Mindfulness for Teachers: a Hands-on Approach

Description

Concept by Elena Mannelli

This course has been created for teachers and staff who want to learn more about what Mindfulness is, how it can benefit both their students and themselves, and how it can best be integrated into their schools. 

By establishing a firm foundation in their own self-practice throughout the course, participants will learn how Mindfulness can be cultivated in a practical, hands-on way.

Course participants will be encouraged to keep a journal of their experiences that will provide insight even after the course has finished, and help motivate them to continue their own practice. 

By the end of this course, participants will have established their own Mindfulness practice, having experienced its benefits first-hand. Participants will leave the course with a toolbox of Mindfulness practices that they can use in their classrooms.

They will have gained an understanding of how these practices can be adapted to their individual student populations, and how they can be introduced to students unfamiliar with Mindfulness.

Finally, they will have a firm grasp of how Mindfulness practices can have a positive effect on their own and their students’ moods, ability to focus, stress levels, and communication.

Learning outcomes

The course will help the participants to:

• Adopting new techniques for working with students to practice emotional control and empower individuals to overcome everyday stress; 
• Introducing techniques aimed to enhance self-control and self-management of attention for more successful learning; 
• Using of innovative techniques for empowering teachers in working with students; 
• Developing personal techniques for working with students; 
• Exchanging experiences and examples of good practice in a multicultural context. 

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Course introduction & intro to mindfulness

Course introduction

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities using drama for trust and ensemble building.

Intro to mindfulness

• Identification of needs and goals for each participant and relevant populations;
• Establishing a definition of Mindfulness;
• Introduction to seated practice;
• Self-practice as a foundation for integrating Mindfulness into the classroom;
• Embodiment practices;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Day 2 – The science behind mindfulness

• Seated practice and discussion;
• The history and science of Mindfulness;
• Benefits of Mindfulness for teachers and students;
• Focused attention practices.

Day 3 – Introducing mindfulness to students

• Seated practice and discussion;
• A history of Mindfulness in schools;
• Approaches to integrating mindfulness practices into schools;
• The language of Mindfulness in the classroom;
• Introducing the concept of Mindfulness to students;
• Mindfulness and inclusivity;
• Adapting the practices for different ages and needs;
• Heartfulness practices. 

Day 4 – Mindfulness and classroom management

• Seated practice and discussion;
• Mindful listening and communication;
• Mindfulness and classroom management;
• Interconnection practices.

Day 5 – Creating a meditation practice

• Seated practice and discussion;
• Creating and presenting a meditation practice;
• Group feedback.

Day 6 – Course Closure & Excursion

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.