Meditation and Mindfulness in the Classroom

Course description

Mindfulness and Meditation in the Classroom seek to teach participants basic, effective mindfulness and meditation practices that they may use to promote their own and their student's well-being. The topic of the day will be covered through a combination of exercises and practical tasks each day. Participants will learn to meditate for a short period of time without supervision, as well as to prepare and lead a short meditation appropriate for their learners, using effective breathing techniques to relax the mind.

Teachers on this 5 day, 20-hour programme will take part in tutorials and group meditations related to the development of the course lesson preparation sessions and group discussions. On two afternoons teachers will embark on local cultural activities accompanied by their Future Learning teacher giving them the opportunity to learn about Irish culture and heritage during their stay.

Learner Profile:
Primary and Secondary Teachers seek to learn techniques to calm the mind and body suitable to use in a classroom setting. These techniques can reduce the negative effects of stress and increase students’ ability to stay engaged, helping them stay on track academically and avoid behaviour problems.

Learner Outcomes:
By the end of the course, participants will have

> learned simple practical mindfulness and meditation techniques for use in a classroom setting
developed a toolkit of simple mindfulness and meditation techniques to support their own and their students’ well-being
> become confident in using short simple mindfulness and meditation sequences with their students
understood how these techniques can help us to be more present with our students, and create a happier class atmosphere and better learning outcomes, by improving class relationships, attention and helping students be better prepared for learning.