Support for Student Wellbeing
Context & Purpose
With its application in enhancing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and strategies for managing stress, mindfulness training is more and more recognized as being of benefit for students, as well as their teachers and administrators. Introducing short and practical mindfulness practices can have a measurable impact on student wellbeing, and in service of program sustainability, the proposal has been brought forth to equip CET staff to deliver mindfulness-based workshops for students.
I would be pleased to work remotely with your team to demonstrate a mindfulness-based workshop for graduate students, assist in modifying the format to best suit this specific context, and train CET staff in delivering this important content.
Program components
Two 90-minute calls via Zoom
Call 1: Demo of Student Workshop + discussion of any adaptations (specific context, audience, and population’s needs)
Workshop description: Mindfulness for Stress Management
School can be stressful! While our habit might be to avoid or ignore stress, what can actually help is to look closer: to acknowledge what’s going on with curiosity, acceptance, and self-compassion. In this interactive session, take a little time for meditation and reflection, learn about mindfulness, and share strategies for responding to stressors in healthy and sustainable ways.
Learn about mindfulness and meditation: definition and benefits;
Background in how change happens: neuroplasticity, incremental and regular shifts;
Reflect and share about stress experience and effects: body sensations, emotions, thoughts, behaviors;
Learn and share mindful strategies for preventing, detecting, and working with stress: breathing, grounding, meditation, gentle movement;
Receive resources for continuing to learn about mindfulness and develop one’s own practice.
Call 2: Teacher Training: approach, language, support in leading practices
Ongoing Support
Assistance in creating a sustainable plan for participants to continue their own practice as well as gain experience and comfort in leading meditative practices. Recommendation is to implement a “Community of Practice:” regular staff-led meditation open to all (voluntary), in which participants in this program can lead practices.
Custom web page with pre-recorded guided meditations, article recommendations, and other resources.
Cost: $880 AUD
Rationale
The website for Mindful Schools (a California-based Mindfulness Teacher Training organization) lists the benefits and applications of mindfulness, especially related to the K-12 context. (While this does not match the CET population, to my knowledge there has not been substantial study of mindfulness in the ESL context. In my experience, local and international graduate students report similar outcomes.)
The benefits of mindfulness are manifold:
Better focus and concentration
Increased sense of calm
Decreased stress & anxiety
Enhanced health and immune system
Improved impulse control
Increased self-awareness
Skillful responses to difficult emotions
Increased empathy and understanding of others
Development of natural conflict resolution skills
Applications of mindfulness for students include focus and management of stress in high-stakes situations such as test taking and public speaking. The emphasis on acceptance and nonjudgment cultivates self-compassion and growth mindset in dealing with failure and challenges. Enhanced self-awareness invites responsible decision-making, self-regulation, and responsiveness to one’s needs for health and wellbeing.
Notes
Recommendations
Open to staff members who will have a role in implementing and/or directing student workshops, designated by CET.
Max 20 participants
Strong recommendation: if the Teacher/Staff Professional Development is implemented, this is a prerequisite for participants. If the PD component is not implemented, some element of personal mindfulness practice and study is recommended for facilitators of student mindfulness content. (An alternative reputable online course is offered here.)