I listened to them explain that they felt a greater level of control over their emotions and their ability to manage their feelings, and I heard supporting stories from parents. Many of the ways they incorporated mindful breathing into their lives was nothing discussed in class but was based on their own recognition that they now had tools to help them in times of stress or trouble. I had students talk about how they used their breathing techniques to help calm them before a test, to get ready for a sports competition, to control their anger at home, and even to help them sleep. To my surprise, the impact of MindUP far surpassed the daily benefits I was already seeing. While I had previously witnessed the greater level of calm in the room, had felt community flourish in the classroom, and had seen the overwhelmingly responsive approach these kids had to taking a few quiet moments a day to be together and breathe, really studying the impact of mindfulness on my classroom allowed me to have deep, meaningful conversations with my students.Ībove all, I wanted to know how they perceived MindUP, and I wanted to have a better understanding of how they used MindUP strategies. I was able to fully experience the power of MindUP when I completed my masters’ thesis on the impact of mindfulness on focus and attention in elementary students. Using MindUP in the classroom, it doesn’t take long to see the benefits first hand. In addition, teachers who used MindUP felt better about teaching as a profession and their jobs. Children who participated in MindUP exhibited improved optimism and self-confidence, learned to focus their attention, developed a more positive outlook on school, and decreased levels of aggression and anti-social behaviour. Meant to be integrated into classroom life, research has shown that the MindUP program has had an integral part in developing the overall social and emotional competencies of children. The MindUP program is a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum structured around 15 lessons that focus the mind, sharpen the senses, and introduce concepts such as perspective taking, choosing optimism, expressing gratitude, and performing acts of kindness. Armed with my chime, and my MindUP manual, I dove into the world of MindUP and never looked back. Knowing little about mindfulness education, I wondered what the impact of taking a few moments a day could have on a child’s social, emotional, and academic well-being. I have also tried very hard to include a variety of writing styles to interest different types of readers.When I was asked to pilot the MindUP program four years ago, I did so with some reservation. These are books about expanding your mind, books about understanding the mind, and books that will help you in training your mind to work better (depending on how you define ‘better’) for you. I think I have limited it naturally due to my own interests and so it breaks down into some categories I personally find more interesting than others. This one does so, but not nearly as broadly as it could. Those interests could be broadly labeled as education and self-improvement (of a particular bent, I’ll admit).Īny list of books about the mind could naturally cover a range of subtopics. However, the first ones that come up all reflect my own quirky interests. If I spend a little more time, I might think of a few more titles. I found both very interesting if also very different in their approaches to our minds. When it comes to books about the mind, the first ones I think of are Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success and Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow (the latter of which I will freely admit I have only read half of). Summer loves all things related to books and reading, and enjoys helping others find the right books for their lives too.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |