The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students

by Daniel Rechtschaffen, Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD (Foreword by)

Overview

A new educational paradigm for youth mindfulness.

“If you are a teacher, or an educator, or involved in school administration and curriculum development, the book you hold in your hands has the potential to transform your life, the lives of your students, and the life of the school itself, as well as education in America.”—Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, from the Foreword

With attention spans waning and stress on the rise, many teachers are looking for new ways to help students concentrate, learn, and thrive. The Way of Mindful Education is a practical guide for cultivating attention, compassion, and well-being not only in these students, but also in teachers themselves. Packed with lesson plans, exercises, and considerations for specific age groups and students with special needs, this working manual demonstrates the real world application of mindfulness practices in K-12 classrooms.

Part I, Why Mindful Education Matters, explains what mindfulness is, the science behind its benefits for students and educators, and the inspiring work that is already underway in the Mindful Education movement.

In Part II, Begin with Yourself, we are reminded that in order to teach mindfully, we need to be mindful. Here teachers will learn the when, where, and how of mindfulness so they can effectively embody its practices with their students. Mindfulness practices offer teachers self-care and attention skills that prepare them to teach with greater energy and mastery. Discover how simple exercises can help manage stress, focus attention, develop compassion, and savor positive experiences in everyday life.

Part III, Cultivating a Mindful Classroom, explores the qualities of a mindful teacher, the ingredients of a mindful learning environment, and helpful skills for appropriate, supportive work with cultural diversity, student stress and trauma, and varying age groups and developmental stages.

Finally, in Part IV, Mindful Education Curriculum, we learn eighteen ready-to-use mindfulness lessons for use in schools. These practical exercises, designed to foster skills like embodiment, attention, heartfulness, and interconnectedness, can be readily adapted for any age group and population, and the author draws from his extensive personal experience to offer a wealth of tips for introducing them to students in real-time.

Decades of research indicate the impressive benefits of mindfulness in social, emotional, and cognitive development, and as an antidote to emotional dysregulation, attention deficits, and social difficulties. This book invites teachers, administrators, and anyone else involved in education to take advantage of this vital tool and become purveyors of a mindful, compassionate, ethical, and effective way of teaching.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393708950
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	06/08/2014
Series:	Norton Books in Education
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	1,008,335
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.70(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Daniel Rechtschaffen, a Marriage and Family Therapist, has a master’s degree in counseling psychology. He founded the Mindful Education Institute and the Omega Mindfulness in Education conference, has developed a variety of curricula for mindfulness in the classroom, and leads mindfulness trainings for schools and communities around the world.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Foreword Jon Kabat-Zinn xiii

Introduction xxv

Part I Why Mindful Education Matters

The Way of Mindfulness 3

The Mindful Education Revolution 9

The History of Mindful Education 15

Mapping the Movement 19

The Science of Mindfulness 24

The Origins of Mindfulness 36

Part II Begin With Yourself

Caring for the Caregiver 41

The When, Where, and How of Mindfulness 46

Cultivating Embodiment 52

Cultivating Attention 57

Cultivating Heartfulness 61

Cultivating Inter connectedness 66

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence 70

Cultivating Mmclful Communication 78

Mindfulness in Our Modern World 83

Part III The Mindful Classroom

Qualities of a Mindful Teacher 89

Essential Ingredients of a Mindful Classroom 95

Working with Diversity and Inclusion 105

Working with Stress and Trauma 112

Working with Different Age Groups 122

Part IV Mindful Education Curriculum

Introducing Mindfulness to Students 139

The Layout of a Mindfulness Lesson 145

Mindfulness-Based Curriculum 150

Embodiment Lessons 154

Language of the Body 156

Playing Mindfulness 164

Mindful Movement 169

Mindful Eating 175

Attention Lessons 180

Anchor Breath 182

Mindful Listening 190

Mindful Seeing 196

Stream of Thoughts 201

Heartfulness Lessons 208

Heartful Phrases 210

Roots of Emotions 217

Destructive Emotions 224

Generating Gratitude 230

Interconnection Lessons 236

Mindful Communication 238

Natural World Lesson 245

Practicing Distraction 250

Mindful Engagement 256

Integration 261

Personal Practice 266

Integration Exercises 269

Heartfulness Send Out 272

Curriculum Samples 275

Resources 295

References 297

Editorial Reviews

"Have you ever wondered what a child taught mindfulness at an early age would look like when he grew up? He’d look like Daniel Rechtschaffen. The greatest strength of this valuable new book is in the combination of practical mindfulness-based tools for youth with the author’s integrated, compassionate worldview, developed through a lifetime of practice and honed for years in school settings."

Susan Kaiser Greenland

"Paying attention well is the key to learning, and mindful awareness is a mental muscle we can strengthen. Daniel Rechstaffen has drawn on years of in-the-classroom experience to offer educators a sound, detailed guidebook for helping their students cultivate this special kind of attention, a capacity crucial for success not just in school, but also at work. The Way of Mindful Education shares tools that teachers and students will love, and that will enhance their learning, their wellbeing, and their lives."

Daniel Goleman

"Solidly grounded and personally accessible, this is an insightful and compassionate guide to supporting the growth of mindful awareness in children and students. Speaking from a lifetime of experience learning and teaching about this important way of being in the world, Daniel Rechtschaffen shows educators and parents how to find the inner sense of clarity that is so essential in helping child and adolescent learners develop concentration, compassion, and connection in our increasingly chaotic and challenging environments."

Daniel J. Siegel

"In The Way of Mindful Education, Daniel Rechtschaffen offers educators the tools to develop classrooms and schools that cultivate attention while promoting kindness toward ourselves and others. . . . Most importantly, he provides the reader with ample resources and lessons that can be used immediately in the classroom. While the concept of mindfulness may initially seem complex and unconventional, it is a low-risk, high-reward approach to helping teachers and students manage the stresses that impact their daily performance. That alone makes it worthy of consideration by any school leader who values the emotional needs of students and staff members."

a magazine by the National Association of Elementa Principal

"The Way of Mindful Education . . . not only allows teachers to recognize an increasing need for mindful education, but also offers comprehensive and attainable methods as to how to go about introducing mindful education to their students. This book could greatly improve the academic experiences of children of all ages and backgrounds. . . . This book is written primarily for educators, however anyone working with children could benefit from its teachings."

United States Association for Body Psychotherapy

"This is the book the field has been waiting for. Rechtschaffen skillfully blends science and wisdom traditions, teaching readers the inner work that will prepare them to, in turn, teach mindfulness to young people, and providing a wealth of clear, child-centered strategies to help our educational communities approach instruction and learning in a mindful way. If we can take his message to heart, the field of k-12 education, where I have served for over four decades, is about to take a great leap forward."

Linda Lantieri