Mindful Breaks

A mindful teacher offers his/her students time daily to breathe and connect to sensations and feelings. It truly only takes five minutes to do so.

One of my teaching partners, Paul Johnson, offers his students five-minute mindfulness breaks throughout the day. They have full autonomy over when, where, and how they take these breaks. The only time that the students cannot access their five-minute mindfulness break is during those crucial times when whole class instructions are being delivered. Other than those times, the students are totally free to choose when they want to take their mindfulness breaks. 

Here is a list of just some of the choices available to them:

• Take a walk in the garden and be sure to smell, touch, and breathe in everything around you
  
• Sit outside and be still as you eat your snack, focus on the flavor of each bite
  
• Grab a bucket of water and a calligraphy brush, practice writing Chinese characters on the ground
  
• Imagine your ears are satellite dishes and listen to all the sounds around you
  
• Lay in the grass and look up at the sky, use your imagination, or feel the ground beneath you, not forgetting to breathe fully
  
• Take your shoes off, walk back and forth in the grass, connect to the temperature & the sensations on the soles of your feet
  
• Run or walk around the track to clear your mind & count your breaths
  

All that Mr. Johnson requires is that the students use the sign up sheet beside the door to record their name, the time they took their mindfulness break, and how they feel going out and how they feel coming back in. There are stopwatches available for the students to use to keep track of time. Once they grab these stopwatches, they are free to go. 

Upon their return, they record the time and assess how they are feeling or how emotions may have changed. At any point in the day, they can take advantage of these breaks whenever they feel the need. They are encouraged to use these mindfulness breaks both wisely and responsibly for there is no real limit on how many times they can use them.

As I have taught on the grade 4 team all year, I can say with full certainty that I have seen these mindfulness breaks have a very positive impact on the students. Here are just a few responses from the students themselves regarding the mindfulness break option. 

"It is a great opportunity to feel more awake and refreshed."

"I like this free break because we are very busy and I have a headache sometimes. After I take this break, my head works better and I think faster."

"I feel that after I get this 5-minute mindfulness break, I can go outside and explore. When I come back in my mind feels fresh."

If you try this out with your students let me know how it goes. I assure you that it they will love the freedom to choose when and how they need to take their breaks. 

Strive to connect, release control, and be present.