Mindful Practices in the Classroom
Helping your students practice using the self-regulation tools mentioned earlier in this module is key to success with the FocusedKids Method. As is building a Calm Down Corner and showing students how to use it. A third key to creating a calm and connected classroom is integrating mindful activities into your daily schedule.
Any mindful activity or exercise that is intentionally taught in the classroom can be integrated into the FocusedKids method. Here are two activities that have become staples for most teachers using FocusedKids in the classroom.
Mindful Movement
A favorite activity for squirmy students is mindful movement. To introduce mindful movement to your class you can say something like:
“We are going to practice some mindful movement. This means we are going to move our bodies, but in a way that is slow and in control. The opposite of mindful movement is moving your body with no awareness or really crazy. A great time for non-mindful movement is at recess. But, in our classroom we can take breaks to move our bodies mindfully in a way that allow us to jump right back in to what we are learning. We call this mindful movement.”
Then, begin by offering some stretching, add in some breathing, and you and your students will be hooked on this practice. Do it daily as a way to release energy and stress, reset, and integrate new learning into the brain.
Watch the video below to see how you can teach mindful movement to your students.
Mindful Coloring
Mindful coloring is a signature mindful activity at FocusedKids. Mindful coloring helps our brain focus on one thing at a time while strengthening the prefrontal cortex (Wise Owl) and calming the amygdala (Guard Dog).
Mindful coloring is fun and engaging for all ages. Add the use of gel pens for an extra engaging experience. Using gel pens helps students slow down with their coloring while creating a beautiful picture.
Click here to download the Mindful Coloring lesson pdf.
Get your students on board and this can be a great to build ownership in the classroom.
What other mindful practices can you build in your classroom?