The mindful teacher

Years ago I picked up the classic book, “ The Elements of Style ”, by William Strunk Jr., and E. B.  White.  This  short manual has guided English majors for decades. Originally self-published by William Strunk Jr., an English professor at Cornell, it was combined with style hints by E. B.  White in 1957, and  it evolved into its now classic form. I fell in love with  its clarity and brevity, and its wisdom has guided my writing  for the past 30 years. But I always sensed that  The Elements of Style was much more than a guide to writing, that in a way, it was a guide to wise thinking and living. And my mindfulness practice has given me a whole new lens with which to view this iconic work. Here are just a few of the tips from this book, which could also be suggestions for a mindful approach to life.  On page 70, White says,  " Place yourself in the background.” Isn’t this the core of most wisdom teachings, to recognize that we are not t...

Mindfulness in education is something new- although it draws its  inspiration from many sources, some very old. At conferences and workshops I've attended, I've met people using poetry for contemplative reflection; who've taught focusing and awareness techniques; who teach slow, mindful movement; who draw  on the work of  St. Benedict  to reflect on the previous day's activities; and who teach the ancient practice of "Lectio Divina"- or what we would now call, "Close Reading".  People seemed more than happy to adapt any process that would work to make kids more self-aware, focused, and kind. Jon Kabat-Zinn has been a  pioneer in bringing mindfulness into the health care system, which he began  over 30 years ago. He took elements from ancient spiritual traditions and "secularized" them- making them palatable for anyone, regardless of religious or philosophical orientation-or of no orientation. He re-framed these practices in the service of h...

Nice story on Minnesota Public Radio about teachers dealing with their own stress at the beginning of the school year. It features an interview with Lisa Flook of  The University of Wisconsin, Madison. U-W Madison has a strong research program exploring the impact of mindfulness and compassion programs in Madison area public schools. Link:  http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/09/02/teachers

Mindfulness in the classroom sounds like a good idea on paper.  Take a break. Let kids breathe. Listen to the bell. Follow your thoughts. Simple, right?  Maybe... or maybe not.  Anyone who has worked with teenagers knows that even the best lesson plan can go awry, or that a teacher can encounter unexpected resistance from unexpected quarters. Then the teacher is dealing with the resistance of the student, and possibly,  their own irritation at the  student's "misbehavior." Resisting resistance! Jeremy Squires is a veteran social studies teacher at Highview, and recently shared how he deals with students who don't want to "follow the program" during mindfulness time (also called, "brain break").  Paradoxically, he found, by allowing kids to opt out of the exercise, it  gave  them permission to participate-while letting them save face in the process. His discovery  also reminds us of the self-consciousness that many kids feel at this age. He...