348The Mindful Culture of
Waikiki Elementar y School
Bonnie Tabor, Sandra Brace, Matt Lawrence, and Arnold Latti21
We i n t r o d u c e t h i s c h a p t e r w i t h a t e a c h e r ’s c o m m e n t s :
Waikiki School confused me at first. I showed up expecting
an average public elementary school, but this is not what I found.
Before even entering the school office I noticed signs and slo-
gans everywhere about thinking, about intelligence, and about
joy. The office had “Mindfulness” displayed everywhere. The
staff was smiling, laughing, helpful, and relaxed even though
there was a lot going on. There was a sense of community, of
excitement but order; and as the day progressed I saw this in the
classroom, the teachers room, and even on the playground. The
school had a great “feeling” about it—a feeling that I learned
later has been created by a commitment to thinking.
As a reading teacher, later as the music and dance teacher,
and finally full-time in the special education department, I have
worked with every student in the school, have been in every
classroom, and have seen the benefits of the “mindful” focus
across the board. I was amazed by the students’ abilities to take
risks and their ability to decrease their impulsivity even during