The Way of Mindful Education

Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students

Daniel Rechtschaffen

1. We will review the significance of mindfulness, as presented by the author.

2. We will consider how mindfulness in schools begins with yourself (self-practice).

3. We will explore the characteristics of a mindful classroom.

4. We will share new learnings.

5. We will make relevant connections to our course work.

6. We will consider questions for further / deeper thought.

7. We will practice mindfulness according to curriculum suggestions made by the author.

Learning Goals

● 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.

I

Mindful Activity

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CHpA6qotiwg

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

Why Mindful Education Matters

“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)

The Way of Mindfulness

“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 lives of our students and teachers.” (p. 14)

Mindful Education Revolution

“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, emotional, physical, and relational aspects of learning.” (p. 18)

The History of Mindful Education

1.Training and self care for teachers

2.Direct service to students3.Curriculum-based teaching4.All of the above

Mapping the Movement

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 Science 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)

The Origins of Mindfulness

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)

“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)

“Caring for the Caregiver”

● 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 creative flow.” (p.51).

“The When, Where and How of Mindfulness”

‘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 Embodiment”

“Mindfulness helps us

cultivate the balance

patience, and attention we need to wade through the

muck of mind chaos.” (p.58)

“Cultivating Attention”

“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)

“Cultivating Heartfulness”

Self-compassion. Embody

compassion.(Caring phrases.)

“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)

“Cultivating Interconnectedness”

● Move attention between the breath, and outside sounds. Notice simultaneous sensations, thoughts, smells, emotions.

● 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 mindfulness practice.” (p.86)

Also...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA

Cultivating Attention

-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

The Mindful Classroom

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)

“ 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 Diversity and Inclusion

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 Stress and Trauma

Mindfulness Practices for:● Grades K-2● Grades 3-5● Grades 6-8● Grades 9-12

Working with Different Age Groups

Mindful Eating

-Introducing Mindfulness to Students-The Layout of the Mindfulness Lesson-Mindfulness Based Curriculum

Embodiment LessonsAttention LessonsHeartfulness LessonsInterconnection LessonsIntegration Exercises

-Heartfulness Sends Out

Mindful Education Curriculum

- 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.

Introducing Mindfulness to Students

1. Opening Mindful Moment2. Check-in and Report Back3. New Lesson Introduction4. Practice5. Sharing/Council6. Journaling 7. World Discovery8. Closing Mindful Moment

Layout of the Mindfulness Lesson

16 Lessons are presented in a specific progression because some lessons are better used before others.1.Embodiment Lessons2.Focused Attention Lessons3.Heartfulness Lessons4.Interconnection Lessons5.Integration Exercises

Mindfulness Based Curriculum

“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)

Heartfulness Send Out

1. “See the student on the inside.”

2. 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.

3. Science vs. Spirituality?

4. Layout of class

Connections

1. When do we know we are “ready”? Is it OK to grow along-side the students?

2. 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?

Further Questions

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

Reference