For many kids, sitting still all day in school is a big challenge, which is why movement breaks are good practice, whether it’s in elementary school or high school. Additionally, learning science shows us that movement activates the brain and improves cognition. Read more ›
A new study suggests that mindfulness education — lessons on techniques to calm the mind and body — can reduce the negative effects of stress and increase students’ ability to stay engaged, helping them stay on track academically and avoid behavior problems. Read more ›
Dr. Sharon Saline, author of What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew, is a psychotherapist who works with children diagnosed with ADHD and their families. She argues that an informed empathy for ADHD children — for what they experience on a daily basis — can inspire parents and teachers to work with these children in ways that will help them grow into responsible and happy adults. Read more ›
An important aspect of developing Executive Functioning (EF) skills is the ability to manage oneself and one’s behavior.
This session covers EF and the relationship of the mind and body in developing self-awareness. Learn strategies to increase self-monitoring and self-regulation in kids with EF challenges. Read more ›
What is mindfulness? How does yoga relate to mindfulness? Learn more about the positive impact of mindfulness and yoga on reducing anxiety, depression, ADHD symptoms and managing stress. Read more ›
Walk into any busy classroom and you may feel like you’ve entered a tornado. Kids talking, teachers trying to get through content while navigating different requests, and the inevitable interruptions. When trying to manage the chaos, sometimes the most helpful thing is to just slow down. Instead of turning to quick fixes, many teachers are using mindfulness as a way for students to reset. Mindfulness restores a sense of calm in the classroom by helping students develop inner peace. Read more ›
The McKinley-Brighton Elementary School in Syracuse, New York, is experiencing positive results on student behavior and learning from a daily 30-minute opening period of meditation and mindfulness, and the establishment of a “mindful room” for students who are acting out. Other schools are replacing detention with meditation as a way to help traumatized students learn to deal with their emotions and self-regulate their response to situations so they can approach learning with a more positive attitude.
Meditation is also a valuable tool for stressed teachers; in fact, allowing students to see how a teacher models these calming techniques can help students learn how to regulate their own emotions. Read more ›
In this session, John Neville , founder of Mindful Test Taking teaches valuable mindfulness strategies to quiet your mind, relax your muscles and reduce stress so you can stay calm under pressure and discusses tools to help you manage and navigate stressful situations, including taking tests.
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“Mindfulness is a form of attention or awareness training that can be applied in any activity throughout the day- seeing, hearing, walking, eating, playing and homework. Its purpose is to increase self awareness, emotional balance, impulse control and overall focus.” (Mindful Schools 2013). In this session, middle school learning specialist Cori Maiden, M.S.Ed, and music teacher Cynthia Pistone, both from Charles Armstrong School, show how to practice these skills with students through mindful activities and games. Read more ›
Pam Lozoff, MSW, RYT, Spirit of Youth Yoga Project Director discusses how yoga, breathing, and self-calming techniques can help children reduce their stress levels, learn to self-soothe, and be better equipped to regulate their emotions and behavior. Read more ›
