Self-Management & Responsible Decision-Making
This section defines the key concepts covered in this chapter. These are the central themes upon which the activities are based.
♦ MAINTAINING A HABIT
Because mindfulness is shown to improve focus, grades and emotional regulation while also decreasing test anxiety and stress, incorporating it into each day can help students maintain the benefits of their year-long mindfulness practice. Without formal class or curriculum, the routine of practicing mindfulness can be forgotten over the summer. Behavior change is difficult, but it is possible when the motivation comes from within. Reminding students why they have practiced and offering opportunities for review and reflection help further develop this internal drive, leaving students empowered with their new skills.
This section offers direction as to where the program is headed in this first chapter and some notes about things to look for in your students as you answer the reflection questions at the end of Chapter 5.
♦ SOLIDIFY PRACTICE ROUTINES
In order to maintain the benefits students have gained throughout the year, they will be encouraged to develop practice routines for the summer and beyond.
♦ INTERNALIZE PRACTICE
Making mindfulness stick can be a challenge. Having practiced for the full school year, students know what strategies serve them best in various situations. With this understanding, students will be able to return to these techniques on a regular basis. This comfort with a practice that they have made their own allows for continued success.
The questions on the Teacher Reflection form are listed below so you can keep them in the back of your mind as you progress through the chapter.
1. Are students using these practices?
A. If yes, how have you seen this demonstrated by your students?
B. If no, what was missing or prevented them from doing so?
2. Do students know why they have practiced all year?
A. If yes, how have you seen this demonstrated by your students?
B. If no, what was missing or prevented them from knowing this?
3. Do you think students have developed a strong enough connection to these practices that they will continue to use them?
A. If yes, which categories are they most likely to return to??
– Centering
– Breathing
– Moving
– Practicing
– Reading
– Exploring
– Other
B. If no, what was missing or prevented them from doing this?
4. Please use this space to provide any additional information you would like us to know.
Click here to complete the Chapter 5 Teacher Reflection Questions form.
Centering
These activities are designed to help you and your students can quickly and easily find your center. They can help during transitions between activities, tasks or lessons, and before testing. They can also be used at home with families. Over time, these activities will become comforting and most familiar for students.
Tone Bar
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
While this is a new tone bar sound for students to listen to, the rest of practice remains the same for familiarity and comfort with this centering activity. Continue using this for transitions, before a test, or when the group just needs a quick reset.
Glitter Jar
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
This video is similar to the video used in the previous chapters; however, there is one significant change. See if you and your students notice anything different about the glitter jar in this video.
You can also share this link with students so they can have a glitter jar recording over the summer.
WORD ANCHOR
Key Concepts/Goals: Maintaining a Habit, Internalize Practice
Format: Image
Prerequisite: Introducing the Word Anchor
This final check-in visual can help students answer the, “How are you?” question using feeling words. You can also use this anchor as a conversation starter and have the students come up with their own words. Remind students that there is no right or wrong answer and that their answer might change throughout the day.
Breathing
Breath work is a critical component in regulating the nervous system and is always available to us when needed. There are many ways to incorporate breathing when teaching social and emotional skills that, according to CASEL: help us understand and manage our emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
BREATH PRACTICE REVIEW
Key Concepts/Goals: Maintaining a Habit, Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: All Previous Breathing Practices
Reviewing the activities in the Breathing sections in Chapters 1-4 will remind students of all the ways they can use their breath as a strategy for reducing stress, managing emotions, taking a pause, calming down and regulating their nervous system. The instructions on the corresponding “Breathing Activity Review Worksheet” in the Enriching section support their review with space for reflection.
The questions on the worksheet are listed here for your reference. You can use them to engage with your students about their review process.
- Which breathing practices are calming? Which are energizing? Which are both?
- When might you use these different breath practices?
Moving
Dedicated opportunities to move the body can provide a brain break as well as a felt sense of increasing or decreasing energy. Plus, sometimes it just feels good to stretch!
MOVEMENT REVIEW
Key Concepts/Goals: Maintaining a Habit, Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: All Previous Movement Practices
Reviewing the activities in the Moving sections in Chapters 1-4 will remind students of all the ways they can stretch to increase or decrease their energy. The instructions on the corresponding “Movement Activity Review Worksheet” in the Enriching section support their review with space for reflection on each of the activities.
The instructions on the worksheet are listed here for your reference:
- Identify your eight favorite movement activities.
- Decide whether each practice is calming, energizing or both.
- List a time when you might use this movement practice.
Practicing
HEARTFULNESS: PART 4
Key Concepts/Goals: Internalize Practice
Format: Audio
Prerequisite: None
In this final heartfulness practice, Miss Shannon invites students to journey into their own hearts by imagining a glowing light inside of them. They will visual this soft, glowing light as it changes colors, while they identify how they are feeling in their hearts.
SPRING AWAKENING
Key Concepts/Goals: Internalize Practice
Format: Audio
Prerequisite: None
Miss Karly guides students through this audio practice as they visualize the awakening of spring, making room for new and wonderful things.
5-MINUTE AWARENESS PRACTICE
Key Concepts/Goals: Internalize Practice
Format: Audio
Prerequisite: None
This audio practice builds on the awareness practices from previous chapters. Having worked up to five minutes, this activity invites students to be fully present and fully aware.
STONE MEDITATION
Key Concepts/Goals: Internalize Practice
Format: Audio
Prerequisite: If You Find a Rock
During this guided practice, Miss Shannon invites students to find their own special stone to quietly explore throughout this meditation.
PRACTICING ACTIVITY REVIEW
Key Concepts/Goals: Maintaining a Habit, Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
Reviewing the activities in the Practicing sections in Chapters 1-4 will remind students of all the ways they can engage in a more traditional mindfulness practice beyond this class. The instructions on the corresponding “Practicing Activity Review Worksheet” in the Enriching section support their review, with space for reflection on each of the activities.
The instructions on the worksheet are listed here for your reference:
- Fill in the right column with ideas of when you could do some of these practices.
- Put a star next to your three favorite practices that you will use during your “Summer Mindfulness Challenge.”
Reading
“IF YOU FIND A ROCK”
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
Peggy Christian invites students to think of all the different kinds of rocks there are and where they can be found in this story about being present in nature.
“JUST BREATHE"
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
This book, by Annette Rivlin-Gutman, teaches students to breathe deeply during challenging moments. When they know how to find their inner calm, they are better able to thrive through different experiences, such as taking a test, moving to a new house, fighting with a friend, or trying out for a team.
“SILENCE"
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
Lemniscates’s book is a fun way to learn about the beauty of silence by being present and listening to the sounds around them.
“WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PRESENT?”
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
Rana DiOrio’s book explains that there are different meanings to the word “present”. It explains that being present means listening, noticing, focusing, appreciating, or waiting. When one is fully present, they are able to enjoy each moment of their day.
“THE BOOK OF AWESOME #19-22"
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
This video includes four short stories from Neil Pasricha’s book, The Book of Awesome. These brief examples of “awesome” moments are intended to remind students that even on the most difficult or challenging days, there is always something to smile about. Students are encouraged to use the “All Things Awesome Worksheet” in the Enriching section of Chapter 4 to note their own “awesome” moments.
“THE BOOK OF AWESOME #23-26”
Key Concepts/Goals: Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
This video includes four short stories from Neil Pasricha’s book, The Book of Awesome. These brief examples of “awesome” moments are intended to remind students that even on the most difficult or challenging days, there is always something to smile about. Students are encouraged to use the “All Things Awesome Worksheet” in the Enriching section of Chapter 4 to note their own “awesome” moments.
Exploring
INTRODUCING THE WORD ANCHOR
Key Concepts/Goals: Maintaining a Habit, Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
How we are in any given moment can change, and sometimes we need an anchor to steady the storm. This video introduces an anchor with different feeling words that students can use to begin to identify their emotions. The visual is located in the Centering section and can be used during morning meetings or when students are unable to identify their emotions with words.
MINDFUL DOODLING: PART 3
Key Concepts/Goals: Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: None
Building on the previous mindful doodling explorations, Miss Vanessa shows students how to do their own free doodle. She reminds students to pay attention to that voice in their heads that may start to judge their creation. The fun thing about mindful doodling is you can’t do it wrong! There is nothing that is supposed to be done a particular way.
HOW WILL YOU KEEP PRACTICING?
Key Concepts/Goals: Maintaining a Habit, Solidify Practice Routines, Internalize Practice
Format: Video
Prerequisite: Breathing Activity Review Worksheet, Movement Activity Review Worksheet, Practicing Activity Review Worksheet
This is a brief introduction to help get students started on making their personalized plan for continuing practice over the summer and beyond. They will need their completed Breathing, Moving and Practicing Activity Review worksheets from the Enriching section to help them fill in the “Summer Mindfulness Challenge Worksheet.”
Enriching
Sometimes we offer videos outside our curriculum lessons, or images or coloring pages that help illustrate a concept. The videos are all linked from this section. Images or coloring pages can be easily downloaded for saving and/or printing.
Worksheets
BREATHING ACTIVITY REVIEW WORKSHEET
This worksheet is designed for students to track their progress through the review of Breathing activities in Chapters 1-4. If students do not have access to a printer, they can recreate the table in a notebook. Ultimately, this sheet will help them complete the “Summer Mindfulness Challenge Worksheet” to close out the year.
MOVEMENT ACTIVITY REVIEW WORKSHEET
This worksheet is designed for students to track their progress through the review of Moving activities in Chapters 1-4. If students do not have access to a printer, they can recreate the table in a notebook. Ultimately, this sheet will help them complete the “Summer Mindfulness Challenge Worksheet” to close out the year.
PRACTICING ACTIVITY REVIEW WORKSHEET
This worksheet is designed for students to track their progress through the review of Practicing activities in Chapters 1-4. If students do not have access to a printer, they can recreate the table in a notebook. Ultimately, this sheet will help them complete the “Summer Mindfulness Challenge Worksheet” to close out the year.
MORE MAZES AND DOT-TO-DOTS
This file contains some new mazes and dot-to-dot pages. This mindful practice was first introduced in Chapter 4.
DOODLING ALPHABET
This file contains block letters that the students can use as a final doodling project. They could doodle inside the first letter of their name or use multiple letters to form a word. The possibilities are endless!
MORE MINDFUL COLORING
Coloring has been shown to increase focus and reduce stress. We offer this coloring page as an opportunity for your students to continue to experiment with mindful coloring. The end of the school year can be stressful for many students, so providing some calm and familiar practices can be extremely beneficial.
SUMMER MINDFULNESS CHALLENGE WORKSHEET
Students can fill out this worksheet using their responses from the Breathing, Moving, and Practicing Activity Review worksheets. Creating this intentional and personalized plan for summertime practice will help students internalize the work they did throughout the year.
Enriching
These activities are best done in person. We describe them for you to lead with your students if and when you are all together during the upcoming school year.
YEAR-END REVIEW
We invite you to take this opportunity to remind students of all the activities they have practiced throughout the year. Engage your students in a conversation about what they have learned in this class and what tools and/or strategies they will carry with them into the summer and beyond. This will help further support continued practice.
MAKE YOUR OWN GLITTER JAR
Having students make their own glitter jars to take home will give them a tangible tool to continue their practice over the summer. The directions can be found in Chapter 1 Enriching section.
TEACHER PROGRAM EVALUATION
Once you have completed this chapter’s activities, please complete the Chapter 5 Reflection Questions as you have for the previous four chapters. In addition, there is a Program Evaluation as well.