MindUP Program information taken from the website: http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/

“MindUP™ is a research-based training program for educators and children. This program is composed of 15 lessons based in neuroscience.

Students learn to self-regulate behavior and mindfully engage in focused concentration required for academic success. MindUP™ lessons align

with all state standards including Common Core and support improved academic performance while enhancing perspective taking, empathy

and kindness as well as fostering complex problem solving skills.”

“Utilizing MindUP™ in the classroom allows teachers to:

• Help kids maintain focused attention
• Form more accurate perceptions of students
• Think more clearly especially under pressure
• Improve communication with students, parents and staff
• Improve the overall classroom climate by infusing it with optimism and hope
• Helps to create a stronger, more vibrant school culture
• Be happier, more joyful and grateful — a disposition that ultimately spills out of the classroom and into private life
• Experience greater job satisfaction”

Mindfulness in Education (2011)

Case Studies of Mindful Teachers
and Their Teaching Practices
Christine E. Sherretz
University of Louisville

The term mindfulness automatically turns some people off. The truth is being mindful is essentially recognizing different perspectives or alternative processes then the original or the norm. Mindfulness has many definitions and meanings

to many different people. In terms of education, it is important to clearly outline what I mean by mindfulness.

This article is very informative and outlines clear methods that teachers can use to incorporate mindfulness. First of all, what id mindfulness? According to

Sherretz, “mindfulness is a process in which an individual views one situation from several perspectives.” Seeing things from different perspectives has applications

across the board in education, from solving math equations to conceptualizing art pieces.

There were three participants for this study. All of them taught at Eastside Intermediate
School in New York

“The purpose of the research was to investigate the teaching practices of mindful teachers.”

The data revealed four major themes which all of the teachers practiced:

• Give students choices
• Positive classroom atmosphere
• Required an elaboration of thinking
• Process orientation (as opposed to response orientation)

Useful quotes from the article:

(Mindfulness) “asserts that problems and resolutions should be viewed from several vantage points with several possible outcomes.”

“Instead of moving in a linear fashion from question to answer, the mindful individual seeks out other vantage points to view the problem.

I wanted to focus my auto-geography on my love for artifacts and how those artifacts define who I am. Let me explain. When I say artifact I don’t mean fancy historical things or expensive objects (although it could be). I mean unique, memorable and precious items. After the group discussion in class, I realized my love for artifacts and my desire to create such artifacts is probably why I wanted to become a shop teacher. My Dad gave me his brass bracelets from Kenya that he got as a boy. When I wore those bracelets, I loved that they symbolized my heritage and how I wanted to one day travel to Kenya like my father. What we choose to keep over the years reflects on who we are. Weather we accumulate objects or have nothing at all. What you cherish says a lot about you. Money, people, photos or even small memorable artifacts give people an insight into your world. I have collected artifacts since I was a child. Usually these tokens are to remember fond memories or events. I have always invested meaning with the objects that I choose to keep with me.

I had a difficult time choosing a single artifact for this assignment. Because my focus is on my personal artifacts, I figured I could bring in a small bundle of them. So, to our small group of class mates that gathered I brought: Some rocks from my rock collection, a marmot skull from my skull collection, a leather arm guard I made, my bracelets from Kenya, and my favorite Christmas ornament. When it was my turn to showcase my artifacts I began by explaining that my auto-geography was centered on how I put emphasis on my treasured artifacts and how they represent who I am better than I can represent myself. I talked with my group and explained why I had brought in an amalgamation of artifacts and what each thing meant to me. I had never really connected the two passions, the love of memorable artifacts and becoming a shop teacher. I realise now that this passion for artifacts has probably fueled this drive to be a shop teachers as much as my father did (he is a shop teacher).

As I reflect on this experience I feel that I am coming out with something very different then when I started. When I began this self reflection on what things mean to me and how they reflect on who I am I thought I already knew the answer. It turns out, my cherished artifacts mean more then I realized. They fuel my desire to teach others to make cool projects in school with the hopes it inspires them to continue making things long after they graduate. How to incorporate this concept into schools may be more difficult then I think. Some people would argue that the last thing teachers need to tell students is to accumulate physical items, and instead cultivate relationships. I totally agree with this, and it is not what I am trying to say at all, but if students can be taught the value of quality craftsmanship then they can appreciate their projects instead of throwing them in the trash. How do I differentiate between making a project and making a quality memory worth keeping? Ownership. If I put an emphasis on ownership of their own projects and pursuits then they would put more effort into them and appreciate them. Why? Because when we take ownership we make it a reflection of ourselves, our hard work, our standards, our style. What we make MEANS something, not only for our own self efficacy, but to contribute to the world and in turn how the world sees us. If people can make one artifact in high school they are proud of and still show off to people, then my goal has been reached.

When I have a class, I am going to teach them that they are here first to fail and second to keep trying. They are expected to make a project that they can be proud of and take ownership of. As a shop teacher I have an obligation to not only teach students the skills they need to operate machinery safely but to feel like they can make something with their own two hands that is WORTH something, that MEANS something. The skills we teach are not just for them to use in that one project but they are skills that they can cultivate to help define who they are, much like my artifacts that I brought to class. Some artifacts are worth more then others, but in the end the ones I am the most proud of are the ones I have made with my own two hands. That is what I want to teach students, the art of making precious artifacts that remind them that they can succeed.

Holidays are over and it is time to continue studies at UBC and preparation for practicum. Projects are taking shape in the form of lesson plans and unit plans, nice and neat. All of the things I have learned so far at UBC are beginning to accumulate ideas in my mind concerning classroom involvement and management. I recently read a class reading called “From Tourists to Citizens in the Classroom” by Jerome Freiberg about Consistency Management and Cooperative Discipline. It includes 5 themes: prevention, caring, cooperation, organization and community. Prevention of disruptive environment so that there is no need for intervention. Cooperation: which leads to ownership and involvement. Organization: teachers can appoint classroom management positions to students. Community: creating the environment where the whole class is responsible for each other. This theory was employed in many schools in Texas and the study showed an improvement in classroom environment, student involvement, achievement motivation and helps students move towards self discipline.