This practicum my #oneword2020 is Mindfulness. I want to empower my students to feel like they can do anything they set their minds to when they are mindful and aware of their learning journey. I hope to instill this into my teaching practice through passionate teaching. Practicing mindfulness is incredibly empowering. When I feel empowered to teach, I don’t find myself worried about limitations or ‘what if’ feelings. Empowerment motivates me to become the best and truest teacher I can be. Mindfulness can help you to better stress and anxiety when it does occur. It helps with self-regulation, promotes positive emotions and self-compassion. Mindfulness is also incredibly important for mental health. I think that with the growing concern around mental health within students today, it is important to demonstrate practices that can help promote positive mental health.
I hope to initiate a routine of mindful moments throughout the day in my practicum classroom. I want to help students transition back into learning mode from periods like recess or lunch where they have been given ultimate freedom outside to play. I think that often students are expected to come back from breaks like recess and lunch and to return to learning modes without any issues. The reality is that students need the aid to help them refocus and switch their activity modes to learning mindsets. Mindfulness will give students a quick moment to gather themselves and direct them to their next activity whatever it may be. I also think that mindfulness helps students set themselves up for success in the classroom. By being aware of what students are learning they can be focused on the task and learning that is in front of them.
I also want to instill mindfulness in myself as an educator for a few reasons. I hope to take time to reflect on my day and the lessons that went on not only for professional development, but also to remember this time in my career as an educator. I think that it is too easy to get caught up in the end point that the enjoyment of the journey is missed or ignored altogether. This is a big time of transition in my life and I want to be able to look back and remember where I came from and how I get to the places I will go.
Another goal I have set for myself is to take my students learning outside and experience the environment around them. I want students to be aware of their place and benefit educationally from being mindful of their surroundings. I think that the outdoors has a lot to offer the educational classroom setting and the possibilities for learning are endless.
