Greet the day- At home before I even step foot out of bed, I greet the day. Deep breaths....slowly..open my eyes..welcome in the smells and sounds of the morning rush in my house. I think about my day, plan my route in my classroom from the key turning in the lock: objectives and outcomes on board, tools and models on tables, music quietly turned on, then lights on. With the emergency lights my room is never truly dark. So I take some time in the dim light before my students arrive. After my room is set, I sit on my yoga mat, quiet and breathing, welcoming the education that I will surround myself with. Being mindful before I get in the hustle and bustle of the day helps my energy get focused and my mind in sync with my actions.
Inside the classroom, I take a moment every class period to simply listen and observe. When I listen I do so conspicuously so my students feel free to openly discuss and share ideas. But I learn a lot from simply listening. What I get from my students in our 1-minute check-in's is very helpful but hearing them collaborate and even chat about anything not science related gives me great insight into my students: how they think, how they see the world, but most importantly how they learn and reason. The most important thing as teachers we can do is help students foster their awareness of their attention and reasoning. Why they get distracted, what is a struggle for them, what comes easily. This is all teaching mindfulness. Inside the classroom, calm mind even when there is organized chaos around them. Guide students to become aware not only of their surroundings but their inner thoughts and what stresses them out.
Outside the classroom it is important to focus this same amount of energy looking inward and discovering the ins and outs of your own mind. What information stimulates you? Do you seek challenging situations? If so, why? How fast do you lose interest in things? Why? What can you do to help focus and calm your mind? Being mindful of yourself outside the classroom needs to become a priority. When we are stressed or frustrated it affects our teaching. I know from experience that if I am off my game when the day begins the day does not go well. When I am calm and centered the day can present unexpected hurdles and stresses and I will adjust and stay focused on the plan, goals, objectives. I find that I love teaching even more now that I have a routine of awareness, attention and mindfulness.
I find that setting my intentions for the day outside the classroom: I intend to have patience, I intend to take a step back and let my students teach themselves, I intend to see the positive not the negative around me. These intentions change a little bit daily but I always focus on three. This sets my mood. Then after I set the room for the day- a routine that calms me and gets my mind focused every morning, I say my three intentions and focus on ways I can incorporate them into my day. For instance, this student can stress me out how can I bring patience to the forefront? Throughout the day when I am patient in a stressful situation or I witness my students helping each other learn, and I let any negative vibes around me slide off and focus on the little things, smile at my colleagues, offer my help, and stay positive I tell myself this is me....I focus on the times I remember my intentions. This keeps me focused on my goals. Mindfulness is not a momentary idea but a moment to moment routine that when incorporated and sustained can change your entire outlook.
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