Enlightened Education
By
Historic One Room Schoolhouse, Photo by Niamh Savani
Post by Niamh Savani
It’s that time of year: Back to School season is upon us! In Arizona we’ve almost completed the first month of school, and soon students in other states nationwide will be returning to the classroom. Standardized tests and high stakes testing are now a normal feature in schools. This creates a lot of stress for students and teachers alike.
These are not the only stresses found in schools: as well as academic concerns, students have to deal with peer pressure, test anxiety, social expectations, balancing life and school etc.
Apart from teaching, teachers have to grade, discipline, mentor, coach, counsel …the list is endless. Education can be very stressful for both students and teachers, even under the best of circumstances.
A relatively new trend in some schools is the introduction of quiet time or meditation. Finally, Consciousness-based education seems to be gaining some ground. Studies show that students who meditate are less anxious and tend to do better on tests. If you are an educator and your school does not endorse such a program, at least you yourself can meditate. You will be surprised by the results, and how it enhances your creativity and has a positive effect on your entire classroom environment.
Meditation in Education
“ …Consciousness-Based education is not a luxury. For our children who are growing up in a stressful, often frightening, crisis-ridden world, it is a necessity”. ~ David Lynch, Filmmaker
When I first started my education career, it was a bit overwhelming. I often had students sit for 5-10 minutes of “quiet time” to help settle them down, especially after lunch. Little did I know at the time that this was actually a form of meditation! All I knew was that it kept me sane, and after the “quiet time” students were much more focused, creative, and on task.
It is interesting to see that many schools nationwide are now practicing some form of “quiet time” or meditation in their school day. In other countries, especially India, meditation is commonplace in schools. Unfortunately in the United States, many people still find this idea unusual. Many people think it is some form of religion or will infringe on their current belief system. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Meditation is a simple method of going within and finding stillness, which in turn filters through your day and enables you to remain calm in stressful situations. Research shows that schools that have included meditation as part of the normal school day have seen tremendous benefits including increased test scores, reduced discipline problems, greater levels of creativity, and calmer students and teachers
Create Stillness Within
If you’re a teacher, more likely than not you work in a school or district that does not include meditation for students as part of the school day. In that case, why not try to meditate yourself, and see if you notice any difference in your school day. It has often been said that change begins within, and therefore if you want to positively impact your students and classroom environment, start with yourself! There are many benefits of meditation, and believe it or not, you already know how to meditate!
I’ve been teaching for ten years, and of course have grown as a teacher and have improved my teaching methods and classroom discipline over the years. However, I’ve noticed that since I started meditating seriously over the past three years, I have an inner calm that is hard to shake, no matter what happens during my school day. This internal stillness, along with established classroom procedures and routines, and good classroom discipline creates a serene, yet stimulating classroom environment. Many visitors to my classroom often comment on the peaceful atmosphere and how focused and engaged students appear. I think meditation is the best form of classroom management I have found yet!
Jump Start Your Day!
Meditation is a great way to start the day, whether you are an educator or not. It helps put you in a good frame of mind for the rest of the day. Often if there has been some negative interaction, students (and teachers too!) will carry this over to the next school day. It is important to remember that every day is a new beginning, and try to find some method to erase any negative residue from the previous day. As well as meditation, it is a good idea to start your day off with a positive intention or affirmation.
This school year why not experiment with meditation and find a technique that works for you. See for yourself the many benefits, and how it can positively impact your teaching and classroom environment!
Do you already meditate? If not, why not?
Have you experienced how inner stillness is very beneficial during stressful situations?
Resources:
Website: David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace
Website: Stress Free Schools
August’s Monthly Muse article was written by Niamh Savani, a professional educator who has worked in the education field for 10 years. She currently teaches high school Visual Arts and Dramatic Arts. In addition, she feeds her own creative soul by painting; primarily in acrylics, but also enjoys mixed media. She is currently working on a new body of work for exhibition in the new year. She is also a certified transformational life coach and enjoys blogging about spirituality and art.
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