An Introduction to Mindfulness for K-12 Educators

A three-hour workshop

Like no other mental health intervention of the modern age, mindfulness practices are becoming a standard curricular offering within preschool, K-12, and college emerging adult populations. Numerous research-based studies have supported its efficacy at improving attention, emotional self- regulation for optimal mental health, and reducing stress and burnout. The number of scientific studies reported on mindfulness in 1980 was zero; the number of such studies in 2015 was 674. Mindfulness is here to stay. Educators who embark on the road of teaching mindfulness to children without an appreciation for developing the practice within themselves run the risk of a failed intervention. In this workshop, educators will be introduced to a brief history of mindfulness in the United States, the origins of mindfulness within the educational system, the critical need for developing a personal mindfulness practice before teaching it, and how mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may be properly integrated into classroom settings.

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the evolution and role of mindfulness practice within the Western K-12 educational system.
2. Define and describe mindfulness as a secular form of meditation which has significant physical and mental healthcare benefits.
3. Describe several K-12 research-based mindfulness curricula.
4. Understand the critical importance of developing a mindfulness-based practice as a classroom teacher before introducing it to students.
5. Engage in a sampling of experiential, introductory mindfulness practices.
6. Respond meaningfully to the common pitfalls commonly experienced by new meditators.