Peek-a-boo a time honored tradition of childhood curiosity and discrepancy. One minute our parents are smiling at us, the next they vanish, if only for a second. Nonetheless it is a temporary adjustment of isolation versus community. Not only is it important at this time of the year to let students see we are aware of their presence it is also crucial that they feel we are present as well every day, providing them the opportunity to continue to grow and excel both academically and socially. The moment they feel isolated they will shut down. The same curiosity and discrepancy occurs every day for our students. In one class they are independent and self-driven, in another they are merely a name with little choice or freedom, then they shift to a class with flexible seating, where they find their friends and interact, while in another they are in rows, quiet and compliant. This constant deviation of incentive and stimulus versus mundane and hunger causes students to lose enthusiasm and motivation. We need to bring them back into the game, show them that surprise when the focus is back on them. When they become the center of attention. Mindful interaction. Mindful awareness of personal space and outward influences. This begins when we recognize and accept our own thoughts.
Accurately interpreting other people's words and facial expressions is another benefit of mindfulness. Students need to sense their teachers' commitment, observe their trust, and hear their positive influence. When they see teachers shutting down or giving up, they will as well. Mindfulness helps develop a resilient response to challenges by noticing our inner cues. One of the most important skills we as teachers as well as students can learn is distinguishing between the transient experience, of peek-a-book for instance, and the acceptance of the thought or feeling as fact. Seeing the myriad of circumstances as fleeting or significant. Accepting them as temporary and not allowing them to dictate our actions permanently. The act of witnessing is important. It allows us to recognize stress, reluctance, doubt and still know we are more then these feelings. That we are not isolated but a part of a larger world. This perspective allows one to see that failure, struggles and challenges are just that setbacks and not permanence. This brings us closer to a community rather than causing us to retreat. The game of quick isolation is now a lesson in personal reflection and understanding.
Recovering after a challenge is an area which mindfulness provides support as well. After a disagreement, a redirection from a teacher, even a moment of self-doubt we need to recenter. The end of the school year is when this becomes most prominent. To gain our composure we need to listen to our thoughts. The faster we learn to do this the more social we will become. The more we listen to our thoughts and accept them as a part of us, we will be able to construct solutions. What has happened is over and now we must solve the situation. Noticing when we are reliving the past, is the first step to shifting our focus to the present. Mindfulness facilitates this step. It brings our awareness of our own inner cues and how to be proactive in our reactions. It facilitates our need to shift our attention to the present without judgment or inner commentary. The more we can focus our attention towards others the less we will allow ourselves to get stuck in the uncertainty of our own actions. We all carry with us the fear that we will be alone. That once we are isolated no one will be able to find us. But when we are aware of this fear we can combat it and anticipate the I see you, after the peek-a-boo has occurred.
Helping students realize they can notice their own thoughts has practical and beneficial outcomes for classroom behavior and student motivation. Respecting other people's thoughts will become easier and more natural for students. As well as teachers. When we understand that thoughts are personal, mental events we are more likely to accept them in others. Be less judgmental. Mindful thinking can also help us recognize the difference between disagreeing with someones thoughts and judging a person as a whole. Many teachers model this behavior regularly as best practice, teaching this skill to students will only enhance their open-mindedness and growth mindset. From an early age we have been taught the impermanence of action and thought. I am here, now I am not. The actions of others impact me. My actions impact others. But we often lack the insight that thoughts are merely that, ideas that either dissipate or come to fruition through action. Once we begin to recognize our own fears as merely thought we can control them. We can learn patience. We can know unequivocally that we may feel alone temporarily, but if we pull back our hands, we will see that others are near and we are a part of the whole. Awareness begins not by looking outward but looking inward revealing our need to belong, our fear of isolation and our own thoughts and how they steer our actions. By recognizing this we can guide our actions, become more aware of those around us, and find our purpose in an ever-changing world.
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