BRING MINDFULNESS TO YOUR CLASSROOM!

BRING MINDFULNESS TO YOUR CLASSROOM!

A best practice for effective teaching and learning 

1.  INTRODUCTION

In schools, we are more or less effectively teaching maths, languages, biology, chemistry, history, geography… but we very rarely teach young people to use the lens through which all of their experiences (both in home and in school) are being filtered.  That is the faculty of attention.

Our mental health and happiness are profoundly shaped by what we do with our attention (where we place it and how we do it). Attention is the faculty of awareness that we might probably be sensing here right now.

Mindfulness is a foundation for all other learning, it’s a way of attaching to the present moment, living the past and the future aside. It’s learning from the inside out.

Mindfulness exercises are designed to train the brain to have focus, attention and emotional regulation.

2. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

A definition: [from Mindful.org (2014) in https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/]

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

Meditation begins and ends in the body. It involves taking the time to pay attention to where we are and what’s going on, and that starts with being aware of our body

In fact:

-          It is a like skill: makes a tremendous difference

-          Emotional awareness – the naming of feelings

-          Reflect rather than react to strong emotions

-          The faculty of attention

-          “The art of being present”

1) Mindfulness is not obscure or exotic. It’s familiar to us because it’s what we already do, how we already are. It takes many shapes and goes by many names.

2) Mindfulness is not a special added thing we do. We already have the capacity to be present, and it doesn’t require us to change who we are. But we can cultivate these innate qualities with simple practices that are scientifically demonstrated to benefit ourselves, our loved ones, our friends and neighbors, the people we work with, and the institutions and organizations we take part in

3) You don’t need to change. Solutions that ask us to change who we are or become something we’re not have failed us over and over again. Mindfulness recognizes and cultivates the best of who we are as human beings.

4) Mindfulness has the potential to become a transformative social phenomenon. Here’s why:

    Anyone can do it. Mindfulness practice cultivates universal human qualities and does not require anyone to change their beliefs. Everyone can benefit and it’s easy to learn.

   It’s a way of living.  Mindfulness is more than just a practice. It brings awareness and caring into everything we do—and it cuts down needless stress. Even a little makes our lives better.

  It’s evidence-based. We don’t have to take mindfulness on faith. Both science and experience demonstrate its positive benefits for our health, happiness, work, and relationships.

    It sparks innovation. As we deal with our world’s increasing complexity and uncertainty, mindfulness can lead us to effective, resilient, low-cost responses to seemingly intransigent problems.

3. WHY SHOULD ALSO STAFF LEARN MINDFULNESS?

There are two main reasons for staff to learn mindfulness:

1. Mindfulness enhances the well-being and resilience of staff among many other benefits.

2.  Teachers need to have understood mindfulness personally – from the inside – before they can be expected to teach it well and safely to young people. You cannot teach something you are not able to do.

     4 .  THE USE OF MINDFULNESS IN THE CLASSROOM

• Enhances learning: attention, memory, creativity and academic achievement Improves concentration and helps ignore distraction

• Helps students and teachers know themselves and regulate their emotions:helps find quietness and balance whenever they feel angry, sad, annoyed, and feel more secure.

• Increases introspection: they see more clearly what happens inside of them, others and their environment.

• Develops kindness

• Improves prosocial skills: such as patience, empathy, joy for others’ wellbeing and equality.

• They better control impulsive behaviour

•  They manage academic stress

• They practice more effective strategies of communication

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS:

TED talks:

-          Mindfulness in Schools: Richard Burnett at TEDxWhitechapel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mlk6xD_xAQ

-          Why aren’t we teaching you mindfulness: Anne Marie Rossi at TEDxYouth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJPcdiLEkI

-          Mindfulness in Education, Learning from the Inside Out: Amy Burke at TEDxAmsterdamED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i2B44sLVCM

Books, online resources

- Schoeaberlein, D. (2011). Mindfulness para enseñar y aprender. Estrategias para maestros y educadores. Madrid: Gaia Ediciones.

- Mindful: healthy life, healthy mind. (https://www.mindful.org/) – search for key word “school”

-  The Child Mind Institute (https://childmind.org/)

A PROJECT: Mindfulness in Schools Project

An example:

A teacher asked, “Can today’s mindful leader please come up front and begin?”

Isabella, a 6-year-old quietly took a cross-legged seat on the classroom rug facing her peers. With her palms facing up and resting on each knee, she began to tap her thumbs on each of her fingers, simultaneously repeating the words “I-am-calm-now” with each tap. Without hesitation, each of Isabella’s classmates, along with their teacher, followed their mindful leader, tapping their thumbs and saying “I am calm now,” gently lowering their voices after each repetition until the room grew quiet. The teacher then asked her students to slowly make their way to their tables and take out their “feelings” journal.

“They are learning the experience of settling their body, what used to be a wild time now becomes a charming, sweet moment when we all take a pause and come back to being present.”

She came to mindfulness on her own about 10 years ago, and after seeing the benefits in her own life, she started experimenting in the classroom with practices that used breathing and mindful listening. “As I became more knowledgeable, experimenting and seeing what was working, I was really impressed,” she said. “The kids verbalized to me that they felt they had tools to use to handle stressful situations, which was very moving to me.”

CONCLUSION

WHAT DOES LEADERSHIP MEAN TO ME NOW?

The contents of this subject have been enlightening to me, I did not know much about leadership before, even though I had been a leader in many situations, without even realising about it.

I used to think

Now I think

That school leadership was just about principals, coordinators and sometimes classroom teachers. That leadership was not something that I was necessarily going to develop during my professional career. That there were universal traits in leadership.

I have realised that school leadership is something that needs to be shared and collaborative. That all members of a school community should participate in leadership decisions and develop leadership skills. That leadership is something I want to work on, and that I need to evolve, recycle myself and discover my own leadership skills. That leadership traits are not universal and we should always take into account the context.

I just wanted to reflect a little bit about how my idea of leadership has changed over this last months. As I want to become a PYP teacher, I think this subject was really important for my professional development and has changes a lot my conception of education in international contexts and in general.

I hope you have liked the blog and learnt something from me.

UNIT 6 - THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ON PUPIL OUTCOMES

MAKING THE PYP HAPPEN

PEDAGOGICAL LEADERSHIP IN A PYP SCHOOL

CONNECT	EXTEND	CHALLENGE
Regarding the PYP, I was already aware of the main elements of the programme (transdisciplinary themes, units of inquiry, the learner profile, subject areas, key concepts, assessment…) as well as the role of the teacher, the existence of some of the leadership team members (the principal, the PYP coordinator) and the need of collaborative planning. Thanks to this reading I have been able to make connections between all the information I already had and the perspective of leadership in the PYP. One of the terms I have included into my IB vocabulary after reading this guide is “transparency”, which is linked to the philosophy of the programme.  I think it shows very well how all the planning should be, as all the members of the school community should be informed about the leadership decisions involving the learning process. Another aspect I had thought a lot about and that is very well treated in this guide is time, because I find it really hard to find time in schools for the meetings, the workshops and professional development. I was also really interested in finding more about single-subject teachers and their role in PYP schools and in leadership teams. As I’ve understood, they have to be aware of all the changes and processes and have the opportunity of developing a wide knowledge about the IB programme.	I have learnt a lot about the role of the PYP coordinator. The fact that this person needs to prove teaching ability and knowledge of the programme, ensures more effectiveness in the management and in decision-making based in real experience in IB schools. The issue of time is also important here, as the coordinator needs time outside specific teaching to meet the requirements of his role in the school. I have been searching for information about coordinators of PYP schools and there is a lot of research data available and a lot of workshops. Many coordinators are also part of evaluation committees for new IB schools, which I think is a right choice. I have read some other information about the process of authorization of IB schools, especially about how schools sometimes struggle to develop the language and the assessment policies. It is difficult presumably because as each school has its particular characteristics and the context is unique, even if there are examples available, these policies have to be very well thought and planned since the beginning. The leadership model is chosen by each of the schools. Nevertheless, the IB gives some clear advice by explaining that is has to be a model of shared, collaborative and pedagogical leadership (the primary aim is the learning), sustainable and empowering.	As ¡I want to become a PYP teacher, this document was really helpful and interesting. Nevertheless, I still have some doubts. I wonder if the school coordinator should be a native-speaker of the language of the country where the school is or if it is better that this person is a native-speaker of the language used in the school (if these two languages are different). Should all the educators of the school speak English? I think that at least pedagogical leaders such as the PYP coordinators or the principal are supposed to but the rest? As parents have to be aware of the leadership decisions that have to do directly with the learning of their children, I wonder which is the most effective way to communicate everything to them in the school (workshops, meetings or blogs). The economic investment needed to pay for the resources and workshops required to become an IB school, can it be achieved by state schools?

5.2. "NINE REASONS WHY GREAT TEACHERS MAKE GREAT LEADERS": THE 4CS

In this article, the author presents nine reasons why great teachers make great leaders:

1. Great teachers know how to create a strong company culture
2. Great teachers know how to set high expectations

3. Great teachers prioritize what really matters

4. Great teachers plan purposefully

5. Great teachers execute

6. Great teachers know how to learn constantly

7. Great teachers persevere

8. Great teachers are resourceful

9. Great teachers empathize

We will use the 4Cs strategy to reflect about the reading:

CONNECTIONS	CHALLENGES
This reading made me reflect about everything we have studied in this subject of School Leadership. I have realised that there are lots of features that make you a great and effective leaders, and that we can make lots of different lists of aspects and reasons why good teachers may be good leaders But at the end of the day, even if the aspects listed are different, they have the main ideas in common. In this case, I have learnt about the importance of building a strong company culture, which in schools is linked to the concept of “school community” we have been using in all the subjects of this Masters programme. The importance of planning and setting high expectations are related to assessment and to the IB philosophy. Being leader in the IB means applying in your classroom many aspects that we have already studied.	Maybe the article could have given more practical examples about how to implement some of these things as they are reasons why we could be great leaders. Nevertheless, there are a lot of materials and resources about school leadership available and by making connections among all of them we can find theory, examples and practical cases that help us develop our leadership skills. Each teacher is unique and what matters in education is that we are all aware that leadership is a part of it, a really important one that helps us be better teachers, better guides for our students and build a school community.
CONCEPTS	CHANGES
The author presents nine reasons why great teachers normally make great leaders. There are some concepts worth retaining. These teachers know how to build a strong company culture, which results in a school culture needed to consider it as a community. They set high expectations, which is one of the main requirements to stimulate and motivate others. Prioritizing is also important, as well as planning purposefully for learning. After all this, they have to be able to execute without fear or hesitations. Great teacher leaders are learning constantly, they persevere, which implicates that they never give up if they believe in something. They are also resourceful. Finally, they must have empathy in order to understand the needs of students and other members of the school community. These features help leaders make a real impact in the lives of their students.	I already had in mind all these aspects but I had not put them together as reasons great teachers make great leaders. The two aspects that I want to reconsider about myself after reading this article are perseverance and setting high expectations. I like to persevere but it is true that with students it is even more important, because sometimes you want to give up on something you think does not have a solution, but alternatives always exist, and we have to be creative and recycle ourselves. Moreover, I have always been told that when you set high expectations for yourself you often get frustrated, but I have always continued being like that as I love seeing how I can improve, evolve and change by working hard.

5.1. "TEN ROLES FOR TEACHER LEADERS" : THE 4CS

In this article, ten roles for teacher leaders are identified:

1. Resource provider
2. Instructional specialist
3. Curriculum specialist
4. Classroom supporter
5. Learning facilitator
6. Mentor
7. School leader
8. Data coach
9. Catalyst for change
10. Learner

We will use the 4Cs strategy to reflect about the reading:

CONNECTIONS	CHALLENGES
I really liked this reading as it made me think about my own concept of leadership. I have realised that if we take into account these different roles that teacher leaders can adopt, we may identify many more leaders around us than we would ever have imagined. Also, I had thought about the word “catalyst” before and I really think it is key in leadership as it makes reference to events or people that cause great change. The author mentions as well the figure of “mentor” which I connected with “coach”. I have also thought that great school leaders should have coaching techniques in order to help students and teachers solve problems and overcome obstacles. When you are able to work hard and focus all your efforts in looking for a better way to do things, you may probably be recognised as an effective leader.	I completely agree with the ideas presented in this reading although maybe I would have liked if the author had focused more on which roles have to do with students, as most of the references are for action and leadership between teachers within school teams. I think it is also important to know how to adopt several roles to help students better achieve their learning goals and understand how the world works. School leadership includes learners, teachers, parents and other members of the school community.
CONCEPTS	CHANGES
“The way teachers can lead are as varied as teachers themselves”. This text provides us with ten different ideas of roles that teachers leaders can adopt in their schools, which are ten concepts that we should have in mind. They involve skills, attitudes and knowledge. Teacher leaders can be resource providers, instructional and curriculum specialists (in planning, assessing, teaching, sharing their findings), classroom supporters (helping other teachers and consulting), learning facilitators, mentor (takes time and expertise), school leaders, data coaches, catalysts for change and learner (life-long learning is essential).	I think this reading invites educators to adopt these roles as far as possible and implement this type of practices in their classrooms and school communities. It does not mean that all teachers need to do all these things in order to be considered as good leaders, but at least we should take into account that these can be considered as “best practices” in school leadership. It made me change the way I thought about leadership. I considered more important leadership with students but I have come to realise about the importance of the roles of leaders among teachers.

CHOICE OF THE READINGS

For the unit 5 of School Leadership I chose the following readings:


1. "Ten roles for teacher leaders"


2. "Nine reasons great teachers make great leaders".


We will use the 4Cs thinking routine to reflect about both texts.

4.5. DECISION MAKING

IMPLEMENTING THE PYP IN A SCHOOL

Case:

Your school is considering the option to become an IB school and you have ecided to start with your Early Years and Primary section. You are considering the implications of authorisation. The Guide to school authorization: Primary Years Programme explain the process. There are lots of implications and decisions to be made. We are going to consider implementing the programme in three years.

STEP 1 - PRIORITISE

What decisions will be taken the first, second and third year? Why?

YEAR 1	YEAR 2	YEAR 3
-          Choose a PYP coordinator and training him/her -          Choose the language of instructions -          Starting with professional development: bringing someone to the school. Teachers reading the PYP guides. -          Mission and vision of the school: IB Philosophy -          Working with PYP coordinators to communicate with parents	-          Workshops for homeroom teachers: then they can train others – inquiry, transdisciplinary programme -          Resources, fundraising and budget -          Planners and curriculum -          Students are informed about the programme, specially about the learner profile -          Language policy -          Leadership team	-          Assessment policy and special needs policy -          Workshops and online resources -          Infrastructures such as library and other facilities -          Schedule: teachers optimize time and collaborative planning -          Organizing the exhibition

Reflection:

We prioritised the coordinator's choice because his/her training determines the way this process is going to be developed. The PYP implementation cannot be successful without a coordinator.

The first trainings and workshops are about the IB philosophy and restablishing the mission and vision of the school, because without this general information, the rest of the process does not make sense.

Parents need to be aware because they will decide if they want their children to participate in the project of being an IB World learner or not.

Then, the second year we considered that workshops for homeroom teachers would be before the training of the rest, as they could go and then train their colleagues. The language policy is also essential and the leadership team must be established collaboratively. The first planners and curriculum issues have to be developed at this stage.

Regarding the last year, we would develop the other two key policies, which are the assessment and special need ones. We would send other teachers to workshops and think about the infrastructures and facilities that need to change or be rethought.

STEP 2 - THINK ABOUT IMPLICATIONS
What implications might each of the decisions have? Use the thinking hats to evaluate one of the decisions.

Decision: Parents are informed about the implementation of the PYP.

      

           White hat, facts:

o   Why the changes are being made?

o   What the changes are?

o   The benefits of the changes for the children

       Red hat, feelings:

o   Negative: worried, uncertain

o   Positive: curious, excited

       Yellow hat: benefits:

o   They need to feel included and aware of the changes, they know what to expect

o   You avoid conflict, future problems

      Black hat, cautions:

o   Being clear, making sure that it is being communicated well

o   Honesty: what we expect from them

o   Clear about difficulties

o   Space for parents to express their concerns and feelings

      Green hat, creativity:

o   Games, workshops

o   Create a pamphlet/informational paper before, so that they can reflect about it and make useful questions    

o   Inviting them to get involved and propose and share ideas

     Blue hat, process:

o   First: develop the pamphlet with the PYP Coordinator according to the school

o   Benefits of the PYP for their kids

o   Small groups: games, thinking routines: showing them what the IB is, mission, vision, philosophy.

o   Questions and concerns: implications, suggestions…

Reflection:

I think this strategy was really useful to think about all these aspects of decision making, because they are part of our thoughts but sometimes we don’t know how to organise them. They are not the tip of the iceberg and we must understand how to take everything into account. It helps us know the limitations, problems and benefits of doing something or making a decision, as well as how to organise the process and the results, being aware of the most challenging ideas that can be used in each of the steps. Moreover, doing it in groups is beneficial because it provides different perspectives of the same aspects in order to reflect about the same idea.

STEP 3 - TAKING ACTION 
Action plan for year two of the implementation of the PYP

OBJECTIVES	TASKS	SUCCESS CRITERIA	TIME FRAME	RESOURCES
Resources, fundraising and budget	Fees, holding events designed to raise money, contacting donors, appointing someone who is in charge of this task	Raising enough money for the PYP implementation	Before the workshops of second year	Events: pamphlets, invitations, advertisements…
Send homeroom teachers to workshops so that they can train other teachers afterwards	Contact the IB and organise the budget	Teachers go to the workshops and are able to communicate what they have learnt and use it	By the year	Money, meetings for the teachers to relate back what they’ve learnt
Students are informed about the programme, specially about the learner profile	Time for teachers to collaborate and do this in the classroom, aside from the content	Students are aware of the change and the impact of the PYP	After the workshops	Knowledge of what they’ve learnt in the workshops about the IB
Leadership team	Restructure the leadership team by introducing pedagogical leadership to the staff.	Putting into practices pedagogical leadership by knowing that the primary task should be the learning.	During the year, starting at the beginning with the principal and coordinator proposing changes and suggestions	The guides (Pedagogical leadership in the PYP) Videos, conferences…
Language policy	Establish curricular languages and second language learning, finding ways to give each children opportunities to develop mother tongue and other languages, find teachers and resources for languages	All students have the opportunity to develop their mother tongue in school as well as other languages	Starting in September and trying to finish it in the first term so that it can be put into practice	Teachers, information about students, analysis of the linguistic and cultural context

Reflection:

In my opinion, it was a very effective tool to learn how to plan the implementation of the PYP in a school, which may be something we will experience ourselves one day if we have the opportunity to work in IB schools. It helps organize the main aspects that should be covered in order to have a structure and better follow the steps. When we make important decisions such as this one, not using a written plan can have many negative implications, like forgetting some of the key aspects or not giving appropriate solutions to the most important issues.

Action plans can be used not only for this type of decisions but also in daily life, for example organising trips, weekly work, a project from the Masters, private classes etc.