfulness takes courage. We need to be willing in the face of uncertainty to take a risk and display emotional exposure to our students.

Take time to sit, eyes closed, with your students.
Take time to take deep breaths and be present.

This week try being courageous enough to do mindfulness with your students.

If you are feeling bold try heartful mindfulness. Remember our heartfulness? This is where you feel a positive feeling toward someone you do not feel connected to or you may even struggle to like.

Heartfulness is taking time to stand at each students desk and think one positive thought about them and focus on that all day. This is not easy for us as adults. This is extremely difficult for our students.

Inner Explorer has some great Heartful Mindfulness. These practices are titled "Start with the Heart."

Using our heart takes courage.
If we stay true to our nature, courage doesn't have to be challenging.

Again I want to ask, do you allow the struggles in your class to change your nature to help and teach?
Or no matter how many times you are stung with disappointment and frustration do you persist?

This week you may be having a friendship party in your class. How amazing would it be to look around your class and see true friendships forming? Heartful Mindfulness can help.

This week lets "Start with the heart."

In my mindfulness library I have Mindful Games Activity Cards, one of which is titled " Friendly wishes for difficult people." This card invites you to lie down or sit down in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Then bring to mind an image of a person who is difficult for you to be around, but you would like to send well wishes. Send them well wishes! Next, open your eyes, take a deep breath and see how you feel.

The card also has a guided visualization and a few tips to share. Remember you are always welcome to come check out the resources and utilize them with your class.

Let's take time this week to be courageous, use heartfulnes, and stay true to a nature of helping.

Check In So You Don't Check Out!

Have you ever thought of mindfulness as self-care?

Mindfulness in it's simplest definition is being present and aware. How can you be present and aware if you aren't taking mindful moments to take care of yourself?

You can be mindful when you are getting ready for school. Breathing deeply, slowing down your thinking, taking the time to truly experience your morning routines.

Am I brushing my teeth for two minutes?
Am I truly tasting my coffee?
Am I enjoying every bite of my breakfast?
Do I experience my morning hugs to my family or is it routine?

How can we promote mindfulness to our students when we can't seem to figure out our own mindful lives?
Have we taken time to check in with our thoughts and feelings?

Studies have shown that those in a service field (that's us) experience more burn out when they give, give and keep giving of themselves. Those same studies also teach us that those who practice a mindful daily gratitude toward their job, those they help, and themselves feel better and experience less burn out.

Our emotions at work can have a impact on how we view ourselves, our students, and our jobs. Adam Grant, an Organizational Psychologist and professor at Wharton has a Podcast called Work Life TED. In one episode he spoke with Alicia Grandey an I/O Psychologist and professor at Penn State. Alicia talked about the concept of "Fake it 'till you make it". She calls this surface acting and it can be the road to burn out. Alicia implores us to go beyond the surface and engage in deep acting and "Feel it so you don't have to fake it."

Really engage in feeling the welcome you give to your students every morning. Truly embody the kindness you want them see and feel.

Mindfulness can help you dig deeper and feel it. Self-care mindfulness can help you want to dig deep and feel it.

This week I challenge you to find time for self-care mindfulness. Whatever it may be...
-slowly drink your coffee
-have a cup of tea
-experience a piece of chocolate
-smell a candle/essential oil/anything that smells good
-taste every bite of your breakfast
-buy yourself lunch
-have something "bad" for you like a doughnut
-play calming music in your classroom as you get ready for the day
-meditate
-stretch/yoga... feel free to use the hallway display :)
-have a non-school related conversation with a co-worker
-do a random act of kindness
-journal, write a gratitude list

The more you take care of yourself, the better you will be able to take care of others.

After you have taken some time for your own self-care, explore self-care with your students. Many of our students are raised to be resilient and do what needs to be done. Many of our students look after younger siblings, makes meals, do laundry, and work to meet their basic needs. Our students likely do not even know that it is alright to take a few minutes every day to reflect on how they feel and what would make them feel better. The mindfulness you practice in class might be the only time they feel is just for them.

I would love to see us take time for our own self-care and then set up self-care times in class.

Studies have shown when companies put employees first, not customers first, the customers feel they are treated better and the employees are happier. In one study doctors were given a bag of chocolate before seeing a patient. The doctors took a closer look at symptoms and were better able to made a timely and through diagnosis. The doctors didn't even have to open the chocolate to perform better, just the simple act of the random gift made them feel more appreciated and they performed more effectively. 

Let me help you perform more effectively. If you have read this blog please come see me Monday morning for a self-care treat. Sometimes self-care starts with a little help. Let me help you in the hopes it inspires you to help yourself and your students.

Scan and Understand

Winter feels like it has arrived and with it, days of indoor recess.

Our students may begin to feel restless. We ourselves may feel this way too.

It is not uncommon during the winter months to experience what is known as S.A.D. Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Did you know that Michigan is also one of the 10 most cloudy states in the United States? According to FarmersAlmanac.com no matter where you live in Michigan you are likely to only see 65-75 clear days a year. This means we don’t get a lot of sun rays helping to fill us with Vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to mental health concerns. Most doctors in Michigan will test for Vitamin D deficiency due to an overwhelming amount of people in Michigan suffering from this condition. You may be a person who knows they need more Vitamin D. 

If you weren’t dealing S.A.D. before I started this blog, you might be now.

Let’s explore a few ways mindfulness can help us and our student combat all of these winter wonders we are exposed to daily.

First, it is a good idea to be aware of your body and how it feels. Take a few minutes to complete a body scan. 

Completing a body scan helps us recognize where in our body we feel; anger, sadness, pain, depression, happiness, peace, tension, relaxation, and many more sensations and feelings.

Inner Explorer has lessons for each age group to aid with a body scan or body relation.

Pre K-1 : #7 Relaxation Train, #13 Body Scan … and many individual body part awareness practices.

Grade 1-4: #10 Body Scan, #12 Relaxation Train … and many individual body part awareness practices.

Grade 5-7: #10 Body Scan, #30 Progressive Relaxation … and many individual body part awareness practices.

Grade 8-12:  #10 Body Scan, #20 Progressive Relaxation … and many individual body part awareness practices.

The students I have practiced the relaxation train with love it and have asked to do it again and again. I have watched them focus on parts of their body, tense them up and then release the tension. I have practiced with them and have found it very relaxing and beneficial to my day.

Another great body scan activity comes from a set of mindfulness cards in my mindfulness library. I practice them with students and you are welcome to come check them out and borrow for a time.

55 Mindful Games – Activity Cards: Butterfly Body Scan

This activity, I find, to be fun and relaxing.

After you have taken time to scan your body, you can do a reflection activity. This can be one students keep for themselves, to help them be more self-aware, or they can share it with you, allowing you better understand them.

A simple figure like this can be used to color in feelings. You can give guidelines such as: Red is for Anger, Blue is for Sadness, Green is for Happiness, etc… then once they have scanned their body they can color this figure.

As you work on this activity, this could be a great time to reflect on our blog regarding exploring the words use to describe feelings.

Remember our students may never have been taught to identify how they feel with words. In fact, it is likely we ourselves struggle with identifying and being alright and accepting of our feelings.

I had a student this week tell me that anger was a bad feeling and he needed to completely get rid of it. This opened a discussion about anger not being bad, however what we do with our anger has the potential to be destructive and harmful.

We can be anger, identify where we feel the anger, understand the what of our anger, and then sit with it, accept it, and then learn to let it go, safely.

I have another card from: 55 Mindful Games – Activity Cards called Pink Bubble. This is a great mindfulness activity to help us let go of feelings we do not feel we can or should hold.

This week let’s take some time to scan our body, understand ourselves and feelings better, and learn to accept and keep or accept and let go.

My hope for us all this week, is that we are able to spread an internal sunshine, and feed our bodies and minds peace and acceptance. Hopefully this can start our road to reducing S.A.D. and brighten our days.

Who Controls You ?

Let's take a minute together to sit in silence, taking deep breaths, and being completely present.



During that moment did you recognize who was in control?

This might not even be a question you know how to answer.
Or you might simply say, yes of course, I was in control. 
You might be thinking, who else at this time would be in control?

I want you to take a minute and really consider that perhaps you were not in control but rather you allowed your thoughts to be in control. You allowed your mind to wander and you followed those thoughts. Perhaps you even allowed those thoughts to aggravate or upset you.

Take a few minutes to watch the short video called The Fly & Samurai. While watching the video think about your own day and how your thoughts take over and control you.

The Fly & Samurai

Now that you have watched the video and thought about how you are like the samurai, I would like you to watch it again. This time pick a student who you see often struggles with focus, concentration, or behavior. Watch it and consider what thoughts they might be trying desperately to get rid of yet they keep coming back and multiplying and taking over.

The Fly & Samurai

Mindfulness can help us change our thoughts, accept our thoughts, and change/control/let go of our thoughts.

When the samurai accepted the fly as being on him he was able to change how he thought about the fly. He no longer considered it something he had to destroy but rather he allowed his mind to change it into something beautiful. He was then able to gain focus and a sense of calm.

This week take a few minutes to show your students the samurai video and talk with them about thoughts that take over and control their day. Ask them to share what distracts them. Be open to the answers. Let them share. The more we allow our students to share and we listen with an open heart, the more we allow them to be their authentic selves.

Try sitting like a samurai and taking deep breaths. Put on an Inner Explorer mindfulness and help your students gain control of their thoughts.



*The video in this blog is a resource I found while exploring Inner Explorer (high school). Take some time to explore and see what you can find. Feel free to share out the best resource you have found. Lets help each other build an amazing mindfulness library!