Mindfulness for EducatorsExploring the Benefits of Mindfulness in Education

Ann E. Brand, Ph.D.

Tasks of the Educator Many different demands.

• Balance tasks and make decisions.• Effectively support student learning.• Manage your own stress level.

These demands require that you pay attention.

Mindful awareness is at the foundation of a healthy, present, and effective educator.

What is Mindfulness? "The awareness that arises by paying

attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. Awareness is not the same as thinking. It is a complementary form of intelligence, a way of knowing that is at least as wonderful and as powerful, if not more so, than thinking.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

What is Mindfulness? “We spend so much of our lives it seems re-living

or pre-living our experience, and mindfulness is an invitation to come back out of that cinema of the mind where we’re caught up in thoughts and memories and plans, and actually to be here now and show up where our life is” Chris Cullen

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Viktor E. Frankl,

Mindfulness & Well-Being Stress Reduction

• Negativity Bias: brain is hard-wired to look for threat.

• Quiets the stress-response system. Health Benefits

• Immune response• Blood pressure• Sleep quality

Happiness and Well-Being• Increase in positive mood.

Relationships

Cultivating Mindfulness Mental training of attention. Neuroplasticity: ability of brain to

reorganize.• Mindfulness retrains habits of mind by tapping

into the plasticity of the brain’s connections, creating new ones, strengthening some old ones, and weakening others.” Richard Davidson

Strengthens attentional system, ability to connect with others, and experience of positive emotions.

Practice!

Mindfulness in Education What is mindful teaching?

• Embodying awareness, attention, and emotional balance in the moment (Schoeberlein, 2009)

Benefits of Mindfulness in Education• Enhances classroom climate.• Promotes academic performance.• Enhances attention & working memory.• Enhances social-emotional skills.

Benefits to you!

Simple Mindful Practices Practicing mindfulness outside of the

classroom allows you to stay focused, present, flexible and available to your students in classroom/therapeutic situations.

Daily practices to bring you into the moment.• 5 minutes of mindful breathing.• Take a breath before answering phone or email.• Stretch for 1 minute before grading.• Notice tightening of jaw or shoulders.• Count breaths at stoplight on morning commute.• Mindfully eating your lunch.

Resources The Garrison Institute

• http://www.garrisoninstitute.org/ Mindful Schools

• http://www.mindfulschools.org/ Books

• Real Happiness -Sharon Salzburg• Mindfulness for Teachers – Patricia Jennings• Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness-

Deborah Schoeberlein• The Way of Mindful Education-Daniel

Rechtschaffen

More Resources Mindfulness Courses

• Introduction to Mindfulness Practice Cultivating a Mindful Life (Ann Brand) Foundations of Mindfulness (Mindful Schools)

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)• Mindfulness Classes @ UW-Stout

Mindful Practices for Classroom Management (online) Mindful Leadership (hybrid)

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