min df u l b r e a th in g br ea t h t oget h er · the mindful schools back to school toolkit in...

The Mindful Schools Back to School Toolkit

Intro to Mindful Breathing for the Classroom

Here are a few simple ways to add pauses and breaths throughout the day – especially at transition points.

The beginning of the school year – when teachers are establishing relationships, building trust with newstudents, and creating systems and structures in the classroom – is a time when teachers can intentionallychoose to hold back on introducing formal curriculum and instruction around mindfulness. During this time of transition, which can be full of excitement and also overwhelm, everyone – teachers andstudents alike – can benefit from simple pauses and extra breaths throughout the day. By introducing shortand extended pauses, we’re simply practicing and building a healthy habit that will support mindfulnesslessons to follow later in the year.

School MascotA great way to start the year (and build someschool pride!) is to teach your students a mascotbreath. Whether you're the Parkside Penguins orthe Lakeshore Lions, you can create a "mascotbreath." Maybe your penguin breath has flappingwings, or your lion breath has a shaking mane.

Mindful Breathing

Call and ResponseAdd a breath to your attention-getter.Many teachers use an attention-getter tobring the classroom back to attention andquiet, such as ringing a chime, using thequiet coyote, or using a call and response.Try adding a breath into the quiet spaceafter you have students' attention.

We Will Rock You!For older students, you can adapt your attention-getterusing chimes or playing the opening notes of a popular song.Try tapping a rhythm on your desk or podium; students canmirror your patterns until the whole class ends up creatingthe drum part to We Will Rock You! Once you have yourclass's attention and the room is quiet, hold that quiet for abit longer by adding in a breath (or a few). Older studentsare especially in need of these quiet moments.

"1, 2, 3, eyes on me!"  "1, 2, eyes on you!" "Great – and now let's take a big Penguin Breathall together ... and let it out ... and now we quietlylet all of our Penguin Breaths disappear into theair. Now we're ready to learn."

"Okay, Parkside Penguins, thank youfor getting yourselves into a great line,and for waiting quietly! You lookready to head out for recess. Beforeyou go out, let's do one big PenguinBreath together."

“Nice. Before we move on,let’s take two deep breathstogether. Breathing in ... hold ... and let it out…”

Learn more about the benefits of mindfulness in education at www.mindfulschools.org/research.

Think differently about education.

Building capacities for awareness, attention, connection and compassion are essential skills foreducators and students of the 21st century. Our research-backed professional development trainingsare based on our work in schools and over a decade of experience training educators. Mindful Schoolscourses empower educators to develop and deepen their mindfulness practice, provide access to K-12curriculum, and give adaptable strategies to spark positive change in their work with youth. Educators, start your journey.

Mindfulness FundamentalsLearn how to develop your personalmindfulness practice and your ability tobe fully open, aware, and active in thepresent moment. Practice alongsidefellow educators. 6-week online course.Register at www.mindfulschools.org/MF

Foundational Courses

Mindful Educator EssentialsLearn strategies to integrate and adaptmindfulness into your classroom usingour research-backed Mindful Schools K-12 Curriculum. 6-week online course.Prerequisite: Mindfulness Fundamentals.Register at www.mindfulschools.org/MEE

Mindful Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Join us at www.mindfulschools.org.

Continued Learning

Upcoming Fall Sessions:

Upcoming Fall Sessions:

Mindful CommunicationUpcoming Session: Sep 13 Transform your communicationpatterns and explore how tocultivate trust, cooperation, andcollaboration to build strongerrelationships.

Working with Difficult EmotionsUpcoming Session: Oct 11 Learn practices to regulate youremotions and create greateremotional freedom. Based on thelatest scientific research.

Certification ProgramApply This Fall Invest in yourself as an educatorand change the future of educationthrough our immersive, year-longCertification Program.

Takea deepbreath.

www.mindfulschools.org

take3 breaths.1 ... 2 ... 3 ...

www.mindfulschools.org