Midterm: BRINGING MINDFULNESS TO EDUCATION

 Author Note

This review was prepared as part of an independent study

of mindful education practices.

 Fall 2018

Bringing Mindfulness to Education:

A Review of the Methods and Selected Curricula

Training of mindfulness, the “particular state of consciousness that involves awareness and acceptance of whatever is happening in the present moment” (Jennings, 2015), has been shown to benefit teachers and students alike. Bringing mindfulness to the endeavor of teaching and learning addresses important elements of compassion, understanding, boundaries, attention, intention, and authenticity (Rechtshaffen, 2014) in daily classroom routines and lessons. This review will examine these different methods and relevant programs currently available to educators, schools, districts, or communities who may want to introduce mindfulness to their students.

The foundation for mindfulness curriculum includes embodiment (encouraging comfort and calm in the body), focused attention (to the breath or a sound), heartfulness (identifying and feeling emotions in the body), and interconnection (compassion toward self, family, friends, community, and world). Within this framework, lessons in mindfulness can start with an opening mindful moment to calm and settle into the lesson and circle, a verbal check-in, new mindfulness material introduction, a short mindfulness practice, and then sharing and dialogue about the experience during the practice. This can be followed up with journaling activities (coloring, drawing, and/or writing), suggestions of how to include mindfulness skills into daily life (both inside and outside the classroom), and a closing mindful moment or short practice (Rechtshaffen, 2014). The basic foundation and lessons can be applied to students of all ages, including adults. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), programs, or curricula can be delivered in various ways: training and self-care for teachers, mindfulness curricula for classrooms, and direct service to individuals.

Training and Self-Care for Teachers

This type of mindfulness training is based on the belief that to teach mindfulness best, a teacher must be a trained practitioner of mindfulness. Their own mindful practice will impart a mindful demeanor and understanding that will influence and inform their teaching of both mindfulness and other subjects. Two such programs are Mindful Schools and CARE for Teachers.

Mindful Schools

This hybrid program (online and residency attendance) is a “300-hour intensive year-long program” to encourage educators and educational leaders to bring mindfulness education to their school. Currently this certification program costs just under $6,000 and “provides practical training and transformational experiences that make it possible for educators to skillfully embody, adapt, and share mindfulness practices across a variety of educational settings” (Mindful Schools website). The program provides three levels of training that can prepare teachers to take mindfulness education. The first level teaches basic information about mindfulness and development of a personal practice, working skillfully with thoughts and emotions, and cultivation of positive mind states. The second level covers facilitation of the Mindful School curriculum, the role of mindfulness in communication, and how to encourage acceptance and allowance of mindfulness education by administration and agencies. The third level is 10-months of training delivered through online classes, webinars, coaching sessions, and peer-meetings, as well as attendance of two week-long residential retreats.

This program was evaluated by Semple, Droutman & Reid (2017) in a review of various mindful educational methods and delivery. They noted the rapid expansion of Mindful Schools as a “strong real-world indication of its acceptability” (p. 41), that the materials provided for training were thorough, and that expert trainers were accessible despite it being an online program. Limitations of this program may be the cost which may be prohibitive for some teachers and the lack of “oversight or monitoring for fidelity of implementation” (p. 41). These researchers concluded that Mindful Schools may be “the most successful program in terms of its extended reach, possibly due to the training on securing ‘buy-in’ from districts, administration, and funding agencies (p. 49).

Harpin, Rossi, Kim & Swanson (2016) tested student response in a 10-week mindfulness program that was a combination of Mindful Schools and MindUp (see below) curricula. Four lessons of the twenty of the study were based on Mindful Schools training content. Mindfulness lessons were  “integrated daily at the morning homeroom check-in with a classroom of 4^th graders and compared to a matched comparison classroom” (p. 149). Interestingly, the benefits seemed to expand beyond the classroom. One teacher described “how other 4^th grade teachers had commented on marked improvements in her students as a result of the mindfulness training” (p. 153). The study reported that “teachers felt that mindfulness made students more relaxed, more focused, and with less behavioral issues after having received training” (p. 153).

The strength of this program is that it is an intensive, year-long mindfulness/mindfulness education training; any teacher going through the program will feel very confident taking this into their school or district. The liability of this program is that it may be inaccessible to teachers and districts due to cost and time commitment (especially the residential retreats).

Care for Teachers

This program claims to be a “unique professional development program that helps teachers handle their stress and rediscover the joys of teaching” (CARE for Teachers website). CARE – cultivating awareness and resilience in education – was developed by Patricia Jennings, Christa Turksma, and Richard Brown. CARE is a “mindfulness -based professional development program designed to promote teachers’ social and emotional competence and improve the quality of classroom interactions” (Jennings et al., 2017). It is currently offered at the Garrison Institute (NY) in four day-long sessions spread through 4-5 weeks, or a five-day annual summer retreat. Training involves “a blend of didactic instruction and experiential activities, including time for reflection and discussion” (Garrison Institute website). Teachers report the program is “relaxing, enjoyable, and inspiring” (Garrison Institute website). The cost for this summer’s retreat (at the Garrison Institute) ranges from $875 to $1,200, and features Patricia Jennings as the keynote speaker and teacher.

Jennings, Frank, Snowberg, Coccia & Greenberg (2013) conducted a randomized controlled trial  to explore the efficacy and acceptability of 50 teachers. Their findings concluded that participation resulted in “significant improvements in teacher wellbeing, efficacy, burnout/time-related stress, and mindfulness compared with controls” (Jennings et al., 2013). This study showed that the CARE program was feasible, acceptable, and effective for “reducing stress and improving performance” (2013). In a more recent assessment of the efficacy of the CARE program using cluster randomized design, 224 teachers and their respective students were involved in the 30-hour training and coaching (Jennings et al., 2017). The study concluded that teachers had “significant direct positive effects on adaptive emotional regulation, mindfulness, psychological distress, and time urgency” and that CARE is an “effective professional development for both promoting teachers’ social and emotional competence and increasing the quality of their classroom interactions” (Jennings et al., 2017).

Other research findings agree; teachers who complete mindfulness training (both for themselves and to take into the classroom) “showed greater mindfulness, focused attention and working memory capacity, and occupational self-compassion, as well as lower levels of occupational stress and burnout” (Roeser et al., 2013). In another review of mindfulness interventions for in-service teachers it was reported that “as a teacher’s capacity to cope strategically with stress and difficult emotion [increased] … their attunement to students’ needs grew, alongside their compassion and kindness to others and themselves” (Hwang, Bartlett, Greben & Hand, 2017). These researchers concluded that “increased self-awareness, social awareness, and self-management, together with compassion and kindness, became instrumental for improving relations with others and their teaching practice” (Hwang et al., 2017). Training teachers in mindfulness and self-care has been shown to be an effective way to bring mindful education into the classroom while protecting against stress and occupational burnout.

The strength of CARE for Teachers is that the training is less time and resource commitment than Mindful Schools, but could still be cost-prohibitive to some. Because it is a one-time seminar or retreat (without follow-up support) teachers may not feel as confident coming out of the program as they might with the more intensive Mindful Schools program. [Note: One of the creators of this program has authored two books about mindful education, so that could be an additional resource: Jennings, Mindfulness for Teachers (2015), and The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching (November 2018).]

Curriculum-Based Teaching

Another way to introduce mindfulness to the classroom is through designed curricula such as the Kindness Curriculum, MindUp, and Inner Explorer. Rechtschaffen explained that the lessons in this type of classroom curricula “are inherently supportive for the emotional, mental, and physical development of all children … even if coming from a teacher without thorough training” (2014, p. 22). Available in various formats, these curricula can be incorporated into the class schedules without a lot of cost or time commitment outside of class-time.

Kindness Curriculum

The Kindness Curriculum was developed at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008. Since then it is shared at no-cost to educators through a free download. It was created as a research project to assess the impact of mindfulness training on preschoolers. It is designed to be offered as it is or can be incorporated into other practices (such as social-emotional learning lessons). The curriculum does not train teachers specifically, but strongly encourages teachers to develop their own mindfulness practice to augment their introduction and teaching of the lessons (and provides a list of resources). The 25 lessons follow the basic mindfulness curriculum outline – embodiment, focused attention, heartfulness, and interconnectedness and the lesson-plans highlight attention to the breath, growing friendships, emotional awareness, mindful communication, caring and sharing, forgiveness and problem-solving, mindful eating, gratitude, interconnectedness of everyone and the world. The curriculum outlines breath-focus and attention practice, provides craft activities to reinforce lessons, and recommends read-aloud books. The goal of this mindfulness curriculum is to cultivate mindful attention and emotional regulation through a theme of kindness practices (empathy, gratitude, and sharing) – growing relationships with self, others, community, and the world.

The Kindness Curriculum was studied by Flook, Goldberg, Pinger & Davidson (2015). The curriculum was given for 12 weeks to 68 preschool children. The study found that the intervention group “showed greater improvements in social competence and earned higher report card grades in domains of learning, health, and social-emotional development, whereas the control group exhibited more selfish behavior over time” (Flook et al., 2015).

The strengths of this curriculum are the simple but effective evidence-based design (for pre-K students but could be modified for students up to 2^nd grade) that is easy to incorporate into a classroom schedule, requires no teacher training, and is highly accessible as a free download.

MindUp

“I created MindUp because I was compelled to help all children learn the tools and knowledge they need to thrive, live compassionately, and be happy. We want every teacher in every school to be trained in MindUp, and we want every home to experience the peace and joy that MindUp brings.”  -Goldie Hawn, Founder of MindUp

The Hawn Foundation developed a curriculum to teach mindfulness called MindUp in 2003. It is a 15-lesson curriculum based on the “latest information about the brain to dramatically improve behavior and learning” for students from pre-kindergarten through 8^th grade (Scholastic website). The curriculum consists of 3 books (pre-kindergarten – 2^nd grade, grades 3^rd – 5^th, and  grades 6^th – 8^th); each book contains introductory material to mindfulness, a message from Goldie Hawn (founder of the Hawn Foundation) and four units. Each book is set up the same with similar unit and lesson titles. The progression of the curriculum is in the unit titles: Getting Focused, Sharpening Your Senses, All About Attitude, and Taking Action Mindfully. Each lesson contains introductory material, a warm-up activity, instructions on how to lead the lesson, research and career notes, and activity suggestions (journaling activities, as well as investigations of other related areas like science, math, physical education, language arts, and social-emotional learning). Books are available for purchase new from Scholastic.com for $25 each or can be bought used (for less) through other online booksellers.

Harpin, Rossi, Kim & Swanson (2016), as mentioned above, tested student response in a 10-week mindfulness program that was a combination of Mindful Schools (above) and MindUp curricula. Sixteen of the twenty lessons were based on MindUp training content. Mindfulness lessons were  “integrated daily at the morning homeroom check-in with a classroom of 4^th graders and compared to a matched comparison classroom” (Harpin et al., 2016, p. 149). Students reported the following: that they enjoyed the mindfulness lessons, they thought that more students should learn mindfulness, and more than three-quarters of them shared mindfulness skills they had learned to others (p. 153).

The strengths of this curriculum are that it is easy to use and incorporate into a classroom schedule, contains informative and flexible lesson plans, requires no teacher training, and is inexpensive, especially if purchased used.

Inner Explorer

With the motto “let’s outsmart stress and learn to lead healthier lives together,” co-founders Laura Bakosh and Janice Houlihan created Inner Explorer. Teachers can ‘just press play and practice’ the daily 5 – 10-minute audio-guided mindfulness sessions. The program features 90 age-appropriate sessions that feature breathing and relaxation exercises, awareness of senses, self-regulation, compassion and interconnectedness, and social-emotional learning. The website boasts proven results of 28% higher grades, 43% reduction in teacher stress, 60% decrease in behavioral issues, and 15% increase in average G.P.A. The program is licensed at different levels: an individual license ($50/year - $100/year), a school license ($450/year), or a community license ($1,000).

According to Semple, Droutman & Reid (2017), Inner Explorer is notable “because all lessons are delivered via MP3 audio instruction, during which teachers and students participate together” (p. 32). The program is based in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), although it has been restructured and condensed. Because teachers and students were learning mindfulness practices together, it is difficult to assess academic improvements and their cause (was it the mindfulness practice, or a change in teacher methodology/technique?) Researchers concluded that the “Inner Explorer research methodology was not sufficiently rigorous to produce definitive conclusions about effectiveness … on academic performance” (Semple et al, 2017, p. 37).

Despite the lack of rigorous research findings about the claimed results of this program, the benefits of mindfulness are reflected in the positive acceptance and experience of users (a full five stars reported by 45,665 website reviews as of this writing). Strengths of this program are the moderately low cost for the program, and the ease of ‘push play and practice,’ and no special training required for the teacher. The recordings are pleasant to listen to, and the short practices could easily be incorporated into classroom schedules.

Direct Service to Students

Similar to the preceding methods of bringing mindfulness to the classroom, these programs offer training direct to the student rather than the teacher or a curriculum. In this method of mindful education, training comes from an outside provider – usually a trained mindfulness practitioner. They could be therapists or counselors, work in a juvenile detention center, after-school program, or other youth-oriented organization. Providing training apart from the classroom setting could be somewhat disjointed for some youth, as Rechtschaffen noted, “often these amazing teachers open up new ways of seeing the world for kids, but then leave. There can be a lack of systemic change with direct service … if the classroom teacher is not supportive of mindfulness, then the outside provider’s lessons may be directly contrary to the way a teacher directs the class” (2014, p. 20-21). The best scenario would be that all adults and activities in a youth’s experience reflect the same methodology, but that is rarely the case. While direct service mindfulness training outside of school-directed activities may be somewhat problematic, the benefits to the student(s) may outweigh that risk.

In a study examining the role of mindfulness in reducing the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and trauma, Ortiz & Sibinga (2017) suggest that “high quality, structured mindfulness instruction may mitigate the negative effects of stress and trauma related to ACEs, improving short- and long-term outcomes, and potentially reducing poor health outcomes in adulthood” (2017). So, even if it is not introduced or reinforced in a classroom, children that suffer with the effects of ACEs or traumatic events can benefit from mindfulness training from outside providers.

As an example, the Mind-Body Awareness Project offers best practices and thinking “from 23 years of organizational-direct service experience with incarcerated and post-incarcerated youth” (mbaproject.org). This program was designed by experts in corrections, youth development, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning; it is a “10-session proprietary rehabilitation program designed specifically to meet the social and emotional needs of highly-at-risk youth” (mbaproject.org). The program covers mindfulness and mental training, basic goodness and true nature, impulse regulation, emotional awareness, emotional intelligence and regulation skills, interpersonal relationships, empathy and forgiveness, negativity, and cause and effect. This program is performing a valuable service to society by introducing mindful self-regulation and communication skills to troubled young people who may not be exposed to it otherwise.

Another direct service provider is Holistic Life Foundation (Baltimore, Maryland) and their Holistic Me After School Program. In this program, participants learn a “combination of yoga, mindfulness practices, meditation, centering, and breath work that empowers them with skills for peaceful conflict resolution, improved focus and concentration, greater control and awareness of thoughts and emotions, improved self-regulation, anger management, as well as stress reduction and relaxation” (hlfinc.org). That is a lot to fit into an after-school program! In addition to mindfulness and social-emotional learning skills, they explore fitness and sport skills, teamwork and leadership skills, interconnectedness, and stewardship of the environment. There is even homework assistance in academic subjects such as math, language arts, and science. The website states that graduates of the program often “come back to volunteer as tutors and yoga instructors” (hlfinc.org). Just like encouraging and training teachers in mindfulness as a personal practice, teaching youth self-regulation skills and mindfulness practice can translate into possible positive influence in whatever setting they find themselves, including the classroom.

The strengths of these programs are that they are highly specialized for the youth in those organizations and can provide training in essential and mindful life skills, especially to those impacted by ACEs and traumatic life events or circumstances. Young people learn from all their experiences, not just in the classroom, and these types of programs provide another opportunity for exposure and training in mindfulness and social-emotional learning.

Restorative School Community

Rather than determining which of these mindfulness training delivery methods is best or even better – whether teacher training, ready-made curriculum, or direct service to youth – Rechtschaffen stated that “we need a multifaceted approach to integrating these practices into work with youth” (2014, p. 22-23). A good example of that approach is Circle Forward educational philosophy of building a restorative school community. It is neither a curriculum nor program, but a “guide for learning to bring the Circle practice into the school community” (Boyes-Watson, 2015). Circle Forward blends mindfulness practice with the theory of restorative justice through the use of dialogic and relationship-building Circles.

The Circle process itself is a mindfulness practice because it encourages participants to slow down and be present with themselves and others. In this guide, we introduce simple meditation and breathing exercises as part of the structure of many Circles. (Boyes-Watson, 2015,).

The circle structure is a purposely constructed dialogue process that encourages interaction, understanding, empowerment, and connection. In this space, “difficult emotions and difficult realities” are welcomed with compassion in an environment of safety build around mindfulness practice that encourages “participants to slow down and be present with themselves and others” (Boyes-Watson, 2015). The elements of the seated circle include mindfulness opening and closing, a focusing centerpiece, a talking piece and respectful listening, agreed-upon values and guidelines, and topic question(s) or consideration(s). The underlying theory of restorative practice embraces:

1.      meeting students’ needs rather than giving them ‘what they deserve’

2.      promoting accountability within a supportive and compassionate learning community

3.      making things right – offenders taking responsibility and participating in the development of an appropriate restitution plan

4.      viewing conflict as a learning opportunity for both educators and students

5.      developing respectful school communities

6.      restoring healthy relationships to empower people and communities; working together rather than hierarchical power structures or unhealthy enabling behaviors

7.      transforming power imbalances that affect social relationships and addressing school/community structures that perpetuate injustice and harm (Anfara, Evans & Lester, 2015)

The practice of Circle Forward is based upon the pillars of 1) a commitment of dignity and respect, 2) mindfulness practices to create boundaries around the Circle space, 3) the use of an item (talking piece) to designate the speaker within a circle (encouraging orderly interaction and respectful listening), and 4) facilitation by a ‘keeper’ (notably the teacher in a classroom environment) as a member of the circle (Boyes-Watson, 2015). These pillars and practice can provide a strong foundation for mindful, respectful communication and encourage building healthy relationships and learning environments.

The Circle Forward guide and practice is a much different approach to bringing mindfulness practice into the school environment. While it can be enacted in one classroom, it has much more potential of positive benefit if the effort is school-wide or district-wide. The spiral-bound guidebook can be purchased for around $85 new, less for used, or an e-book for $30. It covers introductory material, and modules focused on establishing a circle practice, establishing community norms, teaching-learning in a circle, understanding interconnectedness, social-emotional learning, having difficult conversations, working as a staff, engaging parents and community, youth-led and peer-to-peer circles, and circles intended for intensive support. An extensive section on challenges and restorative discipline and appendices of lesson planning guides, topics for contemplation and discussion, and readings are included.

The strength of this approach to mindful education is that it has potential to powerfully change the atmosphere and learning environment of a classroom, school, or district – even a community. However, it can be a completely different rationale and method of discipline (behavior management) than what may be practiced in a particular school. A more widespread benefit – of both the benefits of mindfulness practice and restorative justice - would require agreement, collaboration, and effort of all involved. Even if that is a goal far from reach, I do believe there is much to be gained from this guide, even for a single teacher and classroom.

Conclusion

As this review has shown, there are several different methods of engaging a classroom environment with the embodiment (encouraging comfort and calm in the body), focused attention (to the breath or a sound), heartfulness (identifying and feeling emotions in the body), and interconnection (compassion toward self, family, friends, community, and world) of mindfulness practice. Teachers can be specifically trained in mindfulness practice – such as in Mindful Schools and CARE for Teachers – both for themselves and to share with their students. There are ready-made curricula – like the Kindness Curriculum, MindUp, and Inner Explorer – that can be incorporated into classroom schedules with relative ease to introduce both the teacher and students to shared mindfulness activities and practice. In direct service, students and at-risk youth can learn the benefits and techniques of mindfulness practice from a specially trained mindfulness teacher, coach, or counselor such as in an after-school program – good examples are The Mind-Body Awareness Project and Baltimore’s Holistic Me After-School Program. Finally, there is the more inclusive and multi-faceted approach, such as Circle Forward, that can change a classroom, a school, or even a district to a more mindful and socially-restorative learning environment.

The strength of these options is determined upon how well they meet the needs of the recipients. It is well-noted that “in some arenas, mindfulness is being treated as a panacea for all ills – physiological, psychological, behavioral, and social. It probably is not. Although early trends are promising, it seems vital to remain mindful of the fact that we are teaching impressionable children skills that, in profound ways, may change the way they think, perceive, and interact with the world” (Semple et al., 2017). It is my hope that all educators are carefully considering beneficial ways to influence and help the youth in their care to gain a mindful understanding of themselves and their place in a socially responsible world. Mindful education programs, curricula, and practices could be a way to do just that.

References

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