Introducing mindfulness moments in the classroom

Chase-Cantarini, S. & Christiaens, G. Introducing mindfulness moments in the classroom.

Journal of Professional Nursing 35(5), 389-392.

  • educational strategy to manage stress and fatigue while encouraging engagement and focus
  • four-week study of ten-minute daily mindfulness meditation practices amongst nursing students
  • found that the regular practice had many benefits including increased attention, reduced stress, less emotional reactivity, increased working memory, etc.
  • supports incorporation of mindfulness in classroom
  • developing specific daily mindfulness routines for students

 

Mindfulness Goes to School: Things Learned (So Far) from Research and Real-World Experiences

Semple, R. J., Droutman, V., & Reid, B. A. (2017). Mindfulness Goes to School: Things Learned

(So Far) from Research and Real-World Experiences. Psychology in the Schools, 54(1),

29–52.

  • mindfulness programs incorporated into many school curriculums across the United States
  • despite programs being purposeful and well implemented, there is actually little empirical research to support their effectiveness Ă  call for further research
  • examine ten mindfulness-based programs that have been successfully implemented in school settings, but have not been extensively researched, and highlights the strengths and limitations of each
  • more collaborative research and exploration into the effectiveness of mindfulness programs

 

Teach, breathe, learn: Mindfulness in and out of the classroom

Srinivasan, M. (2014). Teach, breathe, learn: Mindfulness in and out of the classroom. Retrieved

from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca

  • Author’s experience teaching around the world and applying mindfulness to the “front lines” in the classroom in any country or culture
  • focuses on using mindfulness and compassion to respond rather than react in situations Ă  self-practice as a teacher
  • not supported by empirical research
  • personal bias on pros of mindfulness in the classroom, however, real world specific examples of applications of mindfulness in the classroom (not in PE or a health and wellness unit), both for students and teachers
  • focuses mindfulness practice around Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies

 

Introduction to the Special Issue: Mindfulness in the Schools – Historical Roots, Current Status, and Future Directions

Renshaw, T. L. & Cook, C. R. (2017). Introduction to the Special Issue: Mindfulness in the

Schools – Historical Roots, Current Status, and Future Directions. Psychology in the Schools, 54(1), 5-12.

  • historical background, current status, future implications
  • empirical research available (although little) and is in support of mindfulness-based programs
  • form of SEL learning as it directly targets two of the five competencies (self-awareness and self-management)
  • future research should be more diverse and include cultural factors – values and world views – to see if that has an impact on the effectiveness of mindfulness

 

From me to we: Revolutionising Mindfulness in Schools

Simpson, D. (2017). From me to we: Revolutionising Mindfulness in Schools. Contemporary

Buddhism, 18(1), 47–71.

  • critical review of mindfulness in UK school system
  • argues mindfulness practice originates from traditional Buddhist roots has been oversimplified, commercialized, and secularized when brought into schools and in doing so is a disservice to what mindfulness is Ă  opposition
  • school mindfulness programs need to better frame the practice and make it more “pro-social”
  • suggestions to make it more sincere