Questar III is starting to implement “mindfulness” into its various special education programs.
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a well-known teacher of mindfulness and meditation, mindfulness is:
“Paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”
Director of Special Education Robin Sobol said the practice can help calm and prepare students to learn.
“Mindfulness activities can help students learn how to regulate their behaviors and avoid situations that might be distracting to others,” Sobol said.
“We’re trying to create an awareness of what students are feeling and why they’re feeling it,” said Peter Markman, a social worker at Catskill Academy.
Markman attended a training specifically for using mindfulness in schools over the summer. He uses the techniques he learned in individual sessions with students and in group sessions.
He says the techniques involved in mindfulness are a great tool to help students cope with a variety of stresses they may be experiencing.
“We deal with a lot of kids who have been through trauma, a lot of our kids have manifestations of PTSD or reactive attachment disorder, so the mindfulness has really helped to ameliorate some of those impacts,” Markman said.
He says students have been very receptive to using these techniques- and once they find out athletes like Derek Jeter, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant also use them, they get much more excited about it.
Movement is also a part of mindfulness. Markman holds a walking club for students in the spring and uses that opportunity to help students to focus on what they see around them and use that as a relaxation technique.
“We’re not really trying to modify behavior, we’re trying to get students to really be able to practice a focused attention in a non-judgmental way,” Markman said.
At George Washington School, the concept has led to a yoga program for students. Principal Chris Martel says he hopes using yoga will help build students capacity for self-awareness and regulation.
At George Washington School, the concept has led to a yoga program for students. Classrooms are using “Yoga4Classrooms” to help students be mindful and aware of their feelings at any given time.
Yoga4Classrooms comes with picture cards that have postures, breathing exercises, and visualizations on them. The cards are posted in the room to encourage students to engage with them.
Teacher Sarah Hunter says in her class, one student is selected each day as the yoga instructor and help lead the morning session along with her.
“I find this as a great way to transition into the academics of the day. It is also a great way to be mindful and discuss how students are feeling in the present state. It has led to many teachable moments in which we as a class reflect on the energy in the room and how the students are feeling. I have found that the deep breathing strategies, visualizations as well as calming music set the tone and overall energy within the room,” Hunter said.
Principal Chris Martel says he hopes using yoga will help build students capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation.
