The mindful teacher

Educator and journalist Meena Srinivasan, has written a wonderful new book called, Teach, Breathe, Learn (Parallax  Press, 2014) . Meena began her career in journalism, eventually switching over to education. Now she works for the Oakland Unified School district for their  SEL (social and emotional learning) and Leadership development initiative. I've had the good fortune to sit in on several of Meena's workshops through the Mindfulness in Education conferences. Meena is a compassionate and skillful leader, and it is very clear that her mindfulness practice and teaching come from deep within. Teach, Breathe, Learn is a comprehensive guide for teachers or anyone who works in an educational setting. It is organized in the style of a formal curriculum manual, including lesson plans and student handouts. Although Meena has a wealth of experience to share, she writes with a humility and honesty which I appreciate. Personal stories are woven throughout the more formal les...

Listening to Sam Harris is like drinking a strong cup of black coffee. Or splashing your face with ice water. Or it's  like cleaning your glasses after looking through smudged lenses for two weeks. Pick your metaphor.  Whether you agree with him or not , the man gets your attention, and is one of the most articulate thinkers of our generation.   I have read and listened to  his talks for several years, in his role as a philosopher and religious critic, but only recently have I  become aware of his interest in spirituality  and meditation. In his latest book, Waking Up , he outlines the possibility of a secular, scientific approach to mindfulness and spirituality. And as usual for Harris , it makes for fascinating reading.  But  this book isn't for the faint of heart, and I would recommend beginners in meditation to start elsewhere (Say,  with the work of Jon Kabat -Zinn or Mark Williams), or with a live teacher. He gets into some detailed and...

True Williams (1839-1897) [Public domain] Once in a while every teacher has a day  when things just  spiral  out of control. Maybe it's one class... maybe it seems like the whole day is crazy. W e have a cold or don't feel one-hundred percent; maybe  we had little sleep the night before. Students are suddenly pulled out for a photo session. Nothing seems to go according to plan.  This happened to me recently.  A class that was challenging- but manageable- suddenly seemed to slip from my fingers. Several students were transferred to my class on the same day, in the middle of a lesson . A teacher's worst nightmare. Things felt out of control. I felt out of control. Emotions were flaring in me that, thankfully, are rare  these days.  When this happens, we often move into "fix-it" mode.  Move some seats; call home; check with the counselors; change the lesson plan; fill out forms for the office; yell; assert yourself; give stern l...