Educating Mindfully Book
With 40 chapters written by passionate educators representing all grades and roles in schools, and collaborating with 20+ resource organizations, our 355-page anthology utilizes inspiring storytelling to document the emergence of mindfulness in US education while also creating a comprehensive resource and field and implementation guide for school communities. Proceeds from our book support our COSEM Community and experiences. Consider our book is for your school book club or even gifts for administrators and colleagues!
Join Our Book Study
Our book study and 8 PD Hours/CEUs are included with your COSEM membership. This is a self-paced, start anytime book study.
How To Earn Your PD Hours/CEUs:
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Become a professional member here. if you aren't already.
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Join the Educating Mindfully Book Study Group area of our Member Site.
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Purchase and read our Educating Mindfully book.
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Share at least one "aha" moment, resonating area, or reflection for each part of our book; four total reflections.
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Respond to at least one other person's reflection for each part of our book; four total responses.
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Fill out this evaluation form. We check the responses to this form quarterly and will verify your reflections and responses.
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We create and distribute Evidence of Completion documents quarterly; expect to receive them via email around December 20, March 20, June 20, or September 20.
Book Praise
Full of specific examples and tools, this compelling book shows many ways to bring the educational and personal value of mindfulness to all kinds of children in a variety of settings. Credible and full of common sense, a wonderful resource for every teacher.
—Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Author of Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness
With love and rigor, this book highlights the many ways that mindfulness can be a transfor- mative resource to students and teachers alike. Using grounded examples that convey powerful lessons from the field, the book is an essential resource for those in the mindfulness in education movement.
—David Treleaven, Ph.D., Author of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing
The collective wisdom is on point in Educating Mindfully: Stories of School Transformation Through Mindfulness. I heartily recommend this book filled with narrative that weaves together the history of the mindfulness in education movement.
—Gina M. Biegel, Founder, MBSR-Teens, stressedteens.com, Author of Take in the Good: Skills for Staying Positive and Living Your Best Life and many other books
Educating Mindfully takes the reader directly into the experience of teachers as they navigate the challenges, successes, heartbreaks, and joys of their profession. And like mindfulness being strengthened through full engagement with the ups and downs of life, this book is an uncompromising celebration of each encounter, from the small and gentle whispers of an opening heart, to the raucous shouts of minds freed to learn. Each chapter author has a unique perspective and context as well, so readers from different areas of the educational environment will find stories to touch them, and the resources to take action.
—Ted Meissner, Executive Director, Mindfulness Practice Center
This is a must read for any classroom teacher or school leader! With so many wonderful stories and ideas from so many inspiring mindfulness teachers, you will find inspiration and ideas to spur your own mindfulness journey and learn about the positive impact that the mindfulness movement is having of children and adults of all ages!
—Helen Maffini, Director of MindBE Education and Host of the Preschool Mindfulness Summit
Mindfulness practices emerge from individual and shared experiences occurring simul- taneously. This book models mindfulness practice by offering collective stories of mindful journeys and tales of impact. What a treasure to have regardless of where you may be on your own mindful journey as a companion to inspire, inform, nurture and model mindful practices. The collective voices heard in this rich narrative speak the truth of mindfulness practice and the crucial experience needed by all students and educators in these turbulent times.
—Vincent J. Walsh-Rock, Ph.D., AP for Counseling and Student Support Services at Downers Grove South High School and Past President of the Illinois School Counseling Association
This book provides in depth details for many practical and useful approaches for creating mindful classrooms and spaces. When students and adults share mindful practices together, it creates a positive climate and culture that maximizes learning, productivity, and centers students’ well-being. The compendium of resources in this book will not disappoint.
—Dr. Raquel Y. Wilson, Assistant Director for Student Services, Equity & Directions Program, Glenbard High School District 87, IL
I’m very excited as a champion of mindfulness in education to recommend this book. We in New York City know that mindfulness is a powerful tool in helping not just our children but our families, teachers and public servants in other agencies to manage stress, cultivate awareness and realize thriving and compassionate learning communities.
—Eric Adams, Mayor, New York City
This book is a beautiful offering to the world. It is filled with powerful stories and learnings from the frontlines of the Mindfulness in Education movement. This book is a must-have for anyone engaged in sharing mindfulness with educators or young people.
—Meena Srinivasan, Executive Director, Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL), Author of SEL Every Day and Teach, Breathe, Learn
A beautifully curated collection of wisdom from experienced practitioners around the country. Kudos to Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully for facilitating this impactful collaboration!
—Dr. Christopher Willard, Harvard Medical School, Author of Growing Up Mindful and Alphabreaths
This is an extraordinary collection, a delicious feast of wisdom and experience from some of the pioneers and leading practitioners in mindfulness in education. As the field enters its adolescence, this book offers an incredible opportunity to share stories, learn from our successes as well as our growing pains, and generate a collective community wisdom. I believe the reader will come away with a clear sense of where the mindfulness in education community has been, and inspiration for the amazing possibilities for the next generation!
—Dzung X. Vo, M.D., Author of The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time
I have used school based mindfulness as a Principal and now as a Superintendent to transform schools. It is critical for students, staff, and families to process stress, build stress resilience and to create healthy, safe, and inclusive school environments. It is a key driver of improvement in social emotional and academic learning outcomes and staff retention. This book is a wonderful resource.
—Itoco Garcia, Ed.D., Superintendent Sausalito Marin City School District, Co-Executive Director HipHop Scholastics
The field has been waiting for a comprehensive text like Educating Mindfully. It demystifies the practice of mindfulness, acknowledges the needs of the adults, and highlights the need for these practices in Tier One. Real examples of how novices and more practiced teachers can embed this into their daily routine. I am eager to share this with teachers, students, and parents. They have been asking for an answer to the increased need to respond to and navigate the present.
—Gene Olsen, Director of Student Services, Community Consolidated School District 89, Glen Ellyn, IL
I was so excited to learn about this book! It is a compilation of caring, creative souls in the mindfulness community that I have been following, listening to and taking trainings from over the last few years as I try to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can to bring back to my students and their families. I am in total awe of the passion, knowledge and experience that each one of these contributors brings to this beautiful book. This book takes a little bit of the depth and breath of these wise men and women and packs it all in one peaceful place.
—Mary Torres MSW, Program Manager, GCJFCS, Good Afternoon Friends and Amigos Afterschool, Hillsbourgo County, Florida
Author Interviews
A special thank you to all of the people who contributed to our collaborative book!
Below are some of our chapter authors interviewing each other at EMCON 2019.
Listen to a podcast interview with Tracy Heilers and Lindsey Frank about the book.
Contents & Contributers
Introduction
Tracy Heilers, Founder, Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully
Part 1. Roots, Research and Responsibilities
1. Emerging of a Unified Field
Amy Saltzman, MD, Co-Founder and Director of the Association for Mindfulness in Education, Author of Multiple Books on Mindfulness including A Still Quiet Place
2. Growing the Mindfulness in Education Network
Richard Brady, MS, Former High School Mathematics Teacher, Co-Founder, Mindfulness in Education Network, Co-Editor Tuning In: Mindfulness in Teaching and Learning
3. The Support of Community: An Important Kind of Self-Care
Elizabeth Kriynovich, English Teacher, Delaware Valley Friends School, Paoli, PA, Board President, Mindfulness in Education Network (MiEN)
4. A Lifetime Search for Social Justice and Educational Equity: Mindful Schools to Inner Explorer
Laurie Grossman, Director of Social Justice & Educational Equity, Inner Explorer, Co-Founder, Mindful Schools, Author, Master of Mindfulness and My Breath Friends
5. Mindful Schools' Transformation Over Time
Megan Sweet, EdD, Director of Training, Mindful Schools
6. Yoga Calm and Trauma-Informed Mindfulness
Lynea Gillen, LPC, RYT and Jim Gillen, ERYT-500, Co-Founders, Yoga Calm
7. Keep Your MindUP
Dido Balla, MEd, MindUP Regional Lead, Speaker, Entrepreneur
8. Mindfulness Without Borders: I am Who I am Because They Are Who They Are
Theo Koffler, Founder of Mindfulness Without Borders; Co-Author of The RETHiNK Kit and RETHiNK Card Deck Mindful Conversation Starters
9. Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning: Can We Build a Safer, Happier World?
Brendan Ozawa-de Silva, Associate Director, SEE Learning, Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University
10. Transforming Education With Mindfulness and an Anti-Oppression Framework
Jersey Cosantino, Doctoral Student & Former Middle School English Teacher, NY Akira Gutierrez and Sara Krachman, Founder, Transforming Education
11. Secularity: Guiding Questions for Inclusive Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools
Jennifer Cohen Harper, Founder, Little Flower Yoga, Catherine Cook-Cottone, PhD, MA and Traci Childress, MA, MEd
Part 2. Get Started From Your Role Within a School
12. Working on Your Mental Game in Physical Education Class
Monica Claridge, Physical Education Teacher, East Elementary, Kodiak, AK
13. Speech and Language Pathology Meets Yoga and Mindfulness
Candice Lynn Davies, Former Speech and Language Pathologist, Owner, Integrity Movement Studio, Cary, NC, Author/Illustrator, DharmaDinos
14. A Mindfulness-Based Alternative to Detention
Jennifer Haston-Maciejewski, RYT-200, Special Education Teacher, Greenfield-Central High School, Greenfield, IN, Founder, Stop.Breathe.Be
15. Creating a Semester-Long High School Course in Mindfulness
Michelle A. Martin, MEd, IMTA-Certified Mindfulness Teacher and French Teacher, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Indianapolis, IN
16. Using Mindfulness and Poetry to Build Relationships and Writing Skills
Laura Bean, MFA, Mindfulness and Writing Consultant, Founder, Mindful Literacy, Former English Language Development Teacher, San Pablo, CA
17. Mindfulness in the Department of Defense Schools
Jana York, MS, Former Health Promotion Educator, U.S. Army, Founder and Co-Author, The Vowels of Mindfulness
18. Bringing Storytelling, Performing and Visual Arts into the Classroom
Andrew Jordan Nance, Founder, Mindful Arts San Francisco, Author, Puppy Mind, Mindful Arts in the Classroom, The Lion in Me, The Barefoot King
19. Caring for the Whole Student in the Nurse’s Office
Mary McCarter, BS, RN, MEd, PEL-CSN, Former Certified School Nurse, IL
20. Mindful Check-ins with the POP Chart
Carla Tantillo Philibert, President and CEO, Mindful Practices, Co-Founder, Class Catalyst, Author, Cooling Down Your Classroom, Everyday SEL & Everyday Self-Care for Educators
Part 3. Create a Schoolwide Culture of Mindfulness
21. The Mindfulness-Based Preschool that Found Me
Renee Metty, MEd, Leadership Development Consultant and Executive Coach, Founder, The Cove School, Founder and CEO, With Pause
22. Shared Vision and Collaboration by a Principal, School Counselor, and School Social Worker
Julie H. Chamberlain, MEd, MS, Erica L. Herrera, MSW, and Jennifer M. Perilla, MEd, Principal, Tyler Elementary School, Gainesville, VA
23. Yoga and Mindfulness for All Students with an Onsite Yoga Studio
Jessica Janowsky, MEd, RYT-200, Creator, Y.O.G.A. Program, Founder of Yoga m.a.g.i.c. LLC, Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor, Elmira City School District, Elmira, NY
24. Drop Everything and Move
Kathy Flaminio, MSW, LGSW, RYT-200, Founder, 1000 Petals LLC and Move Mindfully with Sarah Singleton and Jon Bonneville of Sky Oaks Elementary, Burnsville, MN ISD 191
25. Fostering Culture in Middle School with Art, Humanities, and Mindfulness
Tim Iverson, Former Art and Humanities Teacher, Highview Middle School, New Brighton, MN, Board Member, Mindfulness in Education Network
26. The Times Are a Changin’
Karen Hunnicutt, International Baccalaureate Teacher, Allen High School, Allen, TX
27. Why Teacher Identity and Self-Care Matter
Matt Dewar, EdD, Well-Being Coordinator, Lake Forest High School, IL, Author, The Mindful Breathing Workbook for Teens, Past President, COSEM
28. Creating Compassionate Learning Spaces
Tina Raspanti, MEd, CAPP, Educator, Mt. Lebanon SD, Pittsburgh, PA, Founder, Building Compassionate Learning Communities Project, CARE Facilitator, CREATE, Board Member, COSEM
29. Mindfulness and Contemplative Practices in Teacher Education Programs
Debra Vinci-Minogue, EdD, Associate Professor and Director of Teacher Development Programs, Dominican University, River Forest, IL, Board Member, COSEM
Part 4. Integrate Mindfulness Districtwide and Beyond
30. Creating a Districtwide Culture of Mindfulness with an SEL Mindfulness Specialist
James Butler, MEd, Austin ISD SEL Mindfulness Specialist, 2014 Austin ISD Teacher of the Year, Founder, Mindful Classrooms, Author, Mindful Classrooms
31. Mindfulness and Positive Psychology Coaching Districtwide
Cindy Goldberg, MEd, CAPP, MMT, Former CSD Mindfulness Coach and Teacher, Philadelphia, PA, Mindfulness Educational Consultant, Author, Penelope’s Headache
32. Moving Toward Equity with Mindfulness-Based Education
Lillie Huddleston, PhD, Executive Director of Equity and Student Support, City Schools of Decatur, GA
33. Peace of Mind: Conflict Resolution with Mindfulness and Neuroscience
Linda Ryden, Peace Teacher, Lafayette Elementary School, Washington DC, Founder, Peace of Mind, Inc with Cheryl Cole Dodwell and Madeleine Sagebiel, Peace of Mind, Inc
34. The Ocean is Calling: Transform School Climate with a Focus on Wellness
Lindsey J. Frank, MEd, RYT-200, Climate & Social Emotional Learning Coach, Community Consolidated School District 59, IL, President, COSEM
35. Incorporating Mindfulness into the Fabric of Our Lives in Brooklyn, New York
Una-Kariim A. Cross, MFA, MSED, Leader of Professional Learning and Facilitative Leadership in the New York City Department of Education, Writer, Speaker, Inspirer
36. Addressing Equity, Race and Bias Beliefs in Chicago Public Schools
Cheryl D. Watkins, PhD, Chief of Schools, Chicago Public Schools, District 299
37. Student Perspectives and Educator Support in Suburban and Rural Illinois
Miriam Ojaghi, SEL Consultant, Dekalb Regional Office of Education, Founder, Resilient Mind Consulting, Board Member, COSEM
38. Working Together in Delaware to Create a Trauma-Informed State
Teri B. Lawler, Education Associate for Trauma-Informed Practices and SEL, Delaware Department of Education, Jess Weaver, Program Associate, Chi Kim, CEO, Pure Edge, Inc
39. The Emergence of Mindfulness in the Western Model of Education
Barnaby Spring, Director, Mindfulness in Education, Office of the First Deputy Chancellor, New York City Department of Education
40. Mindfulness as an Equity Tool: You Cannot Teach What You Do Not Embody
Tovi C. Scruggs-Hussein, Former Principal of San Lorenzo High School, Oakland, CA, Educational Leader & Healer, SELf-Transformation for School-Transformation, Past President, COSEM