Hello, Euphoric Gratitude Readers!
To jumpstart our transition to mindful teaching/online teaching, I thought it would be nice to create a 2-part mindful teaching series. Part 1 will focus on the challenges in teaching and suggestions to help with the incorporation of mindfulness.
Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, but it can also be challenging. One of the best ways to handle challenging moments is by practicing mindfulness and bringing it into the classroom. There are some exercises that you as a teacher can do for yourself, to re-center and reset, and other exercises that will be beneficial for the whole class to do.
Practicing mindfulness every day is an excellent habit, but one that can take a bit of time to properly adopt. Start by paying more attention to your feelings. If students are struggling or are not engaged, that can sometimes be frustrating. Hit “pause” and ask yourself why you feel this way. Is it because you have gone over this exercise with the student three times now and they are lost because they are refusing to pay attention? That is not your fault, release the feeling and try a new approach to engage the student.
The more you pay attention to what you are feeling and why, the more you will start to take ownership of your emotions, and the easier it will be to “let go” the ones that are not useful.
Bringing mindfulness into the classroom is an excellent way to help your students reset and engage. Start by having students sit comfortably. Then, lead them in a guided relaxation technique called a body scan. Ask them to focus on their breath, and then slowly guide them as they notice their foreheads, jaw, neck, etc. all the way down to their feet.
For a disruptive or disengaged class, this exercise can help to reset the tone of the day and bring everyone back into a more studious and focused mindset.
If you like any of these suggestions or have your own tricks to deal with challenges and add mindfulness in teaching, please share in the comment section.’
Also, if you would like to start to teach online from home or need resources to help with your online teaching, please visit GET STARTED- TEACH FROM HOME.
With gratitude,
Jeannie
Euphoric Gratitude 