Reflections
Looking back, I am glad that I chose to research mindfulness. I have learned a lot about self regulation, stress management, and the importance of focusing on the moment. I believe that all of these things will help me to be a more successful educator.
From the very onset of my practicum, I chose to implement a silent period of mindfulness after the last recess of the day. Students silently (or at least there were suppose to be silent) entered the room to the same meditative music, and work quietly on independent work at their seats. They were permitted to color, draw, read, or do nothing except listen to the music and their thoughts. I found that doing this every day for 5-10 minutes was quite effective in helping the students to reach a more calm place, where they were better prepared to learn. |
I also incorporated many "GoNoodle" and other such mindfulness brainbreaks into our day. Usually, I would first play a more lively song, or have the students participate in an activity, and then pair it with the mindfulness activity to help them refocus. Usually this pairing worked quite well, and the students were ready to return to work afterwards.
An unexpected benefit of mindfulness was the impact that it had on me. Some days, I think that I look forward to the 5-10 minutes of mindfulness more than the students did. I always find it re-energizing, and it helped me to regroup and be better prepared for the rest of the day.
I do wish that I had the opportunity (that is, the time) to implement a few more of the structured mindfulness activities. With my future students, I will make it a goal to infuse more mindfulness because I really believe in the benefits for learning.
Overall, I think that my professional inquiry project was a success. I may not have done everything that I had set out to do, but I certainly learned a lot! |