Bringing Mindfulness to School: Possibilities, Pitfalls and Practices
Interest in bringing mindfulness into education settings has grown rapidly in the last decade. Universities and K-12 schools across the globe are finding ways to incorporate mindfulness programs and practices into the school day. This is because there is a mounting depth and breadth of research showing its benefits. Shelley will share a brief overview of the benefits of mindfulness-based approaches for students, teachers and education professionals. She will share some examples of trauma-sensitive mindfulness activities and practices for nurturing habits of mind that are central to learning, social awareness, cognitive and emotional development, and overall well-being. Shelley will also invite us into discussion about potential barriers and key considerations for bringing mindfulness into school settings.
Shelley Murphy PhD, is a former classroom teacher and now a lecturer and researcher at the OISE/University of Toronto. She teaches courses in Mindfulness in Education, Special Education and Mental Health. She has been a mindfulness practitioner and educator for 20 years and has extensive training in the science of mindfulness and mindfulness-based approaches for classroom settings. Shelley is the recipient of A Mindful Society’s 2019 Michele Chaban Spirit of Leadership Award for her work and research in the field of mindfulness in education. Her most recent publication, Fostering Mindfulness, was released in 2019 through Pembroke Publishers.
Responding to the Need for Mindfulness in Education
Given the popularity of mindfulness for stress reduction in these modern times, many educators are keen to incorporate mindfulness-based activities through points of sensory awareness and intention setting for the child’s wellbeing. Deb will share some of the current mindfulness practices found in elementary and high schools in the GTA and beyond. She will provide the related feedback from the students, teachers and principals. Seeing student’s success as a team effort, Deb will open a conversation on how a mindfulness facilitator could best support a child’s social worker/case worker, teacher, guidance counsellor, family therapist and parents.
Deb Taylor BA, BEd. As a primary, intermediate and senior-level teacher for many years, Deb has also been teaching stress management techniques for a more ease-filled life. Through her in-depth study into mindfulness and wellbeing, she has facilitated one on one and group sessions in stress management, yoga, healthy life skills and meditation for students of all ages. Deb responded to teachers who were interested in learning how to incorporate these beneficial practices in the classroom. In order to support student’s mind-body connection through the lens of mindfulness, Deb founded the MYndful Movement Program in 2017, soon to be published through FriesenPress.