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CCC Introduction to Self-Awareness Video

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CCC Introduction to Self-Awareness Video

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Uploaded by Research Collaboration on 2016-01-11.

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College and Career Competency Sequence: Self-Awareness

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College and Career Competency Sequence: Self-Awareness

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Research Guide (Grades 7-12): Self-Awareness

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Research Guide (Grades 7-12): Self-Awareness

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Research Guide (Grades PreK-6): Self-Awareness

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Research Guide (Grades PreK-6): Self-Awareness

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Empower Your Future: A Career Exploration Curriculum 

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Empower Your Future: A Career Exploration Curriculum 

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Search news with the Today Show archive - TODAY

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Find the latest tips, advice, news stories and videos from the TODAY Show on NBC.

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Metacognition: Nurturing Self-Awareness in the Classroom

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Metacognition: Nurturing Self-Awareness in the Classroom

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Self-Awareness and Self-Management | SEL @ Home

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Self-Awareness and Self-Management | SEL @ Home

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Self-Awareness and Self-Management | SEL @ Home | PBS LearningMedia

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Explore how a better understanding of their own feelings and experiences can help children have better control of their actions. Parents will learn how to help their child become more aware of their emotions, their strengths and weaknesses, and what makes them an individual.

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Parent resources for growing self-awareness in children. As parents, we can help children understand and express their feelings in healthy ways.

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Self-Awareness Lesson Activities Grades 3-4

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Self-Awareness Lesson Activities Grades 3-4

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Self Awareness Activities Gr 3–4 | Moments for Myself | McGraw Hill

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Get teaching tips for all the self awareness activities for grades 3-4 of our SEL workbook Moments for Myself

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PBS Kids Talk about Self-Confidence and Determination

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PBS Kids Talk about Self-Confidence and Determination

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PBS KIDS Talk About - Self-Confidence and Determination Video | PBS KIDS

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Self-confidence and determination are two qualities everyone should have!

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Five Fun Ways to Teach Mindful Breathing

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Five Fun Ways to Teach Mindful Breathing

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I took my children to the pediatrician today to get their annual flu shots. I tried to keep this little adventure a secret until the last minute because I knew it was going to lead to a freakout. As we entered the familiar parking lot, my son realized where we were headed. Then the crying, screaming, and shaking began. If he could have jumped out of the car, he would have.

It is times like these when we need to rely on the breath to get us through the stress-both parent and child! Mindful breathing has been scientifically proven to minimize stress and anxiety.

I am grateful that my children take yoga classes at school and camp, and that we have meditated together at home. I asked my son to take some deep breaths and focus on the air going in and out of his body. I asked him to remain calm and just to keep breathing. He did and was able to calm down. It turned out that the shot didn't hurt him at all, thank goodness. At least he had the breath to help get through a scary situation. It is something he can access whenever he needs.

Teaching children to breathe mindfully is the cornerstone of stress reduction. We can pass along this important tool to them using some fun, playful approaches.

Bubbles.

Have them practice breathing by taking in a deep breath before blowing some bubbles. Once they have mastered this activity, you can always ask them to simply visualize blowing the bubbles.

Breath Dance.

This activity is best with at least three people. Have everyone grab an end of a blanket, towel, or play parachute. Start close together and then inhale as a group. While breathing in, back up and expand the blanket. During the exhale, move in close together. The tightening and loosening of the blanket demonstrate how we breathe in and out. Children also enjoy moving their bodies during this routine.

Expandable Sphere.

My daughter's yoga teacher, who is part of a wonderful program Kidding Around Yoga, uses a Hoberman mini sphere toy to demonstrate the breathing process. As this video from Yoga Calm demonstrates, the sphere is expanded while the children breathed in and collapsed while they breathe out.

Heart Hands.

Similar to using the sphere, we can create a heart shape with our hands. As you breathe in, expand your hands to a heart shape. As you breathe out, collapse your hands into two fists side by side. This is such a great exercise since we don't need any props.

Birthday Candle.

Kristen Race, the author of Mindful Parenting, spoke during the Mindfulness Summit about equating stress with a fire going off in our brain. When we experience a stressful moment, an alarm goes off, and we need to put out that fire. We can explain this to children by having them imagine blowing out a birthday candle. Ask them to take a deep breath in and then push the breath out as if they are extinguishing a fire. She explained that the more stress someone is experiencing, the more birthday candles they will need to blow out.

Try some of these breath exercises with your children and let us know how it went. Do you have other ideas on how to teach children mindful breathing?
READ MORE IN THE PLAYROOM.
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This post was syndicated with permission to BonBon Break Media LLC.

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I took my children to the pediatrician today to get their annual flu shots. I tried to keep this little adventure a secret until the last minute because I knew it was going to lead to a freakout. As we entered the familiar parking lot, my son realized where we were headed.

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get "Buy-In"

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get "Buy-In"

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Early in my teaching career, I read that to be a successful high school teacher, you have to be able to motivate a sofa.

Fortunately, the adolescents that I work with generally have more drive and initiative than a piece of upholstery. But it might take some work to convince teenagers of the value of slowing down, disconnecting, and breathing.

I often share practices for teaching mindfulness to young children, but I have been asked many times for ideas for those of you who work with or have older children. Today, we're starting with square one: getting "buy-in" when teaching mindfulness to teens.

1. Model Mindfulness

We won't be able to convince adolescents of the benefits of a mindfulness practice without modeling it ourselves. It doesn't mean we always need to be paragons of contented bliss, but we should demonstrate our ability to manage stress and respond, not react, to setbacks.

A few months ago, as I handed out a revised course calendar with changes necessitated by losing five days of school to the cold weather, one of my students said, "You seem so stressed out about this! Normally you're so chill!"

Her comment actually surprised me. I'm pretty intense and active when I teach {who wouldn't get fired up about European history?} and I have high standards in my classroom, but apparently I still demonstrate a "chill" demeanor.

If we want students to take mindfulness seriously, they need to see it in action. Those millennial Holden Caulfields can spot a phony a mile away.

2. What's in it for Them?

Teenagers may see mindfulness as completely unrelated to their busy and connected lives. But there are many ways that adolescents {and adults!} can benefit from a mindfulness and meditation practice. A few research nuggets that you could share with them:

studies show that students who meditate before an exam perform better than students who do not

meditation helps improve performance on standardized tests, such as the GRE

meditation can improve concentration

meditation can help with anxiety, stress, and depression {three things I see all too frequently in my students}

For more information about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation, click here.

3. Teach Teens About Their Brain

I also teach Psychology to juniors and seniors, and they are fascinated with learning how their brains work. We can teach teens how mindfulness can help their brains function more skillfully. This TEDx talk by Dan Siegel, author of Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, has a great demonstration that you can use with teens {or even younger kids} to teach them about the parts of the brain, using their hands as a model.

The demonstration focuses on three structures of the brain: the brainstem (our "reptilian" brain, responsible for breathing, heart-rate, etc.), the limbic system/amygdala (our "mammalian" brain, involved in emotion and memory), and the cortex (our "human" brain, responsible for thinking and self-regulation). The hand model reveals how close the amygdala is to the pre-frontal cortex, and how mindfulness can help the thinking part of the brain process the raw emotion of the limbic system. And that can lead to better decision-making - it allows a mindful pause, a skillful response instead of an unthinking reaction.

We can teach teens that mindfulness is a form of training for their brains: meditation has actually been shown to increase gray matter in the portion of the brain responsible for self-awareness and compassion. Meditation can play a role in the neuroplasticity of the brain - our experiences can actually transform our brains, the way exercise can transform our bodies.

4. Teach Teens About Their Mind

When I teach mindfulness to students, I use the analogy of the monkey mind. I give examples of how they can be sitting in class, but their mind wanders to their job, or thoughts of the weekend, and then they realize after a few minutes that they have been miles away.

When I did a meditation exercise with my students during the stressful week of finals before spring break, I explained that a lot of our anxiety is truly "in our heads" - our stress comes from our worrying brains ruminating on all the worst possible scenarios. I gave this example: "You may think, 'I'm going to fail the final, my parents will be furious with me, I'll never get into a good college, and I'll be homeless in five years!' " One student exclaimed, "Omigosh, have you been inside my head!?!"

When we practice mindfulness, we learn that much of the chatter of the mind is just that: chatter. It's not reality; it's worry, it's anxiety, it's baseless projection. Mindfulness teaches teenagers to recognize the downward spiral of thoughts before it gets out of hand, perhaps learning to label it as simply "worrying." They can acknowledge the anxiety without getting caught up in it, without it leading to the rumination that ultimately ruins their mood.

Adolescents may think that's just what minds do ... and it is. But there are ways to approach the mind skillfully. This is often eye-opening to teens!

5. There's an App for That!

I realize there's a bit of irony in recommending apps to practice mindfulness, especially to get teens to practice disconnection from their uber-connected cyberworlds. I use the Insight Meditation Timer {at right} when we do meditations in class, and students always want to know what app I am using. They love seeing the map graphic on the Insight Timer that shows all the locations worldwide where people are meditating. And they love that once they've disconnected, they can quickly reconnect by posting their meditative accomplishments on Twitter and Facebook. It's probably not how the Buddha intended it, but I don't think he'd mind.
Here are some of my favorite meditation apps for teens:
Insight Meditation Timer. This is the app I use ... I guess I love seeing the map of all the meditators in the world, too!

Stop, Breathe, and Think. My students were excited when I showed them this app because it opens with a short "interview" where the user selects several words to describe how they are feeling, and then the app recommends guided meditations for their current state.

Smiling Mind. Designed for adolescents {and my students generally love anything with an Australian or British accent!}

Take a Break! Not necessarily just for teens, but it provides short guided meditations for stress relief. Young people just starting out with meditation may prefer guidance. And this comes from The Meditation Oasis, which is awesome!

I am wholeheartedly convinced that we can all benefit from incorporating mindfulness practice into our busy lives, especially teenagers. You don't need to be able to motivate sofas, but I'm hoping these tips help you encourage the adolescents in your life to get on a cushion, or even a couch, and spend some time in digital detox, in stillness, in mindfulness.

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get "Buy-In" - Left Brain Buddha

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Early in my teaching career, I read that to be a successful high school teacher, you have to be able to motivate a sofa. Fortunately, the adolescents that I work with generally have more drive and initiative than a piece of upholstery.

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Teachers know stress. And if we don't know how to manage that stress in a systematic way, we can become ineffective at what we do best (not to mention feel miserable).

Many of our students live with stress as well, and not just at school.

I've used mindfulness practices—paying close attention to thoughts, feelings, and body sensations—for nearly 10 years. In addition to cultivating awareness of my mind and body, the practices have changed the way I relate to stress. This practice became the foundation for a pilot program I started for students at my elementary school: Mindful Moments.

Research as a Backbone

My personal testimony and a handful of anecdotes were not going to be enough to educate my coworkers, or the students and their parents, about the value of the program. I needed to start with a solid definition of mindfulness.

I tailored the definition to make sense for students and teachers by compiling evidence that supported how mindfulness practices reduce stress, increase attention, and create self-regulation and self-awareness. And after learning about some fabulous programs elsewhere, I put together three practices to benefit students—exercises focusing on breathing (Breath Focus), body awareness (Body Scan), and self-talk (A Kind Line).

These three practices can be used anytime, anywhere, by anyone. They ground us in the present moment, helping us to focus on making clear decisions, free of distraction. Using the research to convince my audience proved helpful as it gave everyone something to hold onto in new territory.

Mindfulness practices are wildly new to most students, so teachers need extra time to drive home the "how-to" for each practice. Introduce the practices gradually—commit to a simple five-minute session each day and introduce a new practice each week for the first three weeks.

Breath Focus

My coworkers and I began with the practice that may be easiest to teach: Breath Focus. The aim is to focus on natural breathing patterns. Students tune into their breath to root their attention in the present, and this awareness serves as a reminder when their attention drifts. The process itself is quite basic.

You can encourage students to count the "in" and "out" breaths, follow the feeling of cool air coming in and out of the nostrils, or try to "find" the end of the breath cycle. (I've found my students respond best to the first strategy.) Make sure students understand that manipulating the way they are breathing will result in the intended effects. I often say things like, "You are not trying to breathe a certain way; just notice the natural rhythms as they come and go."

Body Scan

Similar to Breath Focus, Body Scan requires us to practice acute awareness. The aim here is to focus on areas of tightness in the body. Because stress is manifested in our bodies differently, it is up to us to bring awareness to it and systematically release the tension.

I tell students, "As you breathe out, relax your shoulders. Open up your hands, and plant your feet flat on the ground." These are general areas that most people tighten when stressed, but you will want to encourage students to bring awareness to their own tightness.

Students can choose from one of two practices: Simply noticing where their tension is and loosening the muscles, or tightening their muscles and releasing the tension, starting with the toes up through the neck. The former has worked better for intermediate grade students and the latter with primary grades.

A Kind Line

Switching gears from focusing on the breath and body, A Kind Line is all psychological—being "kind" is what this practice is all about. A Kind Line is a repetitive compassionate phrase used to bring about our innate kindness towards ourselves and others.

Simple in action, profound in results, and integrated with Breath Focus, A Kind Line starts with the inhale of the breath. On the inhale, students recite a short compassionate phrase. Examples are endless, but here are a few to get started: "I deserve the best," "I wish for others to be happy," or a school-focused one, "I feel confident in my academic abilities."

To encourage self-reflection, ask students to choose or create a phrase that fits their mood or point in their life. Tell them that doing so will create meaning for this practice. But you can also make a list of various phrases for students to choose from if they are having difficulty creating an original one.

Consistent Practice

Habits are formed slowly over time and require nurturing. In the morning, when it's time for Mindful Moments, I tell students, "Get in your positions." I use the same online timer, count down from five, and practice alongside students in the same spot in the same position, every single day. The students come into the classroom expecting this, and have grown to anticipate the practice as a beneficial start to their day.

At our school, we signal the start of the practice for all students. After morning announcements on the loudspeaker, we hear, "Now it's time for your Mindful Moments." Teachers have told me this is as good a reminder for them as it is for their students—and that they too benefit from the practice.

Handling Disruptions

Disruptions are inevitable. At first, remind students to keep their composure while disruptions happen. Use the distraction as a teachable moment by encouraging students to remain focused on their practice.

By learning to notice how their attention jumps back and forth, students begin to understand the need for an anchor-like mindfulness practice. This is a great opportunity for you to model. If it's not a pressing distraction, then let it go and continue your practice. Your commitment will show students it's possible to keep focused during distractions.

This skill can help students remain focused while others are off-task during class and notice when their minds are drifting during test taking. I've noticed it also appears to reduce the number of "repeat" questions during instruction.

Making Mindfulness Matter

To make the most of the practice, try to find other moments throughout the day when it can be helpful. Teachers mention, "I use it after recess when they come in all crazy," or "When I'm feeling overwhelmed, it's a great reset button." A 1st-grade teacher recently told me, "I used Breath Focus to calm a student who was crying uncontrollably."

Mindfulness practices can extend beyond the classroom, and in unexpected ways. A student told me he uses the practice at home when he needs to clear his mind. And another student reported, "I have asthma, so when I don't have my inhaler, I use Breath Focus to get control of it. It works."

I didn't encourage students to find ways to use the practice outside our morning routines. But they find ways that suit their personal needs. Encourage this. It will solidify the individualistic nature of the practice and create ownership. Speaking of which, I hope you too will find your own ways to adapt the practices to reduce your own stress.

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Teachers know stress. And if we don't know how to manage that stress in a systematic way, we can become ineffective at what we do best (not to mention feel miserable). Many of our students live with stress as well, and not just at school.

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If you’re short on time, you can still find mindfulness in just 1 minute.

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Draw Your Feelings | Kids Coloring Pages

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Have your child draw a picture to show how they’re feeling.

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Overcoming Obstacles | Lesson 8: Self-Assessment

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Students will explore the usefulness of their self-assessment.

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Social and Emotional Development - PBS Kids

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Social and Emotional Development - PBS Kids

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Find lessons on Self Awareness for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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I Can Be Self-Aware - Mentor Video with Maria

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I Can Be Self-Aware - Mentor Video with Maria

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I Can Be Self-Aware - Mentor Video with Maria

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Self-Awareness / Self-Management Middle School Learning Goals & Activities

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Self-Awareness / Self-Management Middle School Learning Goals & Activities

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Strengths & Weaknesses | Self-Awareness | Social Emotional Learning Videos for Elementary Students

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25+ Reflection Questions for the End of the Day

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25+ Reflection Questions for the End of the Day

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25+ Reflection Questions for the End of the Day

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Learning to reflect is a critical component for social-emotional development. It can help build skills for self-awareness, understanding emotions, confidence, self-advocacy, problem-solving, and gratitude. Reflecting together as a class also helps build community, as students are growing, learning, and improving together. What is an end-of-the-day reflection?

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Rose, Bud, Thorn is a versatile and easily applicable evaluation technique that is used to guide a group to reflect on areas of success, potential growth, and opportunities for improvement. Each participant has an opportunity to share their favorite aspect or most memorable moment from a program (Rose), something that could be further developed (Bud), and a negative element or area that needs to be improved (Thorn).

When to Use: At any point in a project

Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Participants: Young Children, Youth, Groups + Facilitator

Supplies: Flexible depending on setting and group. Try these different options.

Verbal responses - No materials

Sticky notes - three colors to designate rose, bud, and thorn; wall space

Index cards - three colors to designate rose, bud, and thorn; collected and sorted

Worksheet or whiteboard - written responses under each category, markers

Sample Questions:

Rose

​What is something that is working well?

What is something positive about the event/ project/ product/ experience?

What are you proud of?

What was the highlight?

Bud

​What is an area of opportunity?

What is an idea that can be explored further?

What can be improved?

What are you looking forward to?

Thorn

What is something that isn't working?

What is something negative?

What caused stress?

What was difficult?

Resources:

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Rose, Bud, Thorn is a versatile and easily applicable evaluation technique that is used to guide a group to reflect on areas of success, potential growth, and

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Importance of Teaching Self-Awareness to Children With Attention Deficit Issues

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Importance of Teaching Self-Awareness to Children With Attention Deficit Issues

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Self-awareness doesn't develop all at once. The process begins in childhood, as kids start being able to recognize and name their emotions, strengths and challenges, and likes and dislikes. And it keeps developing over time.

There are two types of self-awareness: private and public. Private self-awareness is when people are aware of something about themselves that others might not be - like being anxious about reading out loud.

Public self-awareness is when people are aware of how others see them. That doesn't start happening until the age of 5. Before then, most kids don't realize that other people aren't always thinking and feeling the same way they are.

Having self-awareness makes it easier to build self-esteem. Learn about ways to develop self-esteem .

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Self-awareness doesn't develop all at once. The process begins in childhood, as kids start being able to recognize and name their emotions, strengths and challenges, and likes and dislikes. And it keeps developing over time. There are two types of self-awareness: private and public.

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How to Tap into Your Awareness | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche | TED

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Finding Our Strengths: Creating a Strong Classroom Community

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Finding Our Strengths: Creating a Strong Classroom Community