School of Thought

In a study conducted by Harvard University they looked at the benefits of mindfulness practices for students. In this study they specifically focussed on a group of sixth graders. They had mindfulness coaches come in four times a week for a period of six weeks to do mindfulness practices with the children. These were some of the findings from the study:

• Students in this study were found to be more engaged throughout the school day

• They performed better on tests and had higher grades

• Students were able to better regulate their emotions

• The students reported being less stressed than they were prior to the study

• They felt they had learned valuable stress coping mechanisms

Some of the exercises they completed were as simple as focussing on a rock for ten minutes. After ten minutes they were asked when their mind wandered and how the experience made them feel. A simple activity like this would be easy to implement in any school. Teaching mindfulness to young students can supply them stress reducing skills that they can utilize all throughout their education.

Here are some common mindfulness practices that I believe could be easily implemented into primary schools:

• Five Senses: Have students think of five things they can see, four things they can feel, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste. They can also write these down

• Nature Walk: Take students on a walk outside and encourage them to use their five senses

• Heartbeat: Have your students monitor their heartbeat while breathing. Teaching them how to do this will help them to understand how their body feels

• Positive Affirmations: Give a lesson on affirmations. Have your students keep a journal where they can write these down. For example, if a student feels discouraged, have them try this mantra, “I don't need to worry, I can try again.”

Children are taught math, history, geography, etc. but they are not taught about the importance of mental health. If we value a student's learning ability and success we need to teach them ways to take care of their mental health while doing so. We can see in the study that teaching mindfulness practices are worthwhile as they have positive effects on the students' grades and overall ability to learn.

References

51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom - Waterford.org. (2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021, from https://www.waterford.org/resources/mindfulnes-activities-for-kids/

Tatter, G. (2019). Making Time for Mindfulness. Retrieved 3 December 2021, from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/19/01/making-time-mindfulness