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Mindful Minutes With Your Classroom

If your days seem to fly by from the time you step out of bed to the moment you lay your head back on the pillow, you may benefit from a mindful minute. This practice, which takes literally one minute, is something you can do to help you reset and refocus, but it is also a practice you can share with your students. Not only will your students feel better but they’ll have more focus and maybe even camaraderie. 

The VEBA Resource Center believes mindful minutes can happen throughout the day. You can start your school day with a mindful minute and then incorporate it into the day whenever you feel like students have drifted. Another idea is to give students some time before a test to take a mindful minute. And, it’s a great way to close the day together.

Here’s how you can incorporate a mindful minute into your classroom:

  1. Ask your students to get into a comfortable, seated position. If you are teaching a class online, encourage your students to find a sitting position in their home near their computers.
  2. Once seated, ask your students to bring awareness to their body and breath by focusing on inhaling and exhaling. Encourage your students to inhale for 5 seconds, hold their breath for 3 and then exhale for 5 seconds. 
  3. After 3 breaths, ask your students to think about 3 things they are grateful for on that day.
  4. Gently bring the students back into session and continue with your lessons and activities for the day.

Being mindful throughout the day, and taking intentional breaks will help you and your classroom. For more ideas on how to guide your classroom through these unprecedented times, visit the VEBA Resource Center YouTube Channel.

Increase Your Concentration in Between Classes

By now, you are probably in a back-to-school routine — a routine that looks so different then years past. Your days, which normally includes a full classroom, may now include a virtual component. With so many meetings and lessons filling your schedule, it’s important to stay alert. Keeping your mind-body connection strong will help you keep you focused. VEBA Resource Center’s Holistic Practitioner, Dr. Ioanna Vouloumanou, shares some acupressure points and breathing techniques to improve your mental clarity.

Acupressure Points for Focus

In between meetings, take a few minutes to find some acupressure points to help activate the brain, body and blood flow. Rub your ears for 15 seconds until they are hot. This short, simple movement connects the brain with the body.

Another technique to try is called the Du 20 Point of the Sea of Marrow. For one minute, initiate some acupressure point stimulation by tapping the top of your head. This movement is an often-used acupuncture point to increase alertness, concentration and resetting of the body. Tapping helps to activate the point and increase blood flow, oxygen to your brain and stimulates your nervous system.  

Breathing Techniques for Mental Clarity

If you are experiencing brain fog or mental exhaustion, sometimes some simple breathing exercises will help. By focusing on your breathing, you can bring more oxygen to the brain and improve your concentration. Depending on your situation and how much time you have in between meetings or class, there are different types of breathing techniques you can practice any time of the day. 

Deep Breathing Technique: Most of the time, we take shallow breaths throughout the day. Taking deep breaths will bring as much oxygen as possible into as many cells as possible to activate all organs, the brain and body function. 

Gently place your hand onto your stomach. Inhale deeply for 10 seconds and exhale slowly for 10 seconds. As you breathe in, you should feel your hand move out; as you exhale, you should feel your hand go down. If 10 seconds is too long to start, try starting with five seconds and working your way up. Repeat five times.

Nostril Breathing: To change your body and mind from stress mode to a more relaxed mode, try nostril breathing. This technique will bring more oxygen into your body, help you find relaxation and activate your focus.

To do the nostril breathing technique, you’ll want to find a comfortable chair. Sit down and put your left hand on your knee and place your right thumb on your right nostril and “close” it. Then, breathe in and out with your left nostril. After you are done with your left nostril, use your right index finger to gently close your left nostril and breathe in and out with only the right nostril. You will notice that one nostril will be easier than the other — this is normal. Repeat the cycle 5-10 times depending on your schedule. Be sure to finish this technique on the left side.

Taking short breaks in between classes will help you stay focused and alert. To see demonstrations of the acupressure points or breathing exercises, watch VEBA Resource Center’s Acupressure & Movement for Focus and Breathing for Mental Clarity.

Creating a Classroom In Your Home

Are you teaching a class remotely or do you have a student at home who is virtual learning? Set your students up for success and create a remote-learning space in any room of the home. With a little creativity and consideration, you can help turn your home into a classroom!

Designate a Space

The most important step in creating a remote-learning space is to designate a spot for the student to set up their “desk” whether they actually have one or not. Try to find a spot that is free of daily distractions and that is out of range of other family members’ remote working or schooling space. Consider unused areas, such as an alcove or corner to set up shop. Remember to set up near an outlet to keep the student’s computer charged. And, if the space can be near some natural light like a window or glass door, that’s ideal. 

Design Your Desk

If a desk is available for use, perfect! If not, don’t stress. Convert the dining room table or kitchen counter into the student’s desk for the day. If possible, set up outside on the patio table — the fresh air will be the perfect counter to screen time. Or, wipe down those folding tables in the garage and set up the student’s space. Just make sure they are able to easily clear their areas when the final “bell” rings. 

If you are actually purchasing a desk, find one that has a drawer or two, and possibly a shelf either on top or on the sides. These extra storage areas will help keep the student organized and efficient by having everything at their fingertips. Plus, it will keep items off the floor and the desk free of clutter.

Store School Supplies

Keep all of the school supplies together so they are easily accessible. Store all pencils, pens, scissors, glue sticks and crayons in a pencil box, just as they would at school. Consider purchasing an inexpensive bin or two to keep all notebooks and textbooks together and organized. Hang their earphones or headset nearby — you can buy inexpensive, no-damage hook, use a nail or even a drawer pull!

Share the Schedule

Posting the student’s schedule close to their workstation is a good idea to keep them on track and in the know. Remember, if the student was in school, they would have physical and audible reminders constantly throughout the day to keep them on schedule. Print out their schedule and tape it on a wall so they can see what’s coming up for the day. You may want to print out a monthly calendar or purchase a wall calendar to mark off no-school or early-release days, or to mark special days to give them something to look forward to. Consider getting a white board they can jot notes on, or work out problems. 

TIP: Write down all the passwords they need to get them through their virtual day with no qualms.

Invite Inspiration

Once you have figured out where your student will be spending most of their time for remote learning, consider adding some visual inspiration on the walls around them. Ask the student to get involved so they can design their own space. Some ideas, which can double as an art project:

  • Vision Board – Sift through magazines (or the Internet) and paste images on a poster board that represents their goals or aspirations for the coming year and beyond.
  • Hanging Collage – Using a piece of ribbon or yarn and a few paper clips, find some pictures of friends, special moments or memorable events and string them along on the wall. Change them out frequently to change your vantage point.
  • Student Mural – If you so dare, give your student some paint, a paint brush and ask them to design their own wall art.

Nothing can replace the vibe of a school. But during these uncertain times when bedrooms are becoming the classroom, working with what you have is key to your student’s success.