Mindfulness in the Classroom
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is being aware and accepting what is happening in the present moment. When you are mindful, you acknowledge what is happening in this moment without judgement. Your full, undivided attention is given to how you are feeling, what you are thinking, and what is happening around you. Practicing mindfulness means you are not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, but are focusing on your current experiences in the here and now.
Children are naturally good at living in the present moment, which is why they tend to be happy, curious and energetic. As we all know, the classroom is not really conducive to their eager, curious and energetic personalities. We are seeing higher rates of anxiety, depression and diagnoses of ADHD in early childhood. Mindfulness is a way to support children and teachers in the hectic classroom and allow time to slow down, breathe, and reset their system. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, in and out of the classroom. Here are some of the ways I got started in my own classroom.
Children are naturally good at living in the present moment, which is why they tend to be happy, curious and energetic. As we all know, the classroom is not really conducive to their eager, curious and energetic personalities. We are seeing higher rates of anxiety, depression and diagnoses of ADHD in early childhood. Mindfulness is a way to support children and teachers in the hectic classroom and allow time to slow down, breathe, and reset their system. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, in and out of the classroom. Here are some of the ways I got started in my own classroom.
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Breath
Our breath can be an important tool in emotional control. If we feel upset, frustrated, anxious, or worried, we can use our breath to tell our bodies to calm down. We can take deep belly breaths to help us find peace and calm. Focusing on our breath can bring our attention back to the present moment, help us to feel grounded, and allow us to think about our situation clearly. Practice deep belly breaths while your students are calm so they have strategies to use when they are experiencing intense or difficult emotions.
The Bell
Use a bell or chime to practice deep belly breaths.
You can buy a chime on amazon or download the free Mindfulness Bell app.
1. Find a comfortable seated position
2. Pull the top of your head toward the ceiling to lengthen your spine
3. Lift your shoulders up to your ears and roll them down your back
4. Slowly close your eyes or look at the ground in front of you
5. When you hear the bell, take a deep breath in through your nose, and a slow breath out through mouth
6. (Ring the bell 3 times, allowing a few seconds in between for everyone to finish breathing)
*Once you have established the routine, have students help ring the bell. We have it as a job in our class!
The Bell
Use a bell or chime to practice deep belly breaths.
You can buy a chime on amazon or download the free Mindfulness Bell app.
1. Find a comfortable seated position
2. Pull the top of your head toward the ceiling to lengthen your spine
3. Lift your shoulders up to your ears and roll them down your back
4. Slowly close your eyes or look at the ground in front of you
5. When you hear the bell, take a deep breath in through your nose, and a slow breath out through mouth
6. (Ring the bell 3 times, allowing a few seconds in between for everyone to finish breathing)
*Once you have established the routine, have students help ring the bell. We have it as a job in our class!
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Body Awareness
It is important for children learn how to be aware of their emotions and their body. Some common phrases adults use when talking to children are "calm down", "be careful" or "watch where you are going". If children do not know how to calm themselves down, how to identify what they are feeling, or have an understanding of their body in space, it can be very difficult for them to do any of those things.
There are many fun and educational ways to teach children about their emotions and their bodies.
Identifying Feelings
Teach your students what feelings look and feel like (happy, angry, upset, anxious, excited, relaxed, etc.) Show them pictures of what these emotions look like, explain what these emotions feel like, and practice showing them on your face. Then have students start to identify their own feelings and emotions during your scheduled mindfulness time (you could use a feelings chart for them to use).
Once children can identify and understand their emotions, they can begin to use strategies to navigate their emotions.
Identifying Body Parts
Use a body chart to teach your students the different parts of their body (that is appropriate for their age and development). To practice, sing the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes as they point to different body parts or play Simon Says (ankles, what are those?!). For your scheduled mindfulness time, have them do the Body Scan.
Body Scan
1. Sit up tall and take a deep breath
2. Gently close your eyes or look at the ground in front of you
3. Bring your attention to your feet. Just notice how they feel.
4. Now bring your attention to your legs, and see how they feel.
5. (Repeat all the way up to their head)
6. Slowly open your eyes.
7. How do you feel? Did you notice parts of your body that felt interesting?
There are many fun and educational ways to teach children about their emotions and their bodies.
Identifying Feelings
Teach your students what feelings look and feel like (happy, angry, upset, anxious, excited, relaxed, etc.) Show them pictures of what these emotions look like, explain what these emotions feel like, and practice showing them on your face. Then have students start to identify their own feelings and emotions during your scheduled mindfulness time (you could use a feelings chart for them to use).
Once children can identify and understand their emotions, they can begin to use strategies to navigate their emotions.
Identifying Body Parts
Use a body chart to teach your students the different parts of their body (that is appropriate for their age and development). To practice, sing the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes as they point to different body parts or play Simon Says (ankles, what are those?!). For your scheduled mindfulness time, have them do the Body Scan.
Body Scan
1. Sit up tall and take a deep breath
2. Gently close your eyes or look at the ground in front of you
3. Bring your attention to your feet. Just notice how they feel.
4. Now bring your attention to your legs, and see how they feel.
5. (Repeat all the way up to their head)
6. Slowly open your eyes.
7. How do you feel? Did you notice parts of your body that felt interesting?
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Meditation
Meditation has so many proven benefits. Taking time to practice meditation can alleviate anxiety, boost energy, improve memory, strengthen attention skills, build emotional control, and more. Don't these sound like the skills our students (and our teachers) need??
For children (and adults) meditation can be difficult and often seem like a 'buzzword'.
I like to focus on the 5 senses when practicing meditation in my classroom.
Mindful Listening
Have students sit on the large group rug or at their desks.
1. Find a comfortable seat and take a deep breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth
2. Gently close your eyes or look down at the ground in front of you
3. I will set the timer/bell for one minute. During this minute, listen for all of the sounds you hear in our classroom. Once we are done, we will share the different sounds we've heard. For now, just listen in silence and stillness to see what sounds you hear.
(Once they get good at listening to the sounds in their classroom, challenge them to listen for the sounds they hear in the hallway, outside, etc.)
Mindful Walking
Have your students spread out around the classroom.
1. You are going to walk around the classroom for one minute, I will set the timer.
2. As you walk around, do not talk or make eye contact with others. Just notice what you see around you.
3. Can you notice 1,2 or 3 things that you have never noticed in the classroom before?
4. Once the timer goes off, come and sit down quietly on the rug. We will then discuss what we saw.
What did you notice? How did that feel to walk around the classroom?
Mindful Eating
Pass out a small orange (clementine) to each student.
1. Try to peel this orange as slowly as you can. While you peel it, notice how it feels in your hands.
2. Bring the orange up to your nose and smell it, notice how it smells.
2. Take a small, slow bite of your orange. What does it taste like on your tongue?
Slowly eat the rest of your orange as you take in all of the senses that you can. When we slow down and pay attention to what is happening around us, we are practicing mindfulness. We can practice mindfulness while we sit, walk, and even eat. Notice how you feel after eating your orange mindfully.
For children (and adults) meditation can be difficult and often seem like a 'buzzword'.
I like to focus on the 5 senses when practicing meditation in my classroom.
Mindful Listening
Have students sit on the large group rug or at their desks.
1. Find a comfortable seat and take a deep breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth
2. Gently close your eyes or look down at the ground in front of you
3. I will set the timer/bell for one minute. During this minute, listen for all of the sounds you hear in our classroom. Once we are done, we will share the different sounds we've heard. For now, just listen in silence and stillness to see what sounds you hear.
(Once they get good at listening to the sounds in their classroom, challenge them to listen for the sounds they hear in the hallway, outside, etc.)
Mindful Walking
Have your students spread out around the classroom.
1. You are going to walk around the classroom for one minute, I will set the timer.
2. As you walk around, do not talk or make eye contact with others. Just notice what you see around you.
3. Can you notice 1,2 or 3 things that you have never noticed in the classroom before?
4. Once the timer goes off, come and sit down quietly on the rug. We will then discuss what we saw.
What did you notice? How did that feel to walk around the classroom?
Mindful Eating
Pass out a small orange (clementine) to each student.
1. Try to peel this orange as slowly as you can. While you peel it, notice how it feels in your hands.
2. Bring the orange up to your nose and smell it, notice how it smells.
2. Take a small, slow bite of your orange. What does it taste like on your tongue?
Slowly eat the rest of your orange as you take in all of the senses that you can. When we slow down and pay attention to what is happening around us, we are practicing mindfulness. We can practice mindfulness while we sit, walk, and even eat. Notice how you feel after eating your orange mindfully.
