mindfulness
Slowing down helps us to notice things, to focus and to calm our bodies and minds. We can slow down and do things mindfully, instead of mindlessly:
Activities
Daily Journal
Writing and reflecting in a journal builds children's emotional vocabulary and helps them understand their feelings and the importance of their feelings. Through sharing, they learn that other people have feelings too and that those feelings are sometimes the same as - and sometimes different from - their own feelings.
End of Day Reflection
Reflect together as a class on what you did today. Summarise what you did on the whiteboard. Jointly construct a class blog entry or email to parents describing what you did and what you learnt today.
- yoga;
- ti chi;
- walking slowly, breathing slowly;
- doing things mindfully - eating, touching, etc;
- mindful breathing;
Activities
- Touch and view something with mindfulness. Then draw it in detail or describe it in words to a friend or to the class.
- Eat a piece of fruit mindfully: smell it, look at it and feel it before tasting it. Does it make a noise as you eat it? Describe the smell, look, feel, taste and sound you have noticed.
Daily Journal
- children write both at the beginning and at the end of the day, when possible.
- they can write just one sentence or a longer piece;
- they describe what happened and how they feel about it (draw or write). What did they like? What did they find hard?
- create a class wordwall of feelings words;
- children share their journal entries with a friend, with the class and/or with the teacher, if they wish;
- children can also choose to write in their journals throughout the day if they finish their set work early;
Writing and reflecting in a journal builds children's emotional vocabulary and helps them understand their feelings and the importance of their feelings. Through sharing, they learn that other people have feelings too and that those feelings are sometimes the same as - and sometimes different from - their own feelings.
End of Day Reflection
Reflect together as a class on what you did today. Summarise what you did on the whiteboard. Jointly construct a class blog entry or email to parents describing what you did and what you learnt today.
Mindfulness Research & Links
How the brain works, mindfulness (for teachers and Years 5-6):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNCB1MZDgQA
Mindfulness (for teachers and Years 5-6):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_h-Zn9pKAU
Make a mindfulness glitter jar:
https://www.mindful.org/how-to-create-a-glitter-jar-for-kids/
http://www.upworthy.com/this-school-replaced-detention-with-meditation-the-results-are-stunning
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/social-and-emotional-learning-schoolwide-approach
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_to_help_misbehaving_kids
http://www.meditationinschools.org/resources/metaphorical-educational-story-for-teaching-meditation-to-6-yr-old-children/?subscribe=success#blog_subscription-2
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/09/12/clever-ways-to-teach-mindfulness-to-children/
http://www.mindful.org/7-habits-that-may-actually-change-the-brain-according-to-science/
Dan Harris intro to mindfulness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtsdz_jhB7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNCB1MZDgQA
Mindfulness (for teachers and Years 5-6):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_h-Zn9pKAU
Make a mindfulness glitter jar:
https://www.mindful.org/how-to-create-a-glitter-jar-for-kids/
http://www.upworthy.com/this-school-replaced-detention-with-meditation-the-results-are-stunning
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/social-and-emotional-learning-schoolwide-approach
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_to_help_misbehaving_kids
http://www.meditationinschools.org/resources/metaphorical-educational-story-for-teaching-meditation-to-6-yr-old-children/?subscribe=success#blog_subscription-2
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/09/12/clever-ways-to-teach-mindfulness-to-children/
http://www.mindful.org/7-habits-that-may-actually-change-the-brain-according-to-science/
Dan Harris intro to mindfulness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtsdz_jhB7c