This article addresses the effectiveness of mindfulness on students and teachers when a whole-school approach is used. Michele L. Kielty, Tammy D. Gilligan and A. Renee Staton state that the school personnel, students, families, and local communities experience positive outcomes when they are all involved in implementing mindfulness across the school community. The authors state that mindfulness plays a positive role in physical and mental health. Students who have learned mindfulness techniques can extend their practice beyond the classroom. “Many students were able to comment on the potential for using mindfulness-based practices in the future to deal with life, work, and family stressors.” (Whole-School Approaches to Incorporating Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Supporting the Capacity for Optimal Functioning in School Settings, pp 132).
When reading this article, it had occurred to me that I had only thought of mindfulness at the personal and classroom level, but never thought of implementing it as a practice throughout a whole school or district. I was pleasantly surprised to know that there are training programs like “Mindful Schools” that the public can attend to strengthen their practice in mindfulness. This resource helped me understand just how beneficial mindfulness can be to students when educators work together and are trained appropriately.
Kielty, M. L., Gilligan, T. D., & Staton, A. R. (2017). Whole-school approaches to incorporating mindfulness-based interventions: Supporting the capacity for optimal functioning in school settings. Childhood Education, 93(2), 128–135. doi: 10.1080/00094056.2017.1300491
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1132703&site=ehost-live&scope=site
My Content Resources 