Overview

In this specially designed SEL Team and Administrator Academy for district leaders, school leaders, and SEL teams, participants will become clear on what mindfulness is and is not. They will learn the benefits of mindfulness, supporting research, and research-based practices. They will learn the most effective ways to integrate mindfulness in schools and classrooms, how mindfulness supports stress reduction, the prevention of negative impacts of primary and secondary trauma, interrupts implicit bias, and cultivates empathy.

 

These factors enhance the creation of a positive culture and climate in schools, improving academic and more equitable outcomes in our schools. Participants will also explore and strategize how to integrate mindfulness into their K-12 school community in a way that honors its unique environment, culture, and goals.

 

Part 1

The course will start with 3 hours of pre-recorded instruction from our leadership team, all with extensive experience and expertise in mindfulness-based social-emotional learning. 

 

Part 2

Before or after the initial 3 hours of instruction, participants are required to read an article and are encouraged to read the books Educating Mindfully and/or Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom. This will be followed by a 3-hour online direct-contact instruction/mentoring session. 

 

In this three-hour session, participants and instructors will share experiences teaching mindfulness strategies in a variety of school settings. We will dive deeper into considerations for designing a mindfulness implementation plan taking into account the leadership roles and school types of the participants.  

 

Part 3

The course will conclude with an ISBE-required application component (for those wanting AA credits) where participants will design a mindfulness implementation plan for their school. Participants will find Chapter 7 of Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom helpful and will provide details on their specific goals, measurements of success, people responsible for carrying out tasks, resources needed, and date for completion of each task. We will provide the form required to complete this assignment and there will be time given during the three-hour session to complete it.

 

Presenter Bios:

Tovi C. Scruggs-Hussein, COSEM's president, is a visionary educator, author, and award-winning urban high school principal with over 25 years of emotional intelligence and self-mastery experience.  She has served as California’s Regional Executive Director of Partners in School Innovation, founding co-director of the Association of CA School Administrators Equity Leaders Academy and Regional State Equity Representative, and co-founded a secondary school. Tovi is the founding co-teacher of the trauma-informed leadership course at Mills College.  Most recently, Tovi was personally trained with Brené Brown and is a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator and Courage Catalyst. Her other certifications are numerous and include Integral Coaching by New Ventures West,  Search Inside Yourself, and Niroga Institute.  

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Dr. Matthew Dewar is COSEM's Past President and also a high school teacher, well-being coordinator, and learning facilitator at Lake Forest High School in Illinois who has designed and implemented teacher professional development and school wellness curricula, including mindfulness-based wellness for faculty and students. His work has been featured on TEDx, NPR, and the National Wellness Institute's podcast. He is author of The Mindful Breathing Workbook for Teens and Education and Well-Being: An Ontological Inquiry. Watch Matt's TEDx Talk.

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Gene Olsen is Director of Student Services in Illinois and supports students, staff, and families in programming and planning for successful student outcomes for all children.  He has served as a teacher of students with disabilities, local and building IFT rep, member of the PARCC Educator Leadership Cadre, and has presented at multiple state conferences. His responsibilities include coordinating special education services and supervising staff. He also oversees the district's administration of services for IDEA, 504, McKinney Vento, Social Emotional Learning and DCFS. In his role, he has worked with federal and state initiatives, including PARCC, P20 Council, and CASEL. He is a member of the Illinois State Assessment Review Committee, and the Treasurer of the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education (IAASE).  

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Lauren Beversdorf teaches K-8 Spanish at Bannockburn School in Bannockburn, IL.  With 18+ years of experience working with all age groups, she also coordinates, designs and implements SEL and mindfulness curricula and multi-age lessons for students and fellow educators. She received her mindfulness instructor training through Teacher Advancement Courses, Gina Biegel’s MBSR-T program, the Mindful Schools curriculum and is an experienced certified yoga instructor. Her passion is teaching language and promoting stress-reduction, self-compassion, and self-awareness using mindful techniques to educators, students, and parents. Lauren has lead workshops, mindful groups, spoken at conferences, and presented a variety of mindfulness strategies in schools and workshops. She is also a certified ELL/Bilingual Educator.

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Lindsey J. Frank is the Regional Director for COSEM Chapters and is passionate about transforming education through wellness and social and emotional learning (SEL). Lindsey is a districtwide Climate and SEL Coach in Illinois. She has developed her coaching role since its creation in 2017 layering wellness approaches that start with the adults and span outward to learners and communities. She has taught and supported students ranging from early learning through junior high as a coach, learning behavior specialist, interventionist, and teacher. Her master’s degree is in Educational Leadership & Supervision. She is a certified yoga, meditation, & mindfulness instructor for adults and children with a focus on trauma-informed approaches. Additionally, Lindsey developed her company The Butterfly Within, LLC for education wellness empowerment coaching and is the author of Big Change, Better You, Beautiful World.