By: Amy Hartmann Garner, M.Ed, RYT-200
Like so many educators and vendors who are working to improve education in America, we here at PR with Panache! work at a fast pace—but we also know that speed alone won’t help us accomplish our goals. This post is the second in an ongoing series about how mindfulness can help all of us in education be happier, more productive, and ultimately more useful to the students we serve.
It is 41 degrees outside. For Texas, this is cold, especially in January and considering the fact that last week I was wearing shorts. Right now, I am sitting by my fireplace, listening to the crackling of the logs while watching the flame rise and fall...and it mesmerizing. Feeling the warmth, seeing the smoke rising while the flames change colors, takes my breath away. As I am sitting there, I realize this would be a great mindfulness activity, and I want to recreate in my classroom.
I am a middle school teacher and have been for the past nine years. If you had told me I would be working in a middle school when I was in middle school, I would have called you a big, fat liar. I am not one to use the word “hate,” but I hated middle school. This is probably why I try to make it the best experience for the students I work with and reassure them that things get better.
Welcome to the Mindful Middle School
Every morning when the bell rings, I give students three minutes to get prepared for class and time to talk/ask questions. Students are going to talk in class, so I allow them this time to chat with their friends and neighbors. I would rather provide a structured time for them to do this than have to struggle against it during my lesson or homework/study time.
After the three minutes are up, the class participates in a daily warm-up journal activity. Journal time is five minutes of quiet. I assign students a random topic to write about, such as “If you were a character in a movie, what would you be?” Afterwards, we talk as a class about the responses, and students also write down a goal they are working on.
Today, I decided to take advantage of the cold weather in Texas, so I found a YouTube video of a live fire. I turned the lights out (with the exception of a few lamps) and used the prompt, “Look at the fire. Pretend you are sitting in front of it. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel?”
One student—you know the one—who has a comment about everything and typically does not enjoy what you have worked so hard to lesson plan? His response was, “Mrs. Garner...this is pretty cool.” It took everything I had not to make a HUGE deal out of his response. Instead I gave him a thumbs up, knowing how averse he is to praise. Overwhelmingly, students said they heard crackling and felt comforted by the warmth of the fire. I left this image on during class and had one of the most productive classes ever.
More than likely, you have recently heard to buzz word, “mindfulness,” and you might find yourself wondering, “What exactly is mindfulness?” and/or “What can it do for me?” Being mindful can change a person’s life and the environment of their classroom (or boardroom). It all begins with simple exercises like the one above.
Methods of Mindfulness
Teaching mindfulness teaches students (and adults) to focus and pay attention to the here and now, basically what is happening right in front of them. Since 2000, the average human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds to eight seconds. The average attention span of a goldfish is nine seconds...no explanation needed. The turn of the millennium was also the time when mobile technology started to increase, which suggest that always-on technology is changing our brains. We are in constant need of instant gratification and this need is only increasing as our brains become re-wired from constant stimuli.
Mindfulness brings your senses and everything you experience to life: smell, touch, sight, sound and taste. It is about bringing awareness back to the self. What are you experiencing? Another easy mindfulness activity is 5-4-3-2-1. To get started:
Observe 5 objects you see.
Observe 4 sounds (with eyes closed).
Observe 3 feelings/sensations.
Observe 2 smells.
Observe 1 taste—an alternative would be to take one breath or give yourself one positive affirmation.
Being mindful means living in the present—not the past and not the future— with acceptance and non-judgement. As humans, we have the cognitive ability to re-live the past, which can lead to depression. Thinking about how you could have changed a situation or what should have done or said changes nothing. In the words of Rafiki, “The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it.”
People like to be in control. The truth is, most things are out of our control; we are in control of how we react to a situation, not the situations presented to us. Many people are worried about the future so they try to plan and predict every little detail, which can lead to anxiety and even full-blown panic attacks. Diagnoses of anxiety and depression are at an all-time high. By using strategies to help with being more mindful, people are able to live in the present, which can lead to a reduction of both anxiety and depression.
Many of us, especially educators, think we are capable of multi-tasking. I know I am guilty of this. However, only 2% of the population can actually perform multiple tasks at the same time. Being mindful means paying attention to one task at a time and fully giving your thoughts to that task. Whether you are teaching a class or folding laundry, think about only that one thing. The best way to do this is by breathing deeply and extending your exhale. Our exhale is very powerful. The longer you are able to extend your exhale, the more you are letting go of what no longer serves you. This also allows you to let go of thoughts and be able to re-focus to what is in front of you.
Another way to be mindful is to put your phone or other technology away for an extended period of time. Create designated technology breaks where you are active, get outside, participate in a hobby, or have a face-to-face conversation with someone.
Being mindful not only adds years to your life, it also adds life to your years. Everything I do now seems amplified because I am paying attention to what is going on and noticing detail I used to overlook. Today I challenge you to stop, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and notice something you didn’t notice before.
Amy Hartmann Garner, M.Ed is a behavior support teacher and a registered yoga teacher at Eanes ISD in Austin, TX.
Follow her on Twitter: @amyhgarner | Email her: agarner@eanesisd.net
Thanks for sharing!