An important point Saltzman made in this article was that we ask students to pay attention yet we never teach them how. I observe this over and over again in the classroom. Many times, teachers will ask students to do something (multiple times) yet they never teach them HOW to do something, so the fact that they expect this from their students is a little silly. Paying attention is a great example. Recently, I took an Effective Teaching workshop through BOCES. Through this professional development training, I was taught to assume nothing when it comes to having a group of students on day 1 in your classroom. That means, it is our responsibility as their educator to teach them how to raise their hand, how to walk into your classroom, how to come prepared for school, how to walk in the hallway, etc. That way, the students are on "your agenda" and understand your expectations because you taught them your expectations. I think teachers lose sight of this when it comes to behavior management because they end up spending so much time redirecting behavior and yelling, when it could be a simple fix of "re-teaching" the student the particular task they seem to be forgetting, or maybe not even know in the first place.
It is Friday afternoon, and I'm just getting around to reading this article. I love the idea of the "Still Quiet Place" for meditation in the classroom with young ones. I really wish I would have read this earlier in the week and tried it with my group of UPKers. I'll definitely try it on Monday and report back on how they reacted. I have some bold personalities, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes! Additionally, I looked up mindfulness in the classroom and came across an article that discusses mindfulness in higher education. The article also includes different examples to try in the classroom, though some ideas are expansive they can easily be differentiated to fit a variety of learners and grade levels.
As I think from a literacy specialist perspective, I know we are very limited with our time with students. Oftentimes, we only see groups of students for 30 minutes a day. The article stated a simple 5-15 minute session will help younger children become familiar with the Still Quiet Place. Would you incorporate mindfulness meditation/the still quiet place in your room as a literacy specialist even though you're already pressed/limited for time? If so, how?
Meghan, I agree that teachers need to make their expectations known to students each year. Parents, teachers, and adults in children's lives all have different rules and expectations and children need to know what you want from them. Did you try doing the still quiet place exercise in your classroom? If so how did it work? I am curios because I also work with preschool children.
ReplyDeleteJoLynn, I wasn't able to try it last week because I read the article after the school day on Friday. I am interested in trying it on Monday, so I'll let you know!
DeleteGood luck, I would like to hear about it.
DeleteI AGREE with KINDNESS and CURIOSITY. These are two qualities we lack sometimes in and out of the classroom, and as teacher's it is important to model both with our students and acknowledge it when a student has demonstrated both. Curiosity is what leads to expansion and understanding of a topic and kindness is the best quality to give to others and ourselves. Both could go a long way in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer, I read about the book and heard an interview with the author. What struck me was his own utter surprise (and joy) in discovering he had the capacity to live with his emotions, and control how he reacted to the world. He was very much a guy who would not have seen himself this way -- really interesting. You raise really good questions about how mindfulness can work into constrained schedules. What it brings to mind, for me, is the notion of practice. What if, in a lit intervention group, you spent a minute at the start, and another at the end, with a focus on breathing, just to offer students a regular time to prepare for your class and then to prepare to leave? What you are aiming for is habit and routine, just as with practice related to r/w skills. What's more, in the context of what can be a stressful experience for kids who are struggling, you provide guidance to engage and to cope with emotions -- and you share the time doing it with them, which builds trust.
ReplyDeleteMeghan,
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with what you said about not assuming anything about our students. Often times when I'm subbing in a new classroom, I mentally remind myself that this is the first time I've seen some of these students, and I cannot assume what they're capable of, or that they will respond to my directions right away. I think that offering a more mindful mindset will help me achieve this with my students. It will take effort on my part, but like you, I believe it's worth it to be on our students level, and appreciate them for everything they have to offer.