Hi everyone,

You may know from an earlier post that I finished teaching my first two classes back in May. I have two more weeks with students in six classes at Gardner Pilot Academy and have been really enjoying it so far. I see how it’s a great support to practice and notice many times where I could have pointed out something about mindfulness and didn’t; I see too how noticing that more and more will increase the likelihood I point it out next time.

I looked through the student’s journals yesterday and was really excited to find the benefits they’re getting from mindfulness. Here are some highlights:

How did it feel to practice mindful breathing?

• “I felt relaxed because the room was silent.”
• “I felt stressed. Now I feel calmer and I feel like I’m in my own little world where I can do anything. And there’s no drama or fighting. And we’re all friends.”

List 5 adjectives that show how mindfulness makes you feel.

• Calm, relaxed, confident, proud, strong
• Joyful, jovial, happy, proud, relaxed

Random comments from different lessons:

• “I liked that nobody was talking. I heard the fan and cars.”
• “I did practice mindfulness during the MCAS. It helped me calm down. It sort of helped me get an answer.”
• “It feels clear and my mind was so focused.”
• “One thing that will help me on the MCAS is taking deep breaths.”

There is much more to share but I enjoy giving little snippets of how the kids use mindfulness. Many have told me about times when they use it at home, on the playground, with their friends. If you know of a teacher who would like to have me share this in their class, please email me!