Need a mental break? Research suggests that practicing mindfulness on a regular basis can restore a sense of calm in educators' busy lives—and it can improve students' ability to focus. Discover tips for implementing mindfulness personally and in your school or classroom with the following collection of articles, videos, and resources.
You can also learn how teachers and administrators are using mindfulness to improve their practice in "The Mindful Educator," from the November issue of Education Update.
Perfecting Your Own Practice
"All it Takes is 10 Mindful Minutes" (video): In this Ted Talk, mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe describes how 10 minutes of "doing nothing" can be life-changing.
CARE for Teachers: Developed by the Garrison Institute, this professional development program uses mindfulness to help teachers cope with stress and burnout.
Greater Good Science Center: Gain access to the latest research and articles on mindfulness from this program out of the University of California, Berkeley.
Mindfulness: A Teacher's Guide: This introductory guide from PBS explores mindfulness and its capacity to positively influence teachers' and students' lives.
Mindful.org: Find guided meditations, mindfulness centers, and K–12 education programs in this list of resources.
Mindful Schools: A nonprofit based out of California, Mindful Schools offers online and in-person mindfulness training courses for teachers. Their website includes a sample lesson to use with students, as well as the Healthy Habits of Mind video that offers an introduction to mindfulness and ways that it's being used the classroom.
Applying it in the Classroom
Contemplative Education Program Database: The Garrison Institute maintains an expansive database of K–12 school programs that incorporate mindfulness (search "mindfulness" under the "guiding contemplative philosophy" tab).
"Dos and Don'ts When Teaching Mindfulness:" If you are contemplating whether or not to bring mindfulness to your classroom, check out the advice in this article from the Huffington Post.
"Eight Tips for Teaching Mindfulness in High School:" From the Greater Good Science Center comes these practical tips for implementing mindfulness with older students.
"Five Things That Need to Happen to Bring Mindfulness Into Education:" Researcher Patricia Jennings weighs in on the challenges of schoolwide implementation, including the politics that can be involved.
"Low-Income Schools See Big Benefits in Teaching Mindfulness:" In this article from Mind/Shift, learn how the Mindful Life Project is working with high-needs elementary schools to give students an alternative way to cope with stress—and open their dialogue about it in the process.
"Mindfulness in Public Schools: Building Wellness and Resilience in Our Children:" Developed by the South Burlington School District in Vermont, this complete guide to teaching mindfulness in a K–12 setting can be purchased for a small fee.
MindUp: Accredited by CASEL, this is one of several curricula based in neuroscience that uses mindful awareness training to teach students social and emotional learning skills.
Practice Videos: Watch these sample mindfulness exercises that can be used with your students, from mindfulness expert Amy Saltzman.
"Tips for Teaching Mindfulness to Kids:" These quick tips from the Greater Good Science Center can shorten your learning curve for classroom implementation.
