During student teaching, I implemented a mindful moment with the students. Given the evidence that has shown the positive effect mindfulness has on learning, I saw the one to two minutes I spent with the mindful moment as an important part of the day. I asked the student to close their eyes. I would encourage them to think about something that they were thankful for or something that made them happy during their mindful moment. The students were silent for about a minute. I sometimes led a guided body scan during my mindful moment. I told them that mindful moments help prepare their minds for learning.
I found the students really responded positively to the mindful moments. A child even requested them. The moments set a nice tone for the day when I did them in the morning or a nice tone for the afternoon when I did them after recess. I will continue to practice mindful moments in my classroom.
The film, Room to Breathe, addresses mindfulness and its affect in the classroom. Watch the full video here:
This website provides guided mindfulness videos:
