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Happiness and well-being are skills children can develop.

Eating mindfully can be done, not only as an adult dieting technique, but as an aware child.

Specifically teaching children how to maintain focus gives the child the tools to choose to attend.

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Mindful practices build awareness of emotions, awareness of body and the ability to self-regulate.

Mindful practice cause activity in the prefrontal cortex, and involve the coordination of thought and feeling as well as the regulation of attention and motion.

Mindfulness involves noticing the entire spectrum of emotions without judgement, which helps kids feel relief and safety in contrast to “That behavior is not acceptable!”

The insula is a region of cerebral cortex, which monitors and sends signals to the organs. When a person acts with compassion, neuroscientists can see changes in the heart and this region of the brain.

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Mindful practice is effective when it occurs for very short periods of time, several times a day, without expectation of perfect calm.

Changes over time include happier children, who are more comfortable in their body, feel less aggressive and feeling more calm.

Mindful listening and mindful eating are connected to the science of learning about your 5 senses and the language arts study of descriptive words.

An example of a heartful 💕practice when someone is absent:

1-Close your eyes and picture the person in your mind

2-Repeat “May you be health, may you be happy, may you be peaceful”

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The primary driver of change in your brain is your behavior.

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1-chemical- The brain can increase transference of chemical signals between neurons (brain cells), which trigger actions and reactions. This involves short term memory or short-term improvement in a motor skill.

2-structural- The brain can alter its structure by changing connections between neurons. This involves long-term memory or long-term improvement in a motor skill.

3-functional – The brain can alter its function.

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Everything you encounter and experience, everything you do and everything you don’t do changes your brain.

No single intervention works for everyone.

Nothing is more effective than practice, and increased struggle actually leads to more learning and greater structural change in the brain.

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We have the lunch shift after middle school, who clean up poorly and before grades 3 & 4 who noisily come down to the lunchroom early while we are trying to get k-2 lunches cleaned up and kids bundled up for recess.
We can try to arrive early and do some table cleaning before we eat. We can also try closing the door to the lunchroom until we are ready to go out to recess.

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Physical activity may help with cognitive functioning. However, physical education is limited to two 45 minute periods a week. That is a scheduling decision, but I think a daily session would be much healthier. I do insert a “wiggle break” which is a short outdoor recess, or indoor GoNoodle break into our mornings.

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Middle school students boisterously pass in halls after lunch as younger student travel to lunch. When possible, we take the route to the lunchroom with the fewest number of other students passing.

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Parents' xpectations for Disciplining Other People's Children

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Parents' xpectations for Disciplining Other People's Children

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Zero-tolerance discipline policies do not provide opportunities for studnets’ decision-making skills to develop. Fortunately, our assistant head of schools is a proponent for restorative justice practices, and encourages staff members to use restorative practices, also.

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Our curriculum is packed, and does not include and emphasis on purposeful work through the child's eyes, with a choice of activities and discovery. I need to make a more conscious effort to look for opportunities for student choice within the school day!