The mindful teacher

Recently a colleague at my school said to me, "I need some more of that patience that you were talking about".... referring, I think, to a workshop I gave a few days prior, on mindfulness. He reminded me of a phrase I have been practicing with for several years, "May I be patient"... It has resurfaced in my mind countless times as I've dealt with challenging students and classes. I decided to make this artwork in honor of my friend's comment, and I made copies for all the staff at my school. It's a simple but powerful phrase. You might like to try memorizing it and practicing with it. Patience is certainly one of the cardinal virtues that every teacher has to have- or start cultivating. 

I recently returned from three  days in Denver for the 2015 Mindfulness in Education Conference. It consisted of two days of wonderful speakers and workshops, and a final day of mindfulness practice on Sunday.  There are several such conferences now across the country, but this one was founded about eight years ago by Richard Brady, a former high school math teacher from Washington D.C. I've been fortunate to attend every conference put together by the MiEN folks, (Mindfulness in Education Network), and each year just seems to get better. It's now a three day event, with speakers and experts from around the country convening to share the insights from their work in the fields of mindfulness and education.  My wife accompanied me on this trip, and after a day or two, she asked me,  "So what are you learning?.... Are you learning anything new?"  I had to pause when she asked me this question. Certainly most of the concepts are familiar by now: defining mindfulness...

The end of the school year has always provided a challenge for me. The silence of an empty room  has a certain poignancy about it. Leftover student projects litter the counters, like confetti after a ticker-tape parade. Empty hallways seem like medieval catcombs. And custodians begin clearing out rooms with a business-like efficiency. There's also the letting go. Saying good bye to the many students I've developed relationships with;  saying goodbye to colleagues who've decided to move on; letting go of projects that have been in the works for several years; Letting to of a daily routine, which I have down to the minute due to my commute and class schedule. It all involves quite an adjustment. It used to be a  difficult transition for me, taking several weeks to slow down and adjust to my summer schedule. It doesn't take quite as long now, having cultivated the tools of mindfulness and relaxation. I think of my "school mind" as a spinning top, whirling from mo...

I consider energy to be a key component of genius, and if that's true, I've known many geniuses in my tenure at Highview: people who seem to have the ardor of 3 or 4 teachers, who teach a full, chaotic load, as well as put on dances, decorate hallways, and run student councils.  Stacey Olinger, a 6th grade teacher at Highview,  is one of those people who does all that and more. All with a 1000 watt smile, too.  But even geniuses need to hit the reset button from time to time. I received an email from Stacey earlier in the year where she shared how she found a few moments during her prep time to practice mindfulness: "... The other day, I listened to one of your  mindfulness  podcasts in the middle of my prep just so I (could) re-focus and re-energize. I so appreciate your commitment to the whole child. .....you continue to make sure it is deemed important and talked about. " And on the final day of the school year, she shared with staff some feedback from a stu...

Nicholas Cook is an EL (English Learner) instructor at Highview Middle School, which means he teaches English to students who speak a different language at home. He studied at Bethany college, and has been in teaching for two years. He works with about twenty-seven kids who have a wide range of language backgrounds. Recently Nick shared with me that he uses many of our brain break scripts with his small groups. One student reads the script, while the others close their eyes and follow along.  He asked me if I had more scripts, as the kids had mastered the originals and were excited for more. I’ve always tried to make the scripts we use as clear and as accessible as possible, so I was glad that Nick's group had found them useful. Having students lead a brain break can also increase buy-in, as well as foster leadership.  And what a great way to build community- not only having practice in reading aloud and building English skills, but sharing a few moments of calm and relax...

I just finished a charming new book  by Russ Roberts, entitled, "How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life". It is a quick, fun read, and brings to life the ideas of Adam Smith, the Scottish philosopher who is best known for his classic work, "The Wealth of Nations." That book is considered the ultimate defense of the capitalist system, and an explication of how self -interest can be the invisible hand   that moves the economy. In this book however, Roberts focuses on a lesser known work of Smith's entitled, "The Theory of Moral Sentiments." While the Wealth of Nations focuses on the economic macrocosm, Moral Sentiments looks at the smaller circle of our relationships, and how we ought to behave to maximize those.  Of most interest to mindful educators is his notion of the "impartial spectator." Smith notes how we have the ability to step back and look at our lives as if from a distance, as a spectator might watch a contest or game. This "me...

If you asked me to read a book about assessment, I would politely decline. Assessment has never held much interest for me, as a theme in itself. Sure, I do my grades at the end of a unit like everyone else. But for me it's always been about the process, and reflecting moment-by-moment. And as an art teacher, I have conflicting feelings about grading something that should be an expression of the self.  But a colleague of mine has a strong interest in this topic, especially as her little girl is bumping into the testing monolith in her elementary school. So when I ran into  Anya Kamenetz's  book, " The Test: Why Our Schools are Obsessed with Standardized Testing–But You Don't Have to Be " (PublicAffairs, 2015), I picked it up and gave it a go.  I wasn't disappointed.  Kamenetz is an education reporter for NPR, and her expertise shines through every page. She starts with a meticulous critique of our current system, and also gives a historical overview of where a...