Today is the official publication date for my new book Mindfulness in the Classroom: Strategies for Promoting Concentration, Compassion, and Calm
. I have been practicing mindfulness for almost thirty years, and with the rise in the need for social and emotional learning in the schools, I thought that a book for educators on this topic would help reduce stress in the classroom and make students more clear-headed for new learning. The book includes:
- the latest research supporting the use of mindfulness in schools for promoting a host of benefits including enhanced self-regulation, reduced stress levels, and better working memory;
- information on how mindfulness positively affects brain functioning;
- basic instructions on practicing mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful eating, body scan, and mindful stretching;
- instructions for educators to start their own personal practice of mindfulness to help reduce on-the-job stress;
- descriptions of programs that aim to increase levels of kindness and compassion in students;
- explanations for how to adapt mindfulness to different age and grade levels;\
- details on how to integrate the topic of mindfulness into the curriculum (literature, math, science, history, and the arts)
- reports on how mindfulness has been adopted as a school-wide practice by individual schools across the country;
- guidelines for basing mindfulness on an entirely secular basis in public schools (with a list of do’s and don’ts for avoiding associations with religious or spiritual traditions);
- a resource guide of apps, children’s literature, training organizations, and books on teaching mindfulness in the classroom.
- an extensive references section documenting the information covered in the book.
I’m excited about this new book coming out, and hope that you’ll buy a copy (Mindfulness in the Classroom: Strategies for Promoting Concentration, Compassion, and Calm), and share the good word with colleagues and friends! Also, if you really love the book, I’d appreciate it if you could write a review of the book for Amazon!
This article was brought to you by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. and www.institute4learning.com.
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