Teaching Students to be Mindful and Conscious Learners
Posted by Erica Warren on
According to recent research, a growing number of school-aged children are experiencing a plethora of social, emotional and behavioral problems that interfere with school success, interpersonal relationships, as well as the potential to become competent adults and productive citizens.
Many Students are Passive Learners
What's more, many students are passive learners that mindlessly attend classes and complete the work. As a result, a growing number of young learners are unmotivated to learn, struggle with encoding academic content, and have trouble getting the grades that they desire.
So what can we do to help these students? A simple strategy is to teach learners to be mindful and conscious of their academic approach
What is Mindful or Conscious Learning?
Mindful or conscious learning is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and sensations. When taught to young learners, recent research suggests that training in this method can help students:
foster empathy for peers and others
increase attentional abilities
improve emotional regulation and social behaviors
How Can This Skill be Taught?
The best ways to teach children to be mindful and in the moment is to be fully present yourself and share your own thought processes. In addition, you can implement short meditations where you encourage learners to be aware of their breath and just observe their thoughts.
Ready Made Materials
You can now bring conscious learning into your classes or individualized sessions with Multisensory Brain Break Meditations
Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.
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