Mindfulness

As a member of a learning community each child contributes to the group.  To understand how one does this begins with knowing how to regulate one's body and brain for learning and making choices.... choices that can further one's own path and that of the group.  This learning for me begins with understanding how the brain works and how one can train their brain to make mindful choices.

In my career I have used parts of program to build social skills along with my own creative ideas, changing and adding year to year.  Last year I looked to more formal programs to enhance my work. I now use a blended combination of my knowledge about conflict resolution skills with lessons from the following published programs:

1.     The Incredible Flexible You: A Social Thinking Curriculum for the Early Years By Michelle Garcia Winner et. al.

2.      Mind-Up Curriculum: Brain-Focused Strategies for Learning and Living

By Scholastic/The Hawn Foundation

3.      Responsive Classroom

By The Northeast Foundation for Children

Our guidance teacher also uses The Incredible Flexible You in his weekly guidance class.  Through our coordinated plans children have lots of opportunity to practice and learn.  I will send home more information about that program in the form of parent letters that explain the various lessons.  

During the month of December my main focus was on learning about our brain and how we can use it to respond reflectively when we have feelings and need to make choices through lessons I used or adapted from the Mind-Up Curriculum.  The goal is for children to develop self-awareness, self-control and compassionate, thoughtful choices as they are a member of our classroom community. We learned to practice mindfulness as a way to focus on the "here and now."  By noticing what we think and feel, we can let thoughts and feelings come and go.  This is choosing to be mindful.  We practiced being totally quiet and using only our sense of hearing to be aware of what is around us.  In our practice we strive to be so quiet and still that we only hear the gentle hum of the heater blowing air in our classroom.  Our lives are often so busy and filled with technology sounds and talking all day and children don't know how to be still and aware of their own breathing and feelings.  Taking moments to practice each day will build our overall mindful practice.  We are also learning to use a series of mind fulness exercises recorded by Amy Saltzman, Still Quiet Places.  This month I will introduce using stones to hold as we practice mindfulness along with other brain-oriented exercises and yoga poses that can calm the mind and body.  We will then move into work with thinking positive thoughts and affirmations.

We studied the anatomy of the brain, focusing on three main parts related to mindfulness: the prefrontal cortex PFC (our "wise leader"), the amygdala (our "security door") and the hippocampus (our "memory keeper").  We learned that we have control over our amygdala... which reacts to emotions... if we allow angry, frustrated, or sad feelings to persist, then our PFC cannot make a wise choice.  The amygdala literally shuts down the flow to the PFC and it cannot think reasonably or make and informed choice.  I demonstrated this by using a cabinet with doors on it to show how the amygdala can keep feelings locked or we can unlock the door with mindful tools.  We will introduce more mindful tools in the coming week.  For example, count to ten forward and back again during moments of frustration or over exhilaration to calm the amygdala, allowing the PFC to make reflective, not reactive choice.

We learned about neurons and how they want to send messages to other neurons... growing our neurons is how we refer to this... to again allow positive messages and choices to flow.

Our Community Building Chart: In the center is a photo of each member of the class and ideas we said define what a community is.  We had several lessons about following The Group Plan and reflecting on how following that plan makes oneself and others feel.  I refer to this chart daily and with each lesson we add a nugget of learning to it to help remind children how they can contribute. 

Singing Bowl: We use a singing bowl as our most recognized mindful tool.  We practiced our body position, breathing, and focus.  Now when I reach to hold the singing bowl, even before playing it, children will automatically get into position and quiet themselves!  We are working on increasing the minutes we can sustain our quiet focus.

Mindfulness Bottles:  We made our own mindfulness bottles with colored water and glitter!

Reflecting vs Reactive Thinking:  This child is demonstrating how her brain looks when she has a negative or frustrated thinking pattern... all mixed up and cloudy.  When she uses a mindful tool to calm her brain, she begins to thinking reflectively in a much more clear way.

A Crumbled Heart: We learned that when we do make a mistake toward one of our peers, we crumble their heart.  An apology can smooth out some of the wrinkles, but they don't go away right away... it takes time for their crumbled heart to heal... and our positive actions may take awhile to make all the hurt go away.  We have to continue to show we care.

All About Me At School Boxes: We reflected on what we know about ourselves at school... what we like, who we like to talk to, what we care about.  These sheets were cut apart and glued on a box for each child which we hung in the hall.

Inside those boxes, our class made a list of what we care about at school... to help remind us of how and why we contribute to the classroom community.  We made a heart and glued a typed version of the list on a card which was folded and placed inside the box.  The kids came up with some real gems... I couldn't have made a better list... it all came from them!  I was rather proud!