Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.
A day in the life of a student can be filled with ups, downs, routines, surprises, highs and lows. The school day is jam-packed with expectations and little downtime to simply take a breath.
As a middle school special education teacher with a self-contained class of boys who are diagnosed with autism, I know just how important it is to take a minute or two to refocus, regroup and relax for both students and staff during the day.
In my classroom, we start the day with some simple breathing and stretching exercises designed to help my students to smoothly transition into their school day. I have noticed that this simple activity has helped them to get physically and mentally prepared for the day ahead.
However, my students have a hard time settling down after lunchtime and staying on task for the second half of the school day. The Greater Good in Education website offers many activities and even self-care exercises to assist teachers, staff and students on their mindfulness journey in and out of school.
I implemented their Finger Tracing activity after lunch with my students for a week and was impressed by the effect it had on them. After transitioning to the classroom after lunch, the students would use the bathroom, complete our hand washing routine, and then we would all sit and get ready to watch the Finger Tracing video led by JusTme.
This activity incorporates in-and-out breathing patterns in rhythm while outlining their fingers to help develop their attention skills. The seven-minute video is easy to follow along with and all my students were able to complete the activity.
I immediately noticed that the students were more relaxed, focused, and open to completing the school day. It is pretty easy to incorporate some sort of mindfulness into the busy school day. Students of all ages need a couple of minutes to unwind and reset to be successful scholars.
-Scherrie Donaldson
@thirtymommy