Lesson

How to Be Mindful at School

Help kids learn how to practice mindfulness at school.

Objectives

  • Describe ways to be mindful at school.

Info to Know

The lessons in this unit help kids understand and practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is to purposefully pay attention to your breathing, feelings, senses, or actions in the present moment. When a child is mindful, they increase their ability to regulate emotions, manage stress, and self-motivate. You can vary the ways your students practice being mindful each day. Some of the many fit resources available for daily mindfulness practice include:

Set The Stage

Select an item from your desk and model exactly how you want students to apply mindfulness by intentionally noticing how the item looks, feels, smells, sounds, etc. Ask students what they noticed about how you were being mindful.  

To use this with your students click here.

Captivate

Mindful at School

Present the first slide from the slideshow. Ask students to pick an item close by. Mindfully examine it. What do they notice?

Educate

How to Be Mindful at School

Tell students that mindfulness is when you pause and focus on the present moment. Explain that there are many times during the school day when being mindful can help them to greet others, manage mood, calm down, or get their minds ready for learning.

Check for Understanding: What can you do to be mindful at school? (Students give examples of purposefully paying attention to breathing, feelings, senses, or actions in the present moment.)

Activate

What Mindful Choices can Kids Make?

Print sets of the Mindful Moments cards for students to store in their desk and use when they want a mindful moment.

 

Close the Lesson

Set a time during the day for a mindful moment so students can choose an activity from their set of Mindful Moments cards.

Grade: 3-5

Time: 20 Minutes

Health Education Standards

  • Standard 1: Core Concepts–Promote Mental and Emotional Health
  • Standard 4: Interpersonal Communication
  • Standard 5: Decision-Making
  • Standard 7: Practice Health-Enhancing Behaviors

 

Social and Emotional Learning Competencies

  • Self-Awareness
  • Self-Management
  • Responsible Decision-Making

Extend the Lesson

  • Play Greetings from the fitGames series for kids to practice ways to be mindful when greeting one another.
  • Read about Breathing Techniques to help your students relax and become more mindful of their choices.
  • Read about how you can help kids be more mindful of their choices with the cue "Think fit. Be fit!"

View the fit Units and Lessons Scope and Sequence Chart.

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