Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness in and out of the Classroom

This was the 2nd of two books I read for a mindfulness in education class that I'm taking. There's GREAT stuff in here and it will be wonderful resource as I continue to build new teaching habits to bring mindfulness into MY classroom. Some of the articulation of the ideas however, was a bit too existential for my practical Midwestern sensibilities so I couldn't help but rolling my eyes at the author's writing and idealistic presentation. (Holding the start of one's class to have a lengthy sitdown with two feuding students because you have an aid on hand to supervise? And who even calls them aids anymore?!)<br />Cynicism aside, a solid starter resource for starting a mindfulness practice, but not one I would share with a skeptic.

This book is a terrific resource for any teacher considering learning more about how to integrate this important skill into their practice. Srinivasan provides both powerful stories and excellent resources to help any teacher get started. As a technology leader I found the chapter on mindfulness and technology extremely helpful.

Tony Conty<br />1 min · <br />In honor of #NationalBookLoversDay, I finished a selection for our summer book study. As someone who sought meditation before as a source of inner-calm, I really looked forward to learning about teaching mindfulness.<br /><br />Mindfulness refers to the act of being present in the present without distractions from the past or future. This helps those who fail to forgive themselves for mistakes and obsess over the uncertainty that lies ahead. It works wonders for those crippled with anxiety and/or depression.<br /><br />What makes "Teach Breathe Learn" original is its lessons on how to teach this skill to others. My favorite part is when the author presents a conflict to students and asks them how to solve it. She then leads some mindful breathing activities and then presents the same query again, marveling at their increased insight.<br /><br />One of favorite coworkers of the past had a Masters in Conflict Resolution and I scoffed at her statements that the same techniques in a middle school apply to the world as a whole. Forgive me, Bethany. It makes a heck of a lot more sense now.<br /><br />The biggest sin in Internet posting is making something unnecessarily political, but seeing what is going on in the world makes you think about these skills. Would we take the same course of action if we took a few breaths first? It is worth pondering. This book is niche, aimed at educators but beneficial for all. I recommend it to any stakeholder in our youth's education.

Picked up some nice tips, but, unsurprisingly, this successful breather got the hell out of teaching as soon as she could. Those who are loudest and gesticulate the most furiously, who demand you buy in, quickly are doing so outside of the trenches. Believe this 30+-year vet: you can spot those that don't have the iron to do the job over the long haul a MILE away.

It took me about a year to finally finish this book because I got frustrated with some of the author’s stories and the book’s far narrower-than-anticipated focus. I thought this was a book about mindfulness in *teaching*, but it’s a book about mindfulness in *teaching mindfulness*, so neither I nor most any teacher who doesn’t have the luxury of a class where the content is mindfulness have anything close to the time required to implement the ideas offered here with our students. Still, some valuable anecdotes and scraps of knowledge are threaded throughout, and I did find the first chapter helpful in thinking about bringing mindfulness to teaching in general.

I heard Meena speak at Momentous Institute's Changing the Odds Conference this past October. She is a Program Manager for Oakland Unified School District's Social Emotional Learning and Leadership Department, and she is a huge proponent of mindfulness; she is a woman after my own heart in many ways! Her book was a quick and easy read on her history with mindfulness, her call to bring mindfulness into her work as an educator, and the impact this trajectory has had on her life and hte lives of students and colleagues. She also embeds small mindfulness practices throughout, embracing the Tibetan practice of meditation combined with mantras. A lovely book, and a lovey person!

I'd probably give this 3.5 stars if I could. Some excellent nuggets in there in how she frames the purpose and practice of mindfulness (coming from an educator has been practicing mindful breathing exercises with students for years). She got a little woohoo for me ("Breath in - I am a flower, breathe out - I am fresh") and in an effort to make chapters serve as a lesson plan all surrounding one big idea, they got very repetitive with repeating the main idea and classroom procedures with starting class.

Really loved this book. Especially all the meditation prompts and exercises, i loved how everything referenced back to a lot of Thich Nhat Hanh and how each lesson plan felt very genuine and wholesome. Will be using some of these in my lead-teaching meditations and looking forward to reading some of the references mentioned in the book! Definitely a perspective opener on how to live and embody meditation and how it can help sculpt your life.

As a teacher, I find my peace in the summer when I let go of everything and always feel calm. The question I had was how could I keep my peace throughout the year. This book is an affirming step toward a practice of mindfulness.<br /><br />The book is divided into three sections: Practicing Mindfulness, Sharing Mindfulness, and Mindfulness As A Learned Skill - curriculum for teachers.<br /><br />I think I will need to now read some books by Thich Nhat Hanh - someone she quotes extensively in this book.

A solid guide for educators of young children for teaching mindfulness in the classroom. Rooted in the Plum Village tradition, as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh, we are offered secular practices with lesson plans, handouts, and homework. If you are an elementary or middle school teacher, you should check out this book. Other educators may find pieces to incorporate as appropriate.