MIND-BODY-SPIRIT
Mindfulness in the Classroom: A Transformative Best Practice
BY SUMANA STACI MATHURA
1HDUO\WZRGHFDGHVDJR,¿UVWGLVFRYHUHGWKHEHQH¿WVRIPLQGIXO - ness and how implementing its practices could yield transformative UHVXOWV$WWKHWLPH,ZDVIUHVKRXWRIFROOHJHDQGIXOORIHQHUJ\DQG RSWLPLVPZKLFKZHUHVRRQFUXVKHGZKHQ,GLVFRYHUHGDVD¿UVW\HDU WHDFKHULQWKH'LVWULFWRI&ROXPELDWKHLVVXHVSODJXLQJP\VWXGHQWV I was thrust into an at-risk inner city school where my students were not only underperforming academically, but most of these kids had experienced incomprehensible trauma, violence, food insecurity, poverty, homelessness, anxiety, depression and a range of countless other hardships. Educators like myself were given a daunting direc- tive to provide an equitable education for this population of students by gaining a keen awareness of their needs, and anticipating the chal- OHQJHVWKDWLQKLELWHGOHDUQLQJ,VRRQIRXQGP\VHOIÀRXQGHULQJXQ - der lesson plans, below grade-level performers, my nightly graduate school courses, as well as navigating unimaginable circumstances that were normative to the students of my school district. 0\RZQPHQWDOKHDOWKVWDUWHGWRZDQHDWWKLVSRLQW,NQHZ,QHHG - HGWRWU\DGUDVWLFDOO\GL̆ HUHQWDSSURDFKWKDQWKHFDQQRQSHGDJRJ\RI grad school, otherwise I would ultimately fail my students and myself. In order to teach and reach these students, I knew it was crucial to DGGUHVVERWKP\VWXGHQWV¶VRFLDOHPRWLRQDOQHHGVDVZHOODVP\RZQ So, to mitigate the pressures of being a new teacher while balancing grad school and adapting to life in a new city, I tried something totally unfamiliar — I joined a meditation group. It was in this mindfulness group I was taught to be present, grateful and take a moment to col- lect myself in stressful situations. The subtle practices and strategies RIPLQGIXOQHVVEHJDQWRKHOSPHQRWRQO\VXUYLYHWKHWRXJK¿UVWIHZ years of teaching, but thrive in this profession for almost two decades. The Mindfulness-Achievement Connection 0LQGIXOQHVVLVWKHSXUSRVHIXOSUDFWLFHRIIRFXVLQJRQH¶VDWWHQWLRQ RQWKHSUHVHQWPRPHQW:LWKLWVURRWVLQ%XGGKLVWSUDFWLFHVPLQG - IXOQHVV HPSKDVL]HV WKH PDLQWHQDQFH RI RQJRLQJ DZDUHQHVV RI RXU thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. 0LQGIXOSUDFWLFHVLQYROYHXVLQJRXUVHQVHVWRDFFHSWRXUSUHVHQWPR - ment without judgment and without expending emotions rehashing WKHSDVWRUHQYLVLRQLQJWKH IXWXUH$FFRUGLQJWRWKH$VVRFLDWLRQIRU 0LQGIXOQHVVLQ(GXFDWLRQPLQGIXOQHVVLVQRZEHLQJH[DPLQHGVFLHQ - WL¿FDOO\DQGKDVEHHQIRXQGWREHDNH\HOHPHQWWKDWVXSSRUWVFKLOGUHQ LQ VHOI VRRWKLQJ VWUHVV UHGXFWLRQ IRFXV DQG H̆ HFWLYH VRFLDO LQWHUDF - tions with others. These are all critical skills that are linked to devel- opmental processes, academic and social-emotional learning. 7KH ERG\ RI UHVHDUFK LQ WKLV DUHD LV GL̇ FXOW WR LJQRUH 'DWD KDV OLQNHG PLQGIXO LQWHUYHQWLRQV WR VLJQL¿FDQW DFDGHPLF DFKLHYHPHQWV LQFOXGLQJWKURXJKKLJKHUJUDGHSRLQWDYHUDJHVDQGVWDQGDUGL]HGWHVW IDFLOLWDWRUV UHSRUWLQJ LQFUHDVHV LQ ERWK PDWKHPDWLFV DQG OLWHUDF\ $ VXUYH\FRQGXFWHGE\WKH<DOH&HQWHUIRU(PRWLRQDO,QWHOOLJHQFHKDV shown that these correlations between mindfulness and academic achievement were similar across demographic characteristics, in- cluding high performing suburban and middle class students and their counterparts in urban school districts. This is great news for the at-risk students like the ones I once taught who typically garner lower achievement as measured in these areas. In addition, mindfulness training is preparing educators for in- clusivity, trauma-informed responses, and teaching without implicit bias when approaching students in crisis or sensitive moments. While mindfulness is not a typical best practice in education methodology, professional training and exposure in these practices is both relevant and necessary for sustaining a school environment where kids feel a sense of safety and belonging. ,IRXQGWKHEHQH¿WVRIPLQGIXOQHVVZHUHHYHQPRUHDSSURSULDWH - ly applied when the world experienced the collective trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic and schools shut down. Quarantine forced kids out of the safe spaces of their classrooms and into virtual ones where
Photo 92938152 © Rawpixelimages | Dreamstime.com many, particularly those with underprivileged circumstances, en- dured unstable and sometimes dysfunctional environments at home. Teachers like myself, who were dealing with our own fears and anx- ieties, had to create engaging strategies to ease the uncertainty and fears in their students while maintaining the pace and scope of the curriculums. This time period was a steep learning curve for education leaders who had neither anticipated nor faced such uncertainty before, and had to act swiftly as the virus swept the nation. Consequently, my team of colleagues and I found ways to reach across the virtual setting to provide students with daily interventions to manage their emotions, improve their attitudes and make responsible decisions during the TXDUDQWLQH0\VWD̆ DQG,XWLOL]HGPHWKRGVVXFKDVGDLO\FKHFNLQV various interactive activities, and invited guest speakers that broke the monotony of virtual learning and addressed socio-emotional needs of students. $VWKHZRUOGEHJLQVWRQDYLJDWHSRVWSDQGHPLFQRUPDOF\VFKRROV have since reopened and we are transitioning back to in-person learn- ing. It has not been the welcomed return we anticipated. Educators are ¿QGLQJPDMRUDFDGHPLFGHFOLQHVDQGDKLVWRULFZLGHQLQJLQDFKLHYH - PHQWJDSVDVVWUDWL¿HGE\UDFHDQGHFRQRPLFVWDWXV7KHGLJLWDODQG HFRQRPLFGLYLGHDPSOL¿HGLQHTXLW\LQDFFHVVWRSDQGHPLFHGXFDWLRQDO measures, thus further widening the learning gap in at-risk popula- WLRQV 3OXV WKH ODVWLQJ H̆ HFWV IURP VFKRRO FORVXUHV VRFLDO LVRODWLRQ family economic hardship, loss or illness, and reduced access to health care during the height of Covid-19, continue to raise concerns about the mental well being of students as they adjust back to the brick and PRUWDU VFKRRO HQYLURQPHQW $V D UHVXOW WKH DFKLHYHPHQW ORVV LV IDU JUHDWHUWKDQPRVWHGXFDWRUVDQGSDUHQWVVHHPWRUHDOL]HDQGWKHLP - SDFWRIWKHSDQGHPLFRQVWXGHQWV¶PHQWDOKHDOWKFRQWLQXHVWREHVWDJ - gering. 'DWDIURPUHFHQWVWXGLHVKDVVKRZQWKDW\RXQJDGXOWVKDYHH[SH - rienced higher levels of mental distress and feelings of isolation due to lockdown measures; and children are faced with an unprecedented DPRXQWRIVWUHVVDQGDQ[LHW\7KH$PHULFDQ$FDGHP\RI3HGLDWULFVUH - ports that early stress levels can negatively impact learning, memory, behavior, and both physical and mental health. Furthermore, a survey FRQGXFWHG E\ WKH <DOH &HQWHU for Emotional Intelligence found that students reported feeling negative emotions, such as stress, fatigue, DQGERUHGRPRIWKHWLPH The ¿QGLQJVLQUHFHQWVXUYH\VIURPWKH&HQWHUVIRU'LVHDVH&RQWURO &'& LQGLFDWHWKDWSRRUPHQWDOKHDOWKSHUVLVWHQWIHHOLQJVRIVDGQHVV or hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors were more prev- alent among students who were isolated for long stretches of time while TXDUDQWLQLQJ,QIDFWGDWDIURP7UXVWIRU$PHULFD¶V+HDOWK 7)$+
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PATHWAYS—Fall 22—9
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