Week 11- Independent Research Notes

 Week 11- Independent Research 

Focus: Equity and Mindfulness 

 

Article: Mindful of Equity 

https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/fall-2017/mindful-of-equity 

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• Research shows benefits of mindfulness: 

1. Reduced anxiety. 
2. Increase compassion. 
3. Improve emotional regulation. 

• As mindfulness becomes more popular in schools, many educators are worried that mindfulness in schools can “send a dangerous message to students struggling within an inequitable system”. 
• “What we’re doing when we teach mindfulness to [only] students is saying, ‘Here’s how to cope with school,’” says Barbara Dray, lead consultant with the LLC Transforming Practices in Education. “That’s not sufficient. I want to have their voices be valued at school.” 
• Educators are worried that the message being sent to students regarding mindfulness is that when facing inequity or injustices in schools, they should sit down and be quiet. 
• “...implementing mindfulness programs without integrating culturally responsive practices is akin to treating the symptoms of inequitable education without addressing the cause. Mindfulness, without a teacher trained in both meditation and cultural competency, may inadvertently teach students to resign themselves to inequity and injustice”. 
• “According to the 2014 U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Data Snapshot, students of color and students with disabilities are referred to law enforcement at highly disproportional rates. Mindfulness practiced by students may reduce some of the behaviors that lead to referrals, but it doesn’t address implicit biases in their teachers, which can harm students in numerous ways”. 
• A “two-pronged approach” to mindfulness is needed in order to allow all students to benefit from mindfulness practices: 
• “Educators must acknowledge their own biases and adopt pedagogical practices that acknowledge and challenge systemic inequities”. 
• “They must hone their own mindfulness practice before bringing it into the classroom”. 

 

“Begin Within” 

• Many teachers are unaware of their implicit bias, and this is part of the problem. Without teachers recognizing their bias, they will continue to discipline children unfairly. 
• Dray’s approach:  
• ‘”She begins her workshops by asking teachers to “empty their cup’: acknowledging and discussing the negative thoughts they might have about students’ 
• ‘Next, Dray talks about intercultural communication theory, or the idea that the statements we hear about people often fall into three categories: evaluative, interpretive and descriptive. She presents teachers with a stereotypical evaluative statement like ‘Refugee kids steal.’ They then unpack it together and move to a more interpretive version: ‘Refugee kids take more than their fair share during snack time.’ Dray finally moves to a purely descriptive statement: ‘Some refugee students took two boxes of raisins during snack time and put them in their backpacks.’” 
• “Once the educators move to a purely descriptive statement, it’s easier to reflect. Why might this be happening? Where is this behavior coming from?” 
• When teachers unpack their own implicit bias and work to eliminate that pattern of thought, they can better implement mindfulness “in a a way that doesn’t mask harmful patterns or practices”. 

 

“Engaging Students” 

• An experienced teacher is crucial to the successful implementation of mindfulness practices in the classroom. 
• “in a quest for quick implementation, many schools bring in outside experts to lead sessions or resort to push-and-play methods like videos. Without a strong personal mindfulness background, teachers are left unable to respond to students’ needs as they arise throughout the process” 
• If a teacher wants to successfully implement mindfulness into the classroom, they should first be trained or be experienced so they can guide their students and respond to their needs. 
• “mindfulness practice should never be mandatory. Meditation can activate traumatic memories or thoughts for some children. Teachers should be prepared for this, and understand that mindfulness can mean acknowledging negative emotions and giving students opportunities to process them. Students should always have a way to opt out gracefully in the middle of a practice session if they become uncomfortable” 

 

Important to Consider: 

• Being Aware: Students with a history of trauma or mental health issues may not be good candidates to participate in mindfulness exercises. A psychologist or counselor should be present in deciding whether a student should participate in the exercises. 
• Keep Religion Out: “Mindfulness meditation is often associated with Buddhism, which may be a stumbling block for some administrators or parents. Rona Wilensky of PassageWorks emphasizes the point that mindfulness is not a religion but a scientifically based practice. Make sure that the mindfulness practice you bring into your classroom is purely secular. That means taking care to not use objects associated with any particular religion, nor to introduce literature that is religious in nature”. 

 

Steps to Get Started: 

1. Team up: find other educators who are interested in mindfulness. 
2. Educate Yourself 
3. Connect with the community: reach out to community members who are experienced in mindfulness meditations who can help deepen your practices. 
4. Practice: for at least a few months before introducing to students. 
5. Check-in with yourself: “Is mindfulness meditation changing how you behave in the classroom? How you interact with students?” 
6. Spread the News: inform administrators and parents. 
7. Start Small: “Introduce mindfulness a few minutes at a time. Feel things out with a simple exercise like taking three breaths when returning to the classroom after recess”.