The Way of Mindful Education Cultivating WellBeing in

The Way of Mindful Education Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students Daniel Rechtschaffen

Learning Goals 1. We will review the significance of mindfulness, as presented by the author. 1. We will consider how mindfulness in schools begins with yourself (selfpractice). 1. We will explore the characteristics of a mindful classroom. 1. We will share new learnings. 1. We will make relevant connections to our course work. 1. We will consider questions for further / deeper thought. 1. We will practice mindfulness according to curriculum suggestions made by the author.

Mindful Activity ● Mantra meditation ● The Gayatri mantra is one of the oldest mantras known. ● It loosely translates to an honouring of the Mother Earth, the Sun, and all living beings. https: //m. youtube. com/watch? v=CHp. A 6 qotiwg I

Why Mindful Education Matters “Students are told to pay attention a thousand times in school, but rarely are they taught how. ” (p. 10)

The Way of Mindfulness “Defining mindfulness is like trying to explain to a child what the word fun means. It’s easier just to play a game with them and, as they are dancing around gleefully, you can say, “This is called having fun”. ” (p. 6)

Mindful Education Revolution “Before any good teaching and learning can happen, we need to cultivate environments where children and teachers aren’t running for the exits. We need to nourish the inner

The History of Mindful Education “Mindfulness can support and be woven into the great wisdom of social emotional learning, multiple intelligence theory, and many other conscious education philosophies. Instead of pushing aside educational paradigms that have come before, mindfulness supports the cognitive,

Mapping the Movement 1. Training and self care for teachers 2. Direct service to students 3. Curriculum-based teaching 4. All of the above

The Science of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART) Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) Daniel Siegel - The Whole-Brain Child “What is most inspiring to me is the way I see children, through mindfulness, learning to feel fully comfortable in their own skins, trust themselves, and be compassionate to the world around them” (p. 35)

The Origins of Mindfulness “The beauty of mindfulness for our modern use is that all we need is our breath, our bodies, our minds, and our hearts. ” (p. 36)

Cultivating Heartfulness

“Begin with Yourself” “How do you want to transform yourself to be a greater conduit to the learning of the youth that have been brought into your care? What is holding you back from embodying the type of person you hope your kids will become? ” (p. 43)

“Caring for the Caregiver” “Information is imperative in education, but transformation is is where maturity, morality, and wisdom come from. When you are on a path of personal growth, you are modeling to your students the true meaning of happiness. ” (p. 43)

“The When, Where and How of Mindfulness” ● When? Always & Now! (Send heartfulness at the beginning of class, mindful breaths when the bell rings, etc. ”) ● Where? Everywhere! (Ideally nature. Quiet space with few distractions. Use an item / spot in your classroom. ) ● How? Daily! practices to cultivate embodiment, attention, heartfulness and interconnection. (Prepare, Practice, Reflect. ) “We educators know that our finest teaching happens with a balance of prepared focus and

“Cultivating Embodiment” ‘Bodies are where we feel our emotions, where we have our thoughts; they are the places that every experience happens. " (p. 54) ● Acknowledging and “befriending” the sensory responses that we are having in our bodies. ● be body aware - connect to the breath

“Cultivating Attention” “Mindfulness helps us cultivate the balance patience, and attention we need to wade through the muck of mind chaos. ”

“Cultivating Heartfulness” “With heartfulness practices we learn to support the happiness, kindness, gratitude, and other beneficial qualities we find inside while bringing a kind attention to difficult emotions such as anger, jealousy, fear and sadness. ” (p. 61) Self-compassion. Embody compassion. (Caring phrases. )

“Cultivating Interconnectedness” “From the great gears of the universe turning in tandem to molecules in our bodies swirling in perfect symbioses, we have proof everywhere of the underlying interdependence of all things. ” (p. 67) ● Move attention between the breath, and outside sounds. Notice simultaneous sensations, thoughts, smells, emotions.

Also. . . ● Cultivate Emotional Intelligence (Projections & Mindfulness) ● Cultivate Mindful Communication “Remember as we move through this book that the foundation for teaching mindfully is always our own

Cultivating Attention https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=ub. NF 9 QNEQLA

The Mindful Classroom -Qualities of a Mindful Teacher -Essential Ingredients of a Mindful Classroom -Working with Diversity and Inclusion -Working with Stress and Trauma -Working with Different Age Groups

Qualities of a Mindful Teacher ○ ○ ○ compassion understanding boundaries attention intention authenticity

Essential Ingredients of a Mindful Classroom ● ● ● ● Mindful Mornings Scheduling Mindful Moments Peace Corner Using Mindfulness Language Making Agreements Council Practice Taking Care of the Teachers “Mindfulness is always optional” (p. 101)

Working with Diversity and Inclusion “ You can never assume that you know what lies in the inner world of a child. When you are genuinely interested in who your students are, they can feel it. They can sense that someone cares. ” (p. 109)

Working with Stress and Trauma Stephan Cope quotes: “In Trauma, the body’s alarm systems turn on and then never quite turn off. And we experience the intense suffering of never truly feeling relaxed, at ease in life, always intensely on guard, with the primitive brain constantly scanning for threat or opportunity. Our inner sentry is always on watch” (Overcoming Trauma through Yoga, p. 116)

Working with Different Age Groups Mindfulness Practices for: ● Grades K-2 ● Grades 3 -5 ● Grades 6 -8 ● Grades 9 -12

Mindful Eating

Mindful Education Curriculum -Introducing Mindfulness to Students -The Layout of the Mindfulness Lesson -Mindfulness Based Curriculum Embodiment Lessons Attention Lessons Heartfulness Lessons Interconnection Lessons Integration Exercises -Heartfulness Sends Out

Introducing Mindfulness to Students - It is important to treat the material differently than you would a usual lesson. - Set up of room. - Ask students to discuss what they have heard about mindfulness. - Talk about the benefits of mindfulness.

Layout of the Mindfulness Lesson 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Opening Mindful Moment Check-in and Report Back New Lesson Introduction Practice Sharing/Council Journaling World Discovery Closing Mindful Moment

Mindfulness Based Curriculum 16 Lessons are presented in a specific progression because some lessons are better used before others. 1. Embodiment Lessons 2. Focused Attention Lessons 3. Heartfulness Lessons 4. Interconnection Lessons 5. Integration Exercises

Heartfulness Send Out “Strive to open your heart, open your mind, and be fully present in your body. There is no religion to this; it doesn't even need to be called mindfulness. This is about kindness, insight, and taking responsibility or our lives. This is about falling in love with life exactly as it is. ” (p. 282)

Connections 1. “See the student on the inside. ” 1. Guest Speakers: a. Karen Jacobson suggests that we need to incorporate caring into Mindfulness, and that only those who are interested should go ahead with it - so does D. Rechtschaffen. b. Jennifer Simms cautions against blanket implementation & the need for individualizing the implementation. 1. Science vs. Spirituality? 1. Layout of class

Further Questions 1. When do we know we are “ready”? Is it OK to grow along-side the students? 1. Can we bring Mindfulness as a staff-wellness initiative? 3. How can we help those looking for authentic training to know what that might be, and how do we train those who want to deliver it? 4. With the recent push for more literacy and math initiatives by our province, can we effectively introduce mindfulness in our schools? Is this the right time?

Reference Rechtschaffen, D. J. (2014). The way of mindful education: Cultivating well-being in teachers and students. New York, NY: Norton.