Mindful Classrooms: Daily 5-Minute Practices to Support Social-Emotional Learning

Teaching students how to focus and self-regulate at a young age can provide them with skills that will help throughout their schooling and adult lives. Like anyone, they need easy-to-remember tools and strategies to calm their minds and focus on the moment. This interactive, research-based curriculum helps preK and elementary teachers integrate simple, ready-to-use stretching, breathing, and reflective exercises as well as other mindfulness practices into their daily classroom routines.

Includes a link to digital content.

Download File

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

The Basics of Mindfulness.

About This Book

Research About the Benefits of Mindfulness

Benefits in the Classroom

How to Use This Book

Getting Started

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES WEEK BY WEEK

• WEEK 1 A-B-C-D Poses & Name Your Feelings
• WEEK 2 E-F-G-H Poses & Mutual Respec
• WEEK 3 I-J-K-L Poses & Including Others
• WEEK 4 M-N-O-P Poses & Active Listening
• WEEK 5 Q-R-S-T Poses & Ways to Play Fair
• WEEK 6 U-V-W-X Poses & Compassion
• WEEK 7 Y-Z & Classic Poses & Courage
• WEEK 8 School Poses & Self-Talk
• WEEK 9 Student Choice & Speak Up
• WEEK 10 Autumn Poses & Honesty
• WEEK 11 Tree Life Cycle Poses & Being a Good Friend
• WEEK 12 Shape Poses & Integrity
• WEEK 13 City Poses & Believing in Yourself
• WEEK 14 Music Poses & Learning from Mistakes
• WEEK 15 Light Poses & Gratitude
• WEEK 16 Animal Poses & Generosity
• WEEK 17 Winter Poses & Self-Compassion
• WEEK 18 Student Choice & Positivity
• WEEK 19 HOPE Poses & Seeking Help
• WEEK 20 READ Poses & Perseverance
• WEEK 21 LOVE Poses & Adapting to Change
• WEEK 22 Warrior Poses & Empathy
• WEEK 23 Furniture Poses & Saying Problems Without Blame
• WEEK 24 Flying B Poses & Strong Feelings
• WEEK 25 CALM Poses & Courtesy
• WEEK 26 REST Poses & Patience
• WEEK 27 Student Choice & Forgiving Others
• WEEK 28 Sports Poses & Anxiety/Worry
• WEEK 29 Butterfly Life Cycle Poses & Respecting Differences
• WEEK 30 SWAG Poses & Caring for the Earth
• WEEK 31 Plant Poses & Taking Responsibility
• WEEK 32 LIFE Poses & Being a Team Playe
• WEEK 33 PLAY Poses & Put-Downs
• WEEK 34 SWIM Poses & Trying Your Best
• WEEK 35 Summer Poses & Having Fun
• WEEK 36 Student Choice & Taking It Home

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ENDNOTES

APPENDIX

The following scripts and modifications are available to download.

Mindful Breathing Scripts

Mindful Listening Scripts

Mindful Seeing Scripts

Mindful Eating Scripts

Modifications: Mindful Breathing & Mindful Stretching

INDEX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"Mindful Classrooms offers wonderfully concrete activities for teachers who want to lead mindful movement and breathing exercises with their students in the classroom. It’s the perfect complement to the daily guided sitting practices that more and more schools are embedding into the school day to benefit both students and teachers. This book can help educators foster a more mindful classroom in which to support their students’ social and emotional learning."
- Laurie Grossman, director of social justice and educational equity, Inner Explorer, Inc.

"Mindful Classrooms has helped teach our students and staff to self-regulate when they are frustrated, angry, or anxious, or they need a brain break. Academics are very important but with the help of Mindful Classrooms, we are teaching whole-child life skills that will com- plement their academic work."
- Mark Overly, Carrcroft Elementary principal

"One of my favorite parts of the day is walking into a classroom where the teacher is leading a mindfulness activity. Seeing a room full of kiddos, sitting on the carpet, working on their breathing together, with the teacher modeling it with them . . . it’s really amazing to see. The Mindful Classrooms activities have been huge for our campus climate and we have even started incorporating mindfulness at our morning assemblies. It’s that important."
- Brian Hill, Pillow Elementary principal