Calm Schools: free mindfulness training tools for every teacher in the world
In today’s rapidly changing world, children face unique social and emotional challenges. Kids are experiencing greater pressures earlier in life, and feel more stress and anxiety than ever before.
We asked the question: What if their school day began with a few moments of quiet and stillness?
The answer: They’d start the day feeling more calm, more concentrated, and more peaceful.
We want to empower kids to thrive, not just survive.
Thats why we’ve created The Calm Schools Initiative to help educators introduce mindfulness in the classroom.
We designed the “30 Days of Mindfulness in the Classroom” to help busy teachers bring mindfulness to their classrooms with ease. From breathing exercises to meditations to relaxation activities, each day is a new mindful exploration complete with a lesson plan. Along the way, students will discover new practices to help improve focus, manage stress, regulate emotions and develop compassion.
Numerous studies have shown the many benefits of teaching mindfulness to children. Through mindfulness education, kids can develop a lifelong capacity for greater self-awareness, concentration, patience, and resilience.
This heart-warming initiative highlights Robert W. Coleman Elementary School in Baltimore and the stunning tangible benefits that are being seen from children practicing mindfulness. Instead of punishing disruptive kids or sending them to the principal's office, the Baltimore school has something called the Mindful Moment Room instead.
Misbehaving kids are encouraged to sit in the room and go through practices like breathing or meditation, helping them calm down and re-center. The results speak for themselves: there have been exactly zero suspensions last year and so far this year.
These results support why we've launched The Calm Schools Initiative.
Our aim is to empower teachers with mindfulness tools and resources they can use to help kids learn this new skill.
And, because a healthy and happy teacher is at the heart of every mindful classroom, we’ve also developed a “Self Care Guide for Teachers”. Studies show that the entire classroom benefits when the teacher develops a personal meditation or relaxation practice. Not to mention, you improve your emotional wellbeing and reduce the risk of burnout.
If you find yourself feeling guilty for prioritizing self-care as a teacher, we invite you to let go of the idea that taking care of yourself is selfish, and remember that when you’re thriving you naturally have more energy, creativity, and empathy to offer your students. It’s a win-win!
This guide introduces the foundations of mindfulness and other self-care tips and resources to help you feel healthier and happier in the classroom and beyond.
