Ben Kestner's Blog
Thoughts on Education
Mindfulness at St. John’s International School
Mindfulness in the Middle School Classroom
Every day, first period, middle school students sit in silence, clear their minds of what has been and what will be and pause. The teacher takes them through a process called mindfulness. Mindfulness can be defined as:
“paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
We know that practicing mindfulness has shown to offer benefits such as increased self-awareness, better focus and attention, decrease in stress and anxiety, improved sleep and increased empathy and understanding.
Students have all practiced mindfulness during an assembly under the guidance of one of our teachers Madame Gayou who has undertaken a training course.
Mindfulness helps students to focus on what they are doing and can be practiced at any time during the day.
These two short clips help explain what Mindfulness is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dMiv5B7I0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GExHdWnK9U&feature=related
2 Comments on “Mindfulness at St. John’s International School”
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Wow, I love it, Ben!! I’m so curious, are the kids into it?
Thanks Hillary. Yes, the kids seem really in to it. Early days yet though. Want to see how things are going in a few weeks time. The next step is to help them to be able to practice mindfulness on their own.