Initial Research Findings From Teacher and Student Mindfulness Programs: Early Childhood and Elementary School Settings

• In Event: 29.084 - Systematic Approaches to Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Teachers and Students: Early Childhood and Elementary School Settings

Abstract

Early childhood is a critical period in life and a time when the brain undergoes rapid development. As such, training during this period has the potential for significant and lifelong impact. Educators of young children play a pivotal role in shaping student outcomes and success. Therefore, we are utilizing mental training techniques that have been shown to promote mental and physical health in various contexts and applying them in early education within public school settings for both teachers and students.

Initially, we offer training for classroom teachers in a modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (mMBSR) program. The mMBSR curriculum is adapted for teachers and has three primary aims: 1) for teachers to gain first-hand experience of mindfulness practice while also beginning to establish a formal personal practice, 2) to generalize learned skills into the classroom while teaching and interacting with students, and 3) to reinforce and support student practice by weaving practices throughout the school day (with scaffolded training for teachers to begin learning to teach elements of the curriculum). Adaptations of the MBSR program for teachers include presenting the training program exclusively for educators, extending the number of sessions, providing a variety of practice time options and specific school-related activities and practices.

Followed by the teacher training, preschool students receive training in a mindfulness-based prosocial skills curriculum that we refer to as the Kindness Curriculum. The practices are taught in a secular manner and adapted to be developmentally appropriate for this age group. The Kindness Curriculum is progressive in nature and incorporates children’s literature, music and movement to teach and stabilize concepts related to kindness and compassion. Basic activities are introduced to develop awareness of inner and outer experience. Lessons then move to teaching awareness of and attention to the changing nature of experience (including emotions) and how emotions impact interactions. Next, students are taught and practice ways to work with difficult emotions. Throughout the curriculum positive qualities (such as gratitude, generosity and compassion) and a beginning understanding of the interconnectedness of all things in the world are cultivated. The Kindness Curriculum entails 24 lessons taught over a period of 12 weeks (2 lessons per week, 20-30 minutes per lesson).

We will present findings from research on mindfulness training with teachers and preschool students. Teachers and students participated in testing before and after their respective periods of training. Elementary school teachers who participated in an 8-week modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training showed reduced stress and burnout, increased self-compassion, and improvements in classroom teaching practices as compared to a control group that did not receive training. Among preschoolers who received training in a 12-week Kindness Curriculum, findings demonstrate increased self-regulation and prosocial behavior as compared to a wait-list control group. Implications of this research and future directions will be discussed.

Authors

• Lisa Flook, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Richard J Davidson, University of Wisconsin - Madison