As you wrap up this section on Weaving Mindfulness Into Your Class, reflect on all the ways mindfulness can support you and your students and describe the role you want it to play in your classroom. Post to the discussion board answering the following questions:
- Describe ways you think mindfulness can support your students in your classroom.
- How do you plan on using mindfulness as part of your teaching routine?
- What are some simple strategies or activities you can see yourself using as you teach or interact with students?
- What are some challenges you can see getting in the way of sustaining a mindfulness practice and teaching approach in your class?
Continue your discussion post by setting one S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, and time-bound) goal for mindfulness activities or strategies you can use in your class.
- Specify the activity and a way to measure or keep track of your success. For example, you can ask students to pause and take three-to-five breaths before answering difficult questions. Or you can plan on reminding your students to feel the sensation of the breath every time they walk into your classroom every day for a week.
- Describe why this practice goal is an appropriate one that you can realistically achieve.
- Describe how long you think it will take for this practice to become a habit you reliably turn to, or how long you want to challenge yourself into meeting this goal.
- Respond to at least one of your colleagues by offering advice, ideas, or strategies to the question(s) they posted, or by asking them a question regarding the strategies they shared. (Your response should be meaningful, with a goal to push each other’s thinking rather than offering a superficial exchange. Please see rubric)
Mindfulness is a valuable tool that I utilize immensely when it comes to supporting my students. In my classroom, I provide clear guidance and instruction, incorporate fun and interactive activities, and model mindfulness. All of these mindfulness activities help to create a supportive and engaging environment for my students. Engaging in different mindfulness exercises regularly can help provide my students with a tool to calm their minds and bodies, promoting a sense of well-being and reducing the negative impact of stress on their learning and overall health.
One challenge that I often come across is making time for mindfulness activities. The class that I teach requires a lot of work and effort, and it is sometimes hard to get off of track. My students are required to take a regent at the end of the year, so I make it a priority to stay on track and teach the curriculum. Additionally, I like to make sure that all of my classes are on the same page and one does not get ahead of the other. Next school year, I plan on making more time for mindfulness activities because I can honestly see a difference in how my students are feeling after they are conducted.
After taking this course, I plan on implementing more breathing exercises into my classroom. Mindfulness practices, such as focused breathing, will help my students develop the ability to pay attention and stay focused. Additionally, it can help my students reduce stress and anxiety. I plan to make focused breathing a regular part of my classroom routine. I will dedicate a few minutes each day or at the beginning or end of each class to practice focused breathing. Consistency will help my students become more comfortable with the practice and experience its benefits over time. I personally believe that this practice will quickly become a habit that my students, as well as myself, will turn to. Focused breathing is a simple yet effective mindfulness technique that will be implemented into my classroom to support students’ well-being and focus.
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