As a class teacher with over ten years’ experience in Primary education working in both state and international private schools, I’ve developed a great awareness of children’s emotional and mental health needs and I believe a child’s overall well-being is fundamental to their growth.
In recent years there has been more and more research carried out concerning children’s emotional, social and mental wellbeing. As teachers, we are not experts in these fields and yet we are faced with such concerns on a daily basis. 21st Century children are growing up in a tech/social media obsessed society, which inhibits their ability to remain fully focussed on the learning task at hand. In the face of such obstacles, I’ve implemented mindfulness techniques with pupils I’ve taught and have witnessed first-hand an improved propensity to learn.
Why Mindfulness in Schools?
As the founder of Mindfulness Jon Kabat -Zinn states “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally”.
From an early age I practised breathing techniques to calm my mind in anxious situations; whether it was preparing for a competition or worrying about an exam. When faced with a distressed pupil in a classroom setting, implementing basic mindfulness concepts such as altering their breathing pattern would help to pacify the situation and facilitate more positive outcomes for all involved.
I strongly believe that if a child is taught the benefits of mindfulness techniques from an early age, they will be better prepared to acknowledge their emotions and implement appropriate strategies to help them cope with the stresses of daily life. My aim, therefore, is to help children to identify when they begin to lose focus, a feeling which often feeds anxiety, and teaches them how to move forward positively with increased focus.
For pupils finding it difficult to express their feelings or suffering from lack of confidence/anxiety when preparing to sit exams, Mindful Mentors offer tools to support them achieve the best possible learning outcomes.
One of the first strategies I’ve adopted is AGE (Acknowledge, Gather, Expand), which can be taught to children of any age either independently or as part of a group. This strategy is best implemented in a quiet, comfortable setting either seated or lying down. Here's how:
1. A – Acknowledge
Start by closing your eyes and allow your body and mind to connect with one another. Ask yourself how are you feeling? Recognise your physical bodily sensations (i.e. your heartbeat, your chest rising and deflating with each breath) and transition your awareness to your thoughts and your feelings. Be present in the moment.
2. G – Gather
Place your hands onto your abdomen and feel the movement of your breath go in and out. Have an awareness of your breath, is it moving quickly or slowly? Purposefully take a deep breath in through your nostrils and focus on the motion of exhaling out through your mouth. Feel the breath resound through your whole body. Be still while undertaking this exercise.
3. E – Expand
Begin to open your eyes and increase your awareness of your surroundings. Notice how you are feeling and your bodily sensations. Be in the moment.
Another technique I use is PLANS (Patience, Letting go, Acknowledge, Notice, See)
1. P – Patience
Stop the task you are completing. Be present in the moment. Write down the acronym P L A N S in a flower, each petal a different colour and representing part of the process.
2. L - Letting go
Take the time to breathe. Find your pulse and hold your hand against it. Close your eyes and inhale through your nose counting for five and exhale out through your mouth counting for five. Repeat five times. Each time you exhale let go of the emotion. Let your last breath out be the longest.
3. A – Acknowledge
Accept what you are feeling and thinking. Accept that your mind has wandered, your task/ situation is challenging and your emotion has become overwhelming. Give yourself time to be present in the moment. Accept the feelings are still there say aloud ‘It's ok’ then ‘I am ok’. Repeat.
4. N – Notice Non-Judgementally
Notice the challenge within you with no judgements. Jot down/exclaim your feelings, then do the same with your physical sensations, all without judgement. Take note of your surroundings. Notice and say what can you see, what can you hear and let things be.
S – Seek Kindness
Smile at yourself and others, observing that kindness fosters kindness. Seek curiosity by questioning 'what do I now need to do?' Say aloud: “I am kind! I am curious! I am thankful! I can do PLANS!” Repeat once more.
