Mindful Moments for Children and Teachers in CT By James Trifone, PhD
ducators and parents alike are taking notice of the stress that surrounds our children on a daily basis. The stressors and demands of modern American society leaves students at a disadvantage that can only be remedied by a signifi cant change in the way we structure and approach teach- ing and learning. However, while well intentioned, the current nationally imposed reform efforts have led to increased levels of anxiety, frustration and stress amongst educators. Moreover, contending with stu- dents’ increasing levels of anxiety, depres- sion and stress to succeed in a competitive world have led to unprecedented educator absenteeism and burnout. Not surprisingly, research studies have revealed that stressed teachers create stressed students.
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If we, as adults, are living and dying stressed out, how have we not caught on that students are also impacted by environmental stress? Perhaps, one might wonder if teenag- ers and children experience more stress than adults, since they are not ‘in control’ of situations as adults would be. Youngsters are also in the process of maturing, trying to fi nd their place and exploring the world, which, of course adds another layer of underlying stress. Add to that the expectations of tests, homework, pressure to succeed or just to pass a class. Moreover, students are stressed to get a scholarship or make a team, cope with family hardships, health problems, parents fi ghting or breaking up, navigating their own feelings and relationships, not to mention trying to fi t in or standing out.
How do we expect students to fi nd suc- cess and exceed in academics if they are not being taught healthy coping mechanisms? Many Connecticut teachers and soon-to-be teachers are choosing to release tension by engaging in grounding strategies, meditation, mindfulness and yoga. These professionals
16 Natural Nutmeg - September 2019
are working to better their lives. Moreover, integrating such strategies into their class- rooms educators are beginning to see their students transform out of the stress culture into people who are focused on creating self-awareness and balance.
Alisa Wright, teacher of wellness at
Regional School District 6 in Morris, Warren, and Goshen elementary schools, felt that she had personally reached the point in her life where she wanted her attitude and self- awareness to be more focused so she could create the environment that helped her thrive. When Ms. Wright was a student her- self pursuing an Integrative Health and Heal- ing Masters of Art degree at The Graduate Institute, in Bethany Connecticut, she was encouraged to explore Mindful Moments, as she calls them. Mindfulness is the practice of being and staying aware of objects, nature and the people around you. Repetitive ac- tions and schedules take us away from being keenly aware of our surroundings, while mindfulness tries to connect with the normal everyday moments. These were moments of refl ection on uniqueness, tapping into potential, and opening up to the realm of possibility that surrounds us.
Ms. Wright started promoting mindful- ness through the use of a community garden at her school. Students get to engage with nature and learn patience and focus and refl ection as they work and refl ect in the gar- den. She has seen that when the students are being taught how, “to make observations on a holistic level allows them to explore details overlooked in the past, and they more fully understand the importance of becoming part of the garden experience. Students notice the beauty of nature and their relationship to it.”
She has found that if her students are
practicing mindfulness and refl ection before she begins teaching them for the day, the
classroom settles down with a focused ener- gy which has a restorative impact on the rest of their day. This is allowing students to have a deepened understanding of the intercon- nectedness of self, others, and the world.
This change isn’t just happening in her classroom, the entire district has taken notice of the changes and many teachers have implemented her Mindful Moments. These teachers who have come on board with the idea are also fi nding similar results. Ms. Wright believes that helping students learn mindfulness and stress defusing techniques will have a “ripple effect of good” on the student’s lives.
It should be said that with so much
chaos and stress surrounding us, it is great to know that the future generation is being taught different, BETTER coping mechanisms for handling the hard moments in life. May- be our children will be able to do more than cope, maybe they will be able to rise above stress and live in mindful awareness in every moment of their life. But to get there, to give them the chance to have a different lifestyle for them to know a less stressful existence, educators and parents need to make a mind- set change. Schools of today and tomorrow need to embrace a new culture of learning and thinking, whereby classrooms become mindscapes for engaging and drawing upon the inherent creative and intellectual capaci- ties of all learners. It is now necessary to deconstruct the current educational frame- work and dialogue on reconstructing ones that better address the challenges of learning and thinking in the 21st century.
Dr. James Trifone, Academic Director for The Graduate Institute’s Master of Arts in Learning and Thinking Degree Program. For more information, visit
www.Learn.edu See ad on page 14.
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