This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
In our classroom family, we work on building productive, positive, and focused learning opportunities. This is fostered by integrating social-emotional learning into all aspects of the day. We start our day with morning meetings, have peer conferences, peer editors, peer and self reflection, and much more. We are learning to investigate and support ourselves and our classmates.
Many of my brilliant scholars are from households of poverty, and my hope is to provide them experiences to ease the stress and anxiety of life.
My students know however, they are not defined by their zip code. They are all amazing 8 and 9 year olds. They are intelligent, hard-working, and creative. They ALL have so much potential and strive for excellence.
We support one another by learning from our mistakes and working to become better people. I have high expectations for all of my students and strive to provide them with experiences to have positive impacts that last into their adult lives.
My Project
Educators know that children learn best when they are comfortable, safe, and relaxed. Effective teachers give children the gift of learning and the tools to become kind and productive adults. How powerful would it be if we could also give them the gift of mindfulness? Helping them to use their breath and mind to lead a happy and healthy life.
Teachers can make mindfulness a part of classroom learning by integrating it into curriculum through exercises in breathing, sensory experience, guided imagery, and movement.
Now more than ever, teaching mindfulness in the classroom is a necessity. Our children, teachers, and parents are stressed and anxious. Our lives are busy, and we often find ourselves thinking about the past or worrying about the future. We need mindfulness because it teaches us to live in the present moment.
My goal is to introduce mindfulness by relating it to daily life. I hope to accomplish this by introducing mindful games from several of the materials requested such as, Mindful Games Activity Cards: 55 Fun Ways to Share Mindfulness with Kids and Teens; Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere; Yoga and Mindfulness Practices for Children Card Deck. Book titles, I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness; Meddy Teddy: A Mindful Yoga Journey; What Does It Mean to Be Present?, were chosen because they are directed towards mindfulness newcomers. My students should feel comfortable picking up any of the texts and beginning to learn from day 1. The yoga mats will be used for yoga practices and simple meditation to help my students connect with their bodies and regain control over their minds.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Smith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
