Naomi
Do you practice mindfulness with your students?
It can be very confusing to know what to do when you need the students to wind down and get back into the ‘green zone’. Is mindfulness simply putting on some relaxing ocean sounds and waiting for the after-lunch dust to settle, or do you want to dig a little deeper and work on some breathing techniques that could benefit everyone by feeling present in the moment?
I have been sharing some breathing exercises and techniques using some great videos from School Breathe, but am always conscious of how challenging students find it to be still.
We would be trying to focus on box breathing - breathe in for a count of 3, hold for 3, breathe out for 3, hold for 3 - but the quiet was regularly shattered by the sound of rulers clattering on the desks, or water bottles toppling. I don’t know about anyone else in the room, but this made me feel the opposite of zen!
A few weeks ago I came across an idea shared on Instagram by @openmindwithdrmonica - for students to make their own sensory motor support using pipe cleaners and beads. You create a small square with the pipe cleaner and move the beads as you count. “Something about sliding the beads helps to get people who are so in their heads to get back into their bodies,” she wrote.
Thinking that this could be worth a try, last week I had my year 5 and 6 students make their own box breathing support tool. Each individual was given a paper bag holding a pipe cleaner and 12 beads and I demonstrated how to construct it. As simple as I had thought the task, it did prove to be a little tricky for some, but persevere we did, and before long we were able to practice our breathing with a new found focus.
The verdict? The students were generally positive about the idea and as with anything new we’ll need to practice over the coming weeks and see if it can become a habit to support and promote mindful breath work.
Shona
Mindfulness is a practice that is very important in my life. I'll always remember years ago hearing the quote "You are not your thoughts" - it may have been Oprah (don't judge me) - but it's definitely true and I love to bring that knowledge to the classroom to help students experience the ability to calm their busy minds and cope in a world that seems to become noisier everyday.
One of the activities I find works really well as a Jumpstarter activity or after-break decompress, is a great visual representation that quickly brings you into the present and quietens your thoughts.
You just need a piece of paper and a pencil for each student. Turn down the lights, wait for some quiet and then all they need to do is make a mark with their pencil as they breathe in and again when they breathe out. Simple!
The marks can be whatever they choose and they can be the same or different on the in and out breath. You can also do this as a whole group on a large piece of paper, sitting at a desk or lying on the floor. Start off doing this for three minutes and extend the sessions if you feel they can handle the tranquillity.
On a creativity note, I also love to compare papers at the end of the activity with new groups and look at all the different marks that the kids make. It’s a really great example of how differently everyone reacts despite being asked to do the same task - we are all unique, just like our marks.
Best of all there is no right or wrong here; just a sense of focus, spending a little grounding time in our bodies and giving our minds a rest so we can get on with the important business of learning.
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