Aim:
To bring the benefits of mindfulness to as many people in the school – students, teachers, administrative staff – as possible through the practice of a range of 5-10 minute mindfulness exercises on an ongoing basis.
Benefits:
Mindfulness Practice has been shown to offer the following benefits to members of the school community.
Benefits for students can include:
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Feeling calmer and more relaxed
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Reduced levels of negative emotions such as worry and anger
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Increased feelings of empathy and kindness
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Enhanced ability to focus and stay on task
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Heightened memory retention and creative thinking skills
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Overall strengthening of emotional intelligence and general wellbeing
Benefits for staff can include:
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Reduced levels of stress, anxiety and worry
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Lower risk of burnout and fatigue
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Higher levels of compassion and empathy
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Improved ability to handle difficult conversations
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Increased ability to remain purpose driven and focused
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Improved sleep patterns
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Better work / life balance
Training Provided
The training takes place over five one-hour sessions, generally spaced one week apart.
Teachers will learn a range of mindfulness practices including breathing exercises, simple meditations, body scan / muscle relaxation exercises, mindful movement, mindful eating and mindfulness of emotions.
Teachers will also learn basic mindfulness theory and how to teach mindfulness at an age appropriate level.
As a part of the program, teachers will have the opportunity to teach the exercises to other members of the program.
Between sessions teachers will be asked to spend 5 – 15 minutes per day, for 3 – 5 days per week, engaged in a mindfulness practice.
By the end of the training teachers will feel comfortable with the mindfulness exercises and feel confident in their ability to teach and practice the short, 5 minute exercises with their students.
The program also includes the following soft copy resources:
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Teacher instruction booklet
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Course booklet for teaching mindfulness in the classroom
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Mindfulness MP3 files
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Exercises for use in classroom