Mindfulness in the Classroom Cecile McCarron, Whitney Wyatt, Anne Kaszubski, Kelli Roundtree, Erinn Murphy

Introduction Cecile McCarron, Kindergarten, Parrish School, CES 95 Whitney Wyatt, Kindergarten, Parrish School, CES 95 Anne Kaszubski, Kindergarten & 1st grade ELL, Parrish School, CES 95 Kelli Roundtree, 1st Grade TWI, Parrish School, CES 95 Erinn Murphy, College and Career Counselor, CCHS District 165

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is paying attention to our experience in a way that allows us to respond rather than react. It is a quality of inner stillness that is always available, even when our life or circumstances feel out of our control and chaotic. It is possible to be mindful/aware/pay attention to everything in our experience including anything we experience through our five senses, as well as our thoughts and emotions. Relevance ~ Technique ~ Posture One Minute Posture practice

Mindfulness and the Brain

Mindfulness and the Brain

Mindfulness and the Brain

Mindfulness and the Brain Flip the Lid (Hand Model of the Brain) Dr. Dan Siegal

Mindfulness and the Brain

Benefits of Mindfulness Scientific benefits (research based) Social/Emotional Builds Connection to Self and Others Relieves Stress Resets the day Regulates emotions Happier “Stop and smell the roses”

Benefits of Mindfulness Physical Releases tension Being aware of surroundings Sleep better Fights Depression Fights Memory Loss Fights PTSD Improves academic performance Lowers blood pressure Healthier Anecdotal (classroom observations) evidence Personal stories of benefits in classroom or in day to day living

Demographics Parrish School - CES District 95: Our school has 472 students Pre K: 134 Kindergarten: 181 First: 153 We are building the foundation that these children will stand upon throughout their education. 1 P/T social worker -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carbondale Community High School - District 165 1,000 students - 9th through 12th grade 50% F/R population Diverse, driven and talented student population Wide curriculum; strong supports + strong rigor 5 counselors, 1 social worker, Terrier Care

Why Mindfulness is Needed in Education Healthy Stress VS Toxic Stress The Impact of Toxic Stress on School Communities STUDENTS Toxic stress impairs attention, emotion and mood regulation, sleep, and learning readiness daily in American classrooms. Even more troubling, prolonged exposure to childhood toxic stress has lifelong impacts on mental and physical health. EDUCATORS Toxic stress starts as decreased productivity and creativity, escalating to more serious symptoms like frequent anxiety, dissociation, frustration, and, eventually, burnout. Roughlyhalf a million U.S. teachers leave the profession each year – a turnover rate of over 20 percent.

Toxic stress is challenging to work with because our stress response taps into some very old survival hardware in our evolutionary biology. Because the roots of toxic stress lie deep in the nervous system, we need tools that go beyond the conceptual mind to directly target that system. To transform our habitual responses, we need to regularly practice our skills when we are not in “fight – flight – freeze” mode

The Development of Mindfulness The development of mindfulness, a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions, sensations and surrounding environment. The Development of Heartfulness The intentional nurturing of positive mind states such as kindness and compassion.

Sample Mindfulness Activities Cecile - Soft music/sounds, breathing techniques, mindful eating/walking Anne - Practice yoga, allow time for real conversation with peers about feelings Whitney - After Recess/Cooldown, Aromatherapy, Reflection of Day Erinn - Pleasant/Unpleasant & Help Yourself First Kelli - Group Activity - followed by questions/feedback

Questions & Discussion *Audience Questions? *How do you use mindfulness? *How might you incorporate mindfulness into your classroom or personal life?

Resources Mindful Schools - http://www.mindfulschools.org/ Mindful Games Activity Cards: 55 Fun Ways to Share Mindfulness with Kids and Teen ($14 - Amazon) Social Media: #mindfulness #everydaymindfulness Inner Explorer

Thank you for attending our session! Questions? Thank you for attending our session!