I had the opportunity to sit down with a dear friend and colleague of mine, Carolyn Bryan. She is an expert and a guru with incorporating mindfulness and movement into the daily routine of her classroom. Our video discusses how to incorporate mindfulness as well as several activities to implement in your own classrooms! One of the main concepts we discuss is the idea of incorporating breathing exercises. Check out one of our recent blogs: "Focus and Reduce Stress with 30 Breathing Exercises" to get you started!
https://youtu.be/q7Ju8xB47ac
Another important aspect Carolyn and I touched upon was how important it is to take care of yourself first. Self-care is often a missed opportunity for educators, but a very important one. Taking the time to care for your own needs first will only allow you to be more present for your students. Brain breaks are an awesome way to allow not only your students to take a break, but also yourself.
Worried About Incorporating All of This?
Do not worry about trying to incorporate all of these ideas into your classroom! Carolyn and I go into discussions about taking risks, how to deal with behaviors as well as incorporating these ideas into your own classroom management skills! Some awesome resources to check out that were discussed in our conversation were websites such as GoNoodle! and several YouTube videos. https://youtu.be/hXA3837uv3w https://youtu.be/IDqSr70-m4k https://youtu.be/vlpOZYUxRHY https://youtu.be/Ef0gTWqtvmYMindfulness Books and Resources
If you are looking for the resources mentioned in the Vlog, look no further! These are some great books that dive deeper into the field of mindfulness. I had the opportunity to read "The Zen Teacher", as discussed in the Vlog. This was part of our book study with Carolyn and it was an easy read with a lot of valuable information written by a teacher.
The Zen Teacher
Sanctuaries
Teach Like a Pirate
Wherever You Go There You Are
Yoga Pretzels
Mindful Kids
Another wonderful free resource Carolyn utilizes within her own classroom and shared during the Vlog are Counselor Chelsey's Mindful Breathing Posters found on Teachers Pay Teachers.
If you use Mindfulness and Movement in your classroom, please comment below with activities that you do, or photos of your class participating in those activities. We would love to see them!
Interested in listening to this interview in a podcast form? Well, you are in luck! Be sure to check out Where the Primary Things Are! Now available on most streaming platforms.
Part 1: Education To The Core: Where The Primary Things Are: Mindfulness and Movement Part 1 on Apple Podcasts
Part 2: Education To The Core: Where The Primary Things Are: Mindfulness and Movement Part 2 on Apple Podcasts
Please make sure to subscribe to the ETTC YouTube channel, like and share the video above! Keep a close eye on our Fearless First Grade Teacher Group because you may be able to star in one of our upcoming interviews! More exciting news and interviews will follow!