Listen here:
At overcrowded and underfunded public schools across the country high suspension rates are exacerbating existing achievement gaps. Often, chaos in the classroom is to blame, keeping students from concentrating on their classes. On this edition we’ll hear excerpts from Russell Long’s film “Room to Breathe” which takes us to a middle school in San Francisco, California, that began teaching mindfulness in the hopes of giving students the skills they need to focus on learning.
Featuring:
Ling Busch, guidance counselor at Marina Middle School; Megan Cowan, mindfulness teacher, students and teachers at Marina Middle School in San Francisco
For More Information:
Mindful Schools
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn on Mindfulness
Reproducing Social Inequality through School Security
“Mindfulness” meditation being used in hospitals and schools
In the Classroom, a New Focus on Quieting the Mind
The Garrison Institute
UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
The Video Project, Distributor of this and other fine films
The film’s website
Books
Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness: A Guide for Anyone Who Teaches Anything
The Mindful Child
Music:
Mos Def, “Sunshine (instrumental)”
Tags: art and culture, education, youth
This was a great example of dedicated teachers wanting to help students in the public schools. Mindfulness as a tool to be used, may allow any of us to remain in control of our reactions to the world around us, along with adaptation to multiple stressors. A tool like this is can be easily assimilated into everyday life, and becaomes a pattern of behavior if practiced.