We need to help children find natural ways for body and mind to combat the pressures of modern living and to find better ways to help focus their minds on matters of importance…Meditation is a proven means for stilling the mind, encouraging mindfulness, and providing optimum conditions for generative thinking and reflection. (Fisher, 2006)
Mindfulness, as defined by Stephen Whitmarsh (2013), is “a tool, or set of attentional and metacognitive functions used for the introspective investigation of present moment experiences.” Defined by Thich Nhat Hahn, “When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love” (1992). Or put more simply, mindfulness is “paying attention to your life, here and now, with kindness and curiosity” (Saltzman, 2010).
A practice of mindfulness opens the door to an understanding of ones’ own strengths, weakness and “blind spots”. Developing a deeper understanding of self also allows for greater acceptance and compassion towards others. Provided the opportunity to learn the how and the why individuals respond differently in a given situation, coupled with mindful activities such as meditation, could help provide the tools necessary to navigate their pressure-filled lives. Through the integration of meditation, a time for quiet, reflective, non-judgmental awareness, students are able to take charge of their learning and their emotions. Today’s youth is afflicted with overloaded circuits, suffering from the dangerous combination of high stress and ineffective stress management tools. What happens when we simply press the pause button, stop, breathe and think before we begin?
As I embark on my journey into Action Research, I began to research the effects stress can have on my students. I wondered what mindfulness could look like in and out of the classroom, and the proven methods that have been successfully implemented to encourage mindful living. Those methods included: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs, the impact of students' mindsets, and brain-based learning strategies.
A practice of mindfulness opens the door to an understanding of ones’ own strengths, weakness and “blind spots”. Developing a deeper understanding of self also allows for greater acceptance and compassion towards others. Provided the opportunity to learn the how and the why individuals respond differently in a given situation, coupled with mindful activities such as meditation, could help provide the tools necessary to navigate their pressure-filled lives. Through the integration of meditation, a time for quiet, reflective, non-judgmental awareness, students are able to take charge of their learning and their emotions. Today’s youth is afflicted with overloaded circuits, suffering from the dangerous combination of high stress and ineffective stress management tools. What happens when we simply press the pause button, stop, breathe and think before we begin?
As I embark on my journey into Action Research, I began to research the effects stress can have on my students. I wondered what mindfulness could look like in and out of the classroom, and the proven methods that have been successfully implemented to encourage mindful living. Those methods included: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs, the impact of students' mindsets, and brain-based learning strategies.
Stress: We’ve all felt it. Sometimes stress can be a positive force, motivating you to perform well... But often it's a negative force. If you experience stress over a prolonged period of time, it could become chronic — unless you take action. (American Psychological Association, 2014)
What is stress? It is a “biological and psychological response experienced on encountering a threat that we feel we do not have the resources to deal with” (McLeod, 2010). For our students, external stressors can create the pressure to perform. According to my 10th grade students, these stressors include: pressure for exemplary grades, family and peer conflicts, over-scheduled itineraries of after-school sports and activities, dating and relationships, and body image issues. Another common stressor, according to my students and my own observations, is the collaborative PBL environment, forcing students to heavily rely on each other in order to succeed in school. Successful execution of our school’s semester-long projects hinges on students’ ability to work collaboratively with their peers. Students, however, are never taught how to be a contributor in a group setting, nor are instructed on how to deal with peer conflict. The ability to identify one’s emotions, understanding what is going on inside of, and the interconnectedness of, the body and the mind, is the first step to being an effective group member, and is an essential life skill that is often overlooked in our schools.
Since 2007, the American Psychological Association has, “commissioned an annual nationwide survey as part of its Mind/Body Health campaign to examine the state of stress across the country and understand its impact” (APA, 2014). The Stress in America survey “measures attitudes and perceptions of stress among the general public and identifies leading sources of stress, common behaviors used to manage stress and the impact of stress on our lives” (APA, 2014). The campaign emphasizes the interconnectedness of the mind and body, educating the public on the “connection between psychological and physical health and how lifestyle and behaviors can affect overall health and wellness” (APA, 2014). According to the Stress in America survey, 42 percent of teens report to not doing enough to manage their stress, while 51 percent say stress management is very or extremely important to them. 55 percent of teens surveyed only set aside time to manage stress a few times per month or less, and 13 percent admit to never allotting time for stress management (APA, 2014). Teens lack the support to develop effective stress management methods. These numbers underscore the need to provide students the tools necessary to manage stress and to encourage them to be mindful in their interactions with others. The series of brain-literacy workshops could provide these tools to my students.
Since 2007, the American Psychological Association has, “commissioned an annual nationwide survey as part of its Mind/Body Health campaign to examine the state of stress across the country and understand its impact” (APA, 2014). The Stress in America survey “measures attitudes and perceptions of stress among the general public and identifies leading sources of stress, common behaviors used to manage stress and the impact of stress on our lives” (APA, 2014). The campaign emphasizes the interconnectedness of the mind and body, educating the public on the “connection between psychological and physical health and how lifestyle and behaviors can affect overall health and wellness” (APA, 2014). According to the Stress in America survey, 42 percent of teens report to not doing enough to manage their stress, while 51 percent say stress management is very or extremely important to them. 55 percent of teens surveyed only set aside time to manage stress a few times per month or less, and 13 percent admit to never allotting time for stress management (APA, 2014). Teens lack the support to develop effective stress management methods. These numbers underscore the need to provide students the tools necessary to manage stress and to encourage them to be mindful in their interactions with others. The series of brain-literacy workshops could provide these tools to my students.
Knowing others is one indicator of emotional intelligence, but knowing ourselves is possibly the principal sign of wisdom. (Cashman, 2014)
In recent years, the western culture has been inundated with the eastern practices of mindfulness, meditation and yoga. The concept of mindfulness, however, has existed for centuries, “threading its way through history as one of the pre-eminent precepts in life” (Cashman, 2014). Let’s go back to ancient Greece, to Plato’s nosce te ipsum, or “know thyself”. Plato expresses the basic human need for self-awareness. This introspective awareness allows one to still the mind, slowing down the incessant chatter of our chaotic world. This also allows for taking charge of one’s emotions, ultimately freeing one from the crippling stress and anxiety, opening up the possibility for happiness and contentment. Creating opportunities in the classroom for students to cultivate mindfulness could positively affect the aspects I wish to investigate in my research, particularly those discussed in my subquesitons.
Businesses such as Lululemon and CorePower are seemingly taking over the world, new storefronts popping up in a town near you. Tech giants such as Google and Intel, along with the middle America-based General Mills, offer in-house mindfulness training courses. Tools for Peace’s “Stop, Breathe & Think” and The Huffington Post’s “GPS for the Soul” offer readily available, free applications to download to any of your devices. Even The Marine Corps is testing Mind Fitness Training in order to encourage soldiers to relax. The term mindfulness may have become the latest buzzword of our generation, however it should not be discredited for its’ recent surge in popularity.
Today, a multitude of programs are actively introducing mindfulness interventions into our schools. A pioneer of this movement has been Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, or MBSR. This eight-week mindfulness program “focuses upon the progressive acquisition of mindful awareness” (Grossman, 2010), adapted from the teachings of the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. SMART in Education (Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques in Education) has been created to support teacher social-emotional competence and student social-emotional development. The Hawn Foundation and their MindUp curriculum “teaches social and emotional learning skills that link cognitive neuroscience, positive psychology and mindful awareness training utilizing a brain centric approach” (MindUp, 2013). The David Lynch Foundation implements the Quiet Time program to improve academic performance and reduce stress violence in low-income urban schools (David Lynch Foundation, 2014). The Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education, or the CWAE, also employs a Quiet Time program as a “high impact stress reduction and readiness-to-learn program…providing two restful fifteen minute periods each day to reduce stress and promote life balance” (CWAE, 2014). All of these programs, as well as the many others, are supported by hard data proving the benefits of a mindfulness-based curriculum. There is something to be said about simply slowing down, powering down our devices in order to power up our minds.
While these programs are gaining momentum, many of our schools are still left in the dark. The mindfulness and meditation movement has not fully gained traction nationwide. Some schools and districts may avoid jumping on board due to lack of information about the benefits, or perhaps shying away from the movement due to potential controversy. This can be seen in the Encinitas Union School District unveiling of a yoga program in 2012, which has had multiple lawsuits filed against it, arguing the program is a violation of the First Amendment and infringement of the separation of church and state. Please click here to read more of my findings regarding EUSD's program, or click here to view more links to the powerful research currently being conducted by USD's School of Leadership and Education Science's Center for Educational Policy and Law (CEPAL).
I plan to use these existing mindfulness and yoga programs as a guiding framework, with an understanding of their challenges and limitations, to support my plan for integrating brain-literacy workshops and mindfulness activities in my classroom.
Businesses such as Lululemon and CorePower are seemingly taking over the world, new storefronts popping up in a town near you. Tech giants such as Google and Intel, along with the middle America-based General Mills, offer in-house mindfulness training courses. Tools for Peace’s “Stop, Breathe & Think” and The Huffington Post’s “GPS for the Soul” offer readily available, free applications to download to any of your devices. Even The Marine Corps is testing Mind Fitness Training in order to encourage soldiers to relax. The term mindfulness may have become the latest buzzword of our generation, however it should not be discredited for its’ recent surge in popularity.
Today, a multitude of programs are actively introducing mindfulness interventions into our schools. A pioneer of this movement has been Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, or MBSR. This eight-week mindfulness program “focuses upon the progressive acquisition of mindful awareness” (Grossman, 2010), adapted from the teachings of the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. SMART in Education (Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques in Education) has been created to support teacher social-emotional competence and student social-emotional development. The Hawn Foundation and their MindUp curriculum “teaches social and emotional learning skills that link cognitive neuroscience, positive psychology and mindful awareness training utilizing a brain centric approach” (MindUp, 2013). The David Lynch Foundation implements the Quiet Time program to improve academic performance and reduce stress violence in low-income urban schools (David Lynch Foundation, 2014). The Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education, or the CWAE, also employs a Quiet Time program as a “high impact stress reduction and readiness-to-learn program…providing two restful fifteen minute periods each day to reduce stress and promote life balance” (CWAE, 2014). All of these programs, as well as the many others, are supported by hard data proving the benefits of a mindfulness-based curriculum. There is something to be said about simply slowing down, powering down our devices in order to power up our minds.
While these programs are gaining momentum, many of our schools are still left in the dark. The mindfulness and meditation movement has not fully gained traction nationwide. Some schools and districts may avoid jumping on board due to lack of information about the benefits, or perhaps shying away from the movement due to potential controversy. This can be seen in the Encinitas Union School District unveiling of a yoga program in 2012, which has had multiple lawsuits filed against it, arguing the program is a violation of the First Amendment and infringement of the separation of church and state. Please click here to read more of my findings regarding EUSD's program, or click here to view more links to the powerful research currently being conducted by USD's School of Leadership and Education Science's Center for Educational Policy and Law (CEPAL).
I plan to use these existing mindfulness and yoga programs as a guiding framework, with an understanding of their challenges and limitations, to support my plan for integrating brain-literacy workshops and mindfulness activities in my classroom.
Becoming is better than being—Carol Dweck, Mindset: The new psychology of success
A student’s mindset can also influence his or her self-perception and self-awareness. According to Carol Dweck, mindsets are, “beliefs about yourself and your most basic qualities”. Dweck outlines two distinct mindsets: fixed and growth. A fixed mindset “assumes that our character, intelligence and creative ability are static givens which we cannot change”. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is the belief that intelligence can be developed through effort. “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value” (Dweck, 2007). Dweck serves on the leadership board for PERTS (Project for Education Research That Scales), an applied research center at Stanford University that provides interventions targeting students’ academic mindsets (PERTS, 2014). According to the High School Study conducted by PERTS, students reading and discussing the concept of a growth mindset, followed by a “writing exercise to summarize the scientific findings in their own words”, has a positive impact academic performance in core academic courses (PERTS, 2014).
Explaining how the brain works is especially important for students who believe that they are ‘not smart’ and that nothing they do can change that. (Willis, 2009)
Another method to promote mindfulness and encourage self-awareness can be achieved through brain-based learning strategies. According to celebrated neurologist and classroom teacher Dr. Judy Willis, “teaching students the mechanism behind how the brain operates and teaching them approaches they can use to work that mechanism more effectively helps students believe they can create a more intelligent, creative, and powerful brain” (2009). Understanding how the brain works also demonstrates to students that, “striving for emotional awareness and physical health is part of keeping an optimally functioning brain” (Willis, 2009). Brain-based teaching combines neurology, psychology, cognitive science and other fields, guiding instruction based on how the brain works. Human existence relies on the brain; we cannot exist without it. We should follow the plea of Eric Jensen: “Everything we do uses our brain; let’s learn more about it and apply that knowledge” (2014). Expanding training of brain-based learning strategies from teachers to students, we will all be equipped with the invaluable knowledge of how the brain works.
Dr. Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist, author, professor and founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is known for his pioneering research on the impact of contemplative practices, such as meditation, on the brain. Meditation serves as a tool to cultivate positive emotions while helping to manage negative ones. In 2004, Davidson, along with the Dalai Lama and the Mind and Life Institute, conducted research of eight Tibetan monks, tracking brain waves during meditation. “Using an electronic scanner, the researchers found that the monks were producing a very strong pattern of gamma waves…that is associated with concentration and emotional control (Carey, 2005). The research suggests that compassion and altruism are human qualities that can be cultivated through “mental training” (Carey, 2005).
According to Davidson’s 2013 study investigating the effects of intensive mindfulness practice, practitioners of meditation and mindfulness experience “specific molecular changes in the body”, as well as experience, “rapid alterations in gene expression” (Sakai, 2013). Davidson found that differences in the brain were “clearly measurable” and that “particpants actually engaged in more altruistic and compassionate behavior” as a result of the meditation and mindflness training (Davidson, 2013). This study supports the concept of neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to continuously form new neural connections, and the transformative power of mindfulness practices. This research encourages me to integrate brain-based learning strategies into my Phase One workshops.
Dr. Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist, author, professor and founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is known for his pioneering research on the impact of contemplative practices, such as meditation, on the brain. Meditation serves as a tool to cultivate positive emotions while helping to manage negative ones. In 2004, Davidson, along with the Dalai Lama and the Mind and Life Institute, conducted research of eight Tibetan monks, tracking brain waves during meditation. “Using an electronic scanner, the researchers found that the monks were producing a very strong pattern of gamma waves…that is associated with concentration and emotional control (Carey, 2005). The research suggests that compassion and altruism are human qualities that can be cultivated through “mental training” (Carey, 2005).
According to Davidson’s 2013 study investigating the effects of intensive mindfulness practice, practitioners of meditation and mindfulness experience “specific molecular changes in the body”, as well as experience, “rapid alterations in gene expression” (Sakai, 2013). Davidson found that differences in the brain were “clearly measurable” and that “particpants actually engaged in more altruistic and compassionate behavior” as a result of the meditation and mindflness training (Davidson, 2013). This study supports the concept of neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to continuously form new neural connections, and the transformative power of mindfulness practices. This research encourages me to integrate brain-based learning strategies into my Phase One workshops.