Hello friends!
Teacher Maggie here 👋
I wanted to talk to you today just a little bit about how to incorporate some movement and mindfulness into your classroom.
Since the start of COVID-19, 50% of students have reported worsened mental health. In a study from the University of Southern California, parents claimed that their children participated in 36% less physical activity and 41% more sitting since pre-COVID times.
Movement and mindfulness are incredible tools to help support kids’ mental and physical well-being.
When we, as humans, start to notice our emotions and how they are held in our body, we can tune deeper into what we need and how to care for ourselves from the inside out and this is real self-care.
Here are four easy ways to implement more movement and mindfulness into your students’ busy school days:
#1 Lead by Example
Whether you are an educator or parent, kids are looking up to us and our actions much more than our words. Take care of yourself by taking frequent breaks to pause, reset, close your eyes and take three deep breaths.
I know, I know, easier said than done. But I promise that when you start to prioritize moments of self-care into your day, it becomes a routine that you (and your students) start looking forward to!
Kids learn habits from the adults in their lives so taking a few extra moments to be kind to yourself can make a bigger difference than you realize.
#2- Incorporate a self-check-in 🧘🏾
As difficult as it is for most adults to articulate their emotions into words, kids struggle even more as they are still learning what various feelings and emotions mean or where they come from.
I love to use self-check-ins rather than sharing aloud to tune into the moment. I call this practice using our “thumb scale.” It’s simple! Kids are simply asked to share one of three ratings:
Thumbs up: you're having a great day
Sideways thumb: you’re having an okay day
Thumbs down: you're having a crummy day
I ask kids to take a moment to tune into how they are feeling that day and then move their thumb on the thumb scale. I never ask them to share a reason or provide an explanation. They don't even have to do it for you, but more for themselves to just know and start to begin this practice of checking in with how they're feeling.
It’s always important to validate kids’ feelings, whether they are having a good day, bad day, or something in between.
If a student notes that they are having a thumbs-down day, everyone does, and that's okay. Those feelings will pass and hopefully, by the end of the day or at the end of our movement break or breathing practice, they will start to feel better.
# 3: Build breathing exercises into your classroom agenda
The more you incorporate intentional breathing into your regular routine, the more natural it will become for them and the more inclined they will feel to use these tools on their own.
Looking for guidance on leading kids through breathing exercises? Check out our blog, Three Kid-Friendly Breathing Exercises to Bring Mindful Moments Into the Classroom, for tips and inspiration.
#4 Use movement to switch gears! 🤸
Even 1-2 minutes of physical exercise can be instrumental in shifting your students' energy and mindset.
Use movement as your ultimate transitional tool in the classroom! The simple act of getting up and out of the place you've been in can be instrumental in shifting your mindset from static and stuck to inspired and positive.
Switching to a creative brain?
Put on a fun song and ask students to imagine what colors they would be if they were a butterfly. Encourage them to bring that vision to life and flap their butterfly wings as they fly around the room.
Need to channel focus before a big test?
Shake out those pre-test jitters with a dedicated moment for energy and expression.
Winding down for some quiet time?
Have your kids take a few deep breaths and open their arms out wide as if they were tracing the moon.
Using movement as a transitional tool in the classroom, helps kids to build a healthy relationship with exercise and by teaching them how to use physical movement to better manage their emotions, behaviors, and mindset.
Sometimes movement and mindfulness can feel like a really big add-on to everything you're already trying to teach in the classroom.
To make exercise more approachable for you to integrate into your schedule, simplify movement into bite-sized pieces that can support your existing lesson plan or help get your students mentally prepared for their next activity.
Even in small chunks, physical exercise can help your students get to a place where they can be focused and engaged.
Making movement a regular occurrence in kids’ days reinforces the practice as a positive behavior as well as creates a space where they feel safe expressing how they feel and doing what they need to take care of themselves both physically and mentally.
Positively,
Maggie
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Find us on Instagram @mindful.classroom and share your pictures, let me know how you're moving and I hope you stay well.
