How to Improve Classroom Management with Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a great practice for trauma-affected youth to develop self-regulation. To use it as a classroom management tool in support of students’ growing personal control, start by developing a daily practice so students know what tools they have to choose from and how to use them. Next, make all hardware and software students might need to engage in guided mindfulness activities readily available. Set up a set of expectations for how students access the activities, how long they can use them, and what they can expect if they misuse them. Finally, support students in decide when it’s the right time to use mindfulness to regain control. Make sure to be consistent. 

Mindfulness is a great alternative to power struggles. You should use it to help trauma-affected students to self-regulate and remain in class without losing too much instructional time, making a scene, or embarrassing them. Also, it will help them develop self-regulation. But how do you do it? Keep reading to learn how to incorporate mindfulness as a classroom management tool.

1. Teach Mindfulness

First, students need to know how to use mindfulness. This tool won’t work unless you use a mindfulness practice every day (or as often as possible) with students. If you need to start there, read my blog post titled “How to Make Mindfulness a Consistent Part of your School Day.” If you’re already there, keep reading. By exposing students to and teaching them how to use several mindfulness tools, they will know how to use them and what they are. That way they can access them independently and even develop preferences and a sense of ownership. ​

2. Have Supplies Ready

Next, students might need physical objects to practice mindfulness. Some of these include technology and headphones (for guided meditations), a weighted blanket, a rocking chair, and/or a meditation jar. Have a consistent place where they always live so students can access them without thinking too much. If they don't put them back, ask them to do so later. 

3. Set Expectations

Perhaps the most important part of making this work is to set up expectations and support students in following them. The expectations should outline when a student should plan on doing a mindfulness activity, how they should ask for that to happen, how long they can use the activity, and what will happen if they misuse the mindfulness activity. 

• First, when should they do the activity? Help students to recognize when they are starting to get agitated or when something might make it hard for them to learn. That means recognizing what might trigger a student to have an outburst or to shut down. When triggers start to present or you see signs of students "losing it", you will need to prompt them to move to the mindfulness activity for the first few times. Maybe come up with a nonverbal signal to let them know that’s an option in replacement of their normal stress response. Over time, they should start to ask for the activity instead of needing a prompt. It will take longer for some students than others. Also, they might be annoyed by your offer at first. Make it feel like one of several options and try to be as nonverbal as possible. Write a note or use a hand signal. 
• How should they ask? This is really up to you. The least invasive the better. Again, a nonverbal signal works great. Also, the less they have to think and negotiate the better. Be flexible and try not to worry about time constraints, work productivity, and other things that the student wouldn’t attend to anyway if they set off their stress response. 
• How long can they use the activity? Again, this is up to you. It usually depends on how much they need it. If they’re using it after a blow up or some stress response, they might need it longer to re-engage in class. If you can make it preventative, a short 5-8 minute activity should be adequate. Make sure you set a timer and place it where they can see or hear it go off. 
• What will happen if they misuse the activity? What would this look like? Students may use the activity to get out of work. To be honest, that’s fine. They are practicing mindfulness and rewiring their brain. Don’t fight that at first. But, if they break something, refuse to rejoin after the timer goes off, or break the agreement in any other way, be sure to think through what will happen. Whatever it is, it should be logical. So, if they break it, they shouldn’t lose the mindfulness activity, they should somehow repair or pay for it. If they refuse to leave when the timer is up, they shouldn’t lose the activity, but maybe you can work around how much time they think they need next time. In any of these scenarios, don’t try to figure out the consequence while it’s happening. Either have it already figured out or work on it with the student when they’re de-escalated (which is probably the next day or several hours later). 

Conclusion: 
Making mindfulness a tool for classroom management has a lot to do with prevention. You should work with students to develop several protocols and structures to start a mindfulness practice, learn when and how to use it as a tool for staying engaged, how to ask for it, and what might happen if students misuse it. Try your hardest to never be punitive or prescriptive around mindfulness as a tool for classroom management. Give students as much control as you can! ​

Check out the video that inspired this post!