Classrooms are a place of learning and interaction. It is where kids learn a great deal about the world and how it works. As teachers, we are always looking for ways to foster inspiration and innovation in the classroom and make it suitable for learning. Yet, we all know how sometimes it can become quite stressful.

Whether you teach high school students or little tots from kindergarten, you would have already faced situations where chaos ruled your classroom. In such difficult situations, we usually find it hard to maintain a sense of calm. Moreover, all the stress takes over our senses and drains us emotionally. We all have been in that place at one time or another. Not only we, but our students have also been victims of such stressful situations.

Fortunately, mindfulness-based education can help us overcome these problems with ease. It has a plethora of evidence-based benefits that can nurture a positive learning environment in the classroom.

Mindfulness can help you and your students in the following ways:

• Mindfulness guards students and teachers from stress and anxiety
• It allows the students to focus better as it increases their attention span
• Students perform better academically when they practice mindfulness every day
• Mindfulness helps students to be more aware of their emotions and feelings.
• Due to psycho-social development, students can enjoy positive relationships with their peers and educators. 

Now that you are familiar with the benefits of daily mindfulness practice, let’s dive into ways you can include mindfulness in your classroom.

How to teach mindfulness in the classroom

Before diving into the ways of teaching mindfulness, it is essential to understand that as teachers, you should first practice mindfulness yourself. If you believe in it, you will find it easier to introduce it to your students. Children usually replicate and learn from the behaviors of adults. By practicing mindful habits, inspire change and lead the way to mindful living for your classroom.

With so many options and activities available, it is hard to choose a practice that you can use to incorporate mindful moments into your classroom. Here, I list a few easy ways to teach mindfulness to your students:

Focused Breathing

The easiest and most effective way to practice mindful awareness is to practice focused breathing. You can teach students to use this activity during stressful situations. When your students feel overwhelmed by the pressure of tests and assignments at school, quick mindful breathing can help them regain their confidence back. This exercise won’t only help them inside the classroom but outside as well.

Rule of Three

When we are stressed or anxious, our brain tricks us into believing that there’s something dangerous about to happen. Rule of 3 is an activity that helps bring our body back from the fight-or-flight mode. Observe three things you see around yourself and three sounds you hear, and then move three body parts (say, hands, neck, and feet). By doing this, you are essentially taking control of your senses and affirming your brain that you are not in danger!

The Wheel of Emotions

It is a great way to increase emotional awareness of oneself and others. Most of the time, we are unable to recognize the specific emotions we are feeling. Using the emotions wheel, you can teach kids to take moments of pause and help them identify their emotions before acting on them. Using this activity, students learn to communicate and express themselves better. We understand ourselves much better when we are mindful of our emotions.

Glitter Jar

Another fun activity to practice among teenagers and children is Glitter Jar. In this activity, jars containing liquid soap, glitter, and water are created and given to children to observe. Once the glitter settles, kids shake up the jar and observe the glitter moving. Ask students to imagine the glitter as their thoughts and observe them. As the glitter slows down and settles, so do their thoughts. This fun activity helps teach focused attention to students.

You can also use audio-guided practices by Inner Explorer- a mindfulness platform designed for K-12 kids and educators. The practice does not require any preparation from educators and is available in English and Spanish.

Conclusion

Creating a culture of mindfulness in the classroom helps students perform better academically and deal with the stressors of everyday life. When you teach mindfulness, you are helping your students with the social and emotional skills required for a healthy relationship with themselves and others. Teaching mindfulness is the best gift you can give to your students.