Meditation & School Teachers

When the Meditation in Schools Project comes up in conversation with an adult the response is usually positive, concluding with:

“Oh the students are so stressed and distracted these days – it’s so needed”

Sometimes teachers contact Mind Space looking for a technique to help their student’s experience calm and focus. This is great.

However one of the most important elements of bringing stillness into the classroom is the well-being of the staff. In some respects this needs to be addressed before the students.
Otherwise you end up with a Meditation session that is ‘policed’ by staff.

Members of staff marching around making sure that the students are Meditating.
Pulling out any member of the group who is making a noise.

As any of you know who attends a Meditation class there needs to be a calm atmosphere in the room if the Meditation is going to work successfully.

I was happy to read about a series of Meditation sessions that are being run for staff in the USA – you can find out more details here:

In a school Meditation for Staff really needs to be the first step. To have the staff on board and understanding the process of Meditation. If this can happen they you’re half way there.

If the staff and ideally the parents  appreciate the practices of Meditation then this will benefit the students.

At the last school I visited I asked the students at the beginning of the class, what they thought Meditation was. The usually responses came back:

‘Chanting MMMMM sitting like this sir – (cross-legged, hands upturned on the knees)

Where does this view come from?

The cliché views held by elders.

If parents and teachers can practice Meditation then this has an effect on the students.

How so?

Simply, their actions of body, speech and mind are calmer and gentler.

This has a profound effect. They don’t need to say or mention anything about Meditation – ‘you must practice Meditation!’
Far from it.

The tradition of Meditation is that you only practice when your ready. Nobody can force or push you into Meditation practices.
This is why I say to schools and companies who are interested in introducing Meditation to their students and staff.
‘It needs to be an activity that they opt into, that they choose to do.’

Otherwise it becomes another case of: ‘You need Meditate’
This makes no sense if you Meditate, as its pointing the finger outside.

So my advice to a school that wishes to bring more calm into their classroom is to begin with the teachers and parents.
Hold a few introductory sessions for them, this is also an opportunity  to discover what their students/children will be practicing, ask some questions and gain experience.

Find out the latest beneficial research of Meditation for School Teacher
Learn more about the Meditation in Schools Project.

Written by Adam Dacey
Contribute a post to the Mind Space site.

Meditation in Schools – Information for Teachers

Mind Space Meditation in a non profit making Social Enterprise.

We have no religious or political affiliations.

The sessions are engaging and can include guided meditations, teaching,
discussion and team play - depending on the time and length of the
session.

There are a variety of online resources that we can offer to the school to
help support the program.

The guided meditations that we teach to begin with are based around the
Classical Breathing Meditation:
http://www.mindspace.org.uk/2011/01/how-to-meditate-meditation-2-winding-down/

The meditation workshops are suitable for children aged 7-18.

For the older children who have optional lessons its good that they can
choose to opt in to attend the sessions. This will require a taster
session for them to decide if its something for them  or a presence at a
elective fayre.

We also offer the sessions to members of staff.

The sessions can range from 30 minutes to a full day.

We can run taster sessions, small assemblies, a 6 week course or a rolling
series of workshops throughout the year.

We suggest that the school makes a donation to Mind Space (depending upon
the amount of sessions) so that they can receive more resources and
support the program reaching more people.

Contact us for more information.

How Meditation Can Help Teachers in Schools

Watch an interview about the Meditation in Schools project here.
How Meditation can help Teachers in Schools
Teacher from London area

How Meditation Can Help Children in Schools

Watch an interview about the Meditation in Schools project here.

How Meditation Can Help Children In Schools – by Adrian Hyde
(Primary School Teacher in the Dudley Borough, West Midlands)

As a Primary teacher of over 15 years it has become more and more noticeable that children over the last few years seem to be facing greater challenges to their well-being.

It seems that they are being influenced more and more by technology without sufficient guidance. Technology has increased the amount of information they have to process each day and whilst not all bad there is information that maybe they shouldn’t have to be processing or should be having some support with.

Family time is being squeezed by pressures of work and parents also spending more time with their own various forms of technology.

Comparing today with my own primary school days there is so much more that children have to deal with and often by themselves. Generally there life is more cluttered and there is less space for an innocent daydream or just moments of freewheeling – all things which a healthy mind should be able to do.

So how could meditation help in schools? By providing a structured opportunity for children to allow their minds to relax, de-clutter and find space.

Children respond remarkably well to the opportunity to meditate or chill out – children quite like the idea of meditation, to them it’s cool and different.

Responses from children in primary school whom I have seen experience a meditation are overwhelmingly positive. Their feedback on these sessions is that it felt; relaxed, calm, peaceful, quiet and it changed the feeling in the classroom to a better one.

Even with a challenging class those children whom you might expect to be difficult actually respond very well to the calm environment created – it may well be just the escape they need from a mind that has some turmoil.

On an emotional intelligence course I learned that people generally exist in 3 zones;

the comfort zone in which we have no stress and are totally relaxed.
the challenge zone where we are tested in a healthy way that helps us develop.
and finally the stress zone which is pretty paralysing and very uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, some children are in or very close to the stress zone when they arrive at school in the morning. So what happens at school to help them?

‘Stop fidgeting!’ ‘Stop chatting to your friends!’ ‘Stop daydreaming!’ ‘Your targets today are to learn about ‘equivalent fractions and percentages!’

Are we asking why children are behaving the way they do and more importantly are we doing anything about it?

Perhaps our first target of the day should be that you should all do nothing for 10 minutes except listen to your breathing?

Teachers & Lecturers

Although teaching can be one of the most rewarding and satisfying vocations there is also a stress load that can accompany this work which can affect us both physically and mentally.  

Mind Space Education visits schools to offer children the practices of meditation and well being – our be-spoked approach means we can offer separate sessions/workshops  for Teachers and Lecturers. 

Contact us if you would like a Mind Space Education Information Pack.