94 • PART II: MINDFULNESS IN EDUCATING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND ENGAGEMENT CHAPTER 5: THE MINDFUL CLASSROOM • 95
and mature class. Things take a turn for Mrs. Jones and her class. In a second in-service
on mindful schools, she realizes in a small group discussion that beginning with a short 2
to 3 minutes of breath exercises and working up to a 10-minute guided meditation could
take up to half the school year. This gave her a new perspective. Excited, she took her
new viewpoint back to the classroom and experienced a more positive and energizing
interaction with her students.THE MINDFUL LESSON
Mindfulness can be integrated into the school day (i.e., informal mindfulness practices;
see Chapter 7) or formally taught as skills in a more structured and extended lesson or
practice (i.e., formal mindfulness practices; see Chapter 6). When skills are being taught
or reinforced, it is good to allow for an extended mindfulness lesson (Rechtschaffen, 2014).
For elementary school students this can take 15 to 20 minutes, and for middle and high
school students this can take up to an hour (Rechtschaffen, 2014). You will want time
to introduce a new concept and skill, practice, and have time for reflecting, dialoguing,
and integrating (Rechtschaffen, 2014). A typical lesson looks like this (Rechtschaffen,
2014, p. 145):- Opening mindfulness moment (a short centering practice)
- Time for checking in and reporting back
- Introduction of new mindfulness skill or concept
- Practice time for new mindfulness skill or concept
- Sharing through discussion and dialogue
- Journaling
- Sharing ideas for generalizing use of skills to school and life
- Closing mindfulness moment
Opening and Checking-in
Begin mindful lessons with a short 2 to 5 minute mindful lesson (Rechtschaffen, 2014).
Begin with something familiar. Breath work, a guided meditation, or mindful listening are
all good choices (Rechtschaffen, 2014). Then, transition to the checking-in component of the
lesson. Here, students share how they are using their mindfulness lessons in their everyday
life (Rechtschaffen, 2014). I usually help to stimulate the sharing by calling up specific life
domains: schoolwork, school, family, friends, thinking, emotions, decision making, chal-
lenges, and possibilities. It can be helpful to recall a specific homework or skill that the stu-
dents have been working on (Rechtschaffen, 2014). Allow a few minutes here for discussion
and sharing.New Lesson, Practice, and Dialogue
Following the opening and check in, introduce the new lesson. Depending on the age
of the class, you may explain the concept or therapeutic underpinning of the practice.
Rechtschaffen (2014) warns not to tell the students what the practice should or will be like.