mindfulness in the classroom
How can we as educators incorporate mindfulness and meditation into the daily lives of students?
Benefits of Introducing Mindfulness Into The Classroom:
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Improved concentration and focus
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Emotional regulation
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Reduced stress and anxiety
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Increased self-awareness
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Improved classroom management
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Mindful technology use
Apps to Help Enhance Mindfulness in The Classroom
Headspace
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Headspace is a great resource to use within the classroom. Headspace is an app/website with a wide range of mediation and mindfulness sessions which is free for educators! Mindfulness can be extremely beneficial for educators and for students within the classroom. Through incorporating mindfulness in everyday classroom schedules, we can motivate students to take time to reset and refocus through spending a short amount of time being in the moment and regulating their emotions and thoughts.
The Calm App
The Calm app has tons of similarities in comparison with the Headspace app. Calm has a great variety of meditation, body scans, guided breathing as well as calm stories. It also has a section of the app that is specifically for kids called, Calm Kids. This section includes programs such as Mindfulness programs, stories, soundscapes, movement, and lullabies. All of these tools are beneficial within the classroom whether your class is practicing meditation, or using the soundscapes feature while students are journaling, etc.
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- Guided Breathing Exercises:
Breathing exercises can help students manage stress and anxiety while also learning the importance of relaxation and focus. When students feel overstimulated or overly excited after recess or lunch, using this program to help them refocus and reconnect in the present is extremely beneficial going into their next lesson.
Here are some features of the app that are beneficial and unique!
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- Guided Body Scans
Guided body scan sessions are also beneficial in the sense that students are forced to take the time to focus on specific things rather than getting lost in their thoughts and wandering off. Through taking the time to listen to your body and noticing small things such as goosebumps, cold/hot sensations, tingling in your fingers, etc this encourages students to be self-aware of not only their body but their feelings as well.
Notable Features
Variety of Sessions:
With different types of sessions and strategies, Headspace allows flexibility regarding how to go about introducing mindfulness into your classroom.
Headspace For Educators:
Within the app, Headspace has great features for educators such as specific modules for use within the classroom. This includes customized modules that focus on stress reduction and focus as well as self-regulation and behavior management.
Curate For Your Class:
The Headspace app provides a wide range of guided meditation sessions that are suitable for individuals of all ages. These guided meditations can help students and teachers relax, focus, and reduce stress. Having access to these meditations in the classroom can promote a more mindful atmosphere. Teachers can curate the app's content to cater to a variety of classroom dynamics and objectives, such as improving attention, managing emotions, or fostering a positive learning environment.
Time & Space:
Headspace also has short and focused sessions. This is beneficial within the classroom because you may not have a lot of time to spend practicing mindfulness with your students; therefore, having quick and accessible meditation and mindfulness videos to put on between lessons or after recess, this is a great tool to have such easy accessibility for on the fly. These brief sessions are ideal for the classroom setting, allowing students to take quick mindfulness breaks that can enhance their ability to concentrate and stay present in class, while also not taking up a ton of class time.
Self-Regulation:
The app can help students develop self-regulation skills, which can lead to improved behavior and classroom management. Students who are more aware of their emotions and better at self-control are more likely to create a harmonious learning environment.
By incorporating the Headspace app into the classroom, teachers can enhance mindfulness, social-emotional well-being, and focus among students. It can be a valuable tool for fostering a positive and focused classroom environment.