Evan Whitehead M.Ed. has been an educator for 20+years holding the positions of special education paraprofessional and teacher, community outreach coordinator, and asst superintendent of special services. In his current role as the director of special services for a PK–8 school district in Illinois, he oversees special education, English learners, early childhood education, MTSS, SEL, equity, diversity, and cultural competency. Evan is an author, mindfulness practitioner, consultant/trainer/presenter with Dr. Ruby K. Payne’s aha! Process, Inc., and a Certified Mindset & Accountability Coach. He promotes a lifestyle and self-advocacy in the areas of mental health, mindset, self-care, and wellbeing through his 3Bs #BalanceBoundariesandBreaks.
1 GRADUATE CREDIT FOR MEMBERS
NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, BUT WE HOPE TO OFFER AGAIN SOON
We partner with the University of Sioux Falls to offer our members graduate credits for learning with COSEM. Below is the process and cost for earning 1 graduate credit for educators and other professionals:
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Become a professional member here for $79.99 if you aren't already.
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Register/pay $45 to the University of Sioux Falls here by December 1 or fall section, May 1 for the spring section, and by August 1 for the summer section.
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You'll have 6 months after registering to complete the following:
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Engage in 15 hours of PD via live COSEM events or recorded events on our Member Site's view-trackable Learning Center. Sign-in with this attendance form for live events.
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Purchase and read our Educating Mindfully book.
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Complete a one-page Implementation Plan assignment with reflections and details for how you will apply your learning.
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Share a Google doc with hello@educatingmindfully:
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List the PD recordings that you watched.
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Include your reflection and Implementation Plan in the same doc.
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Include or email separately proof of purchasing our book.
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Fill out this evaluation form.
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Once the form is filled out and attendance/viewing is verified, COSEM Board Member Sheila Anderson will process course completion with the University. The timeframe for these steps takes about 2 weeks.
Increasing numbers of students lack the skills of self-regulation, impulse control and focus negatively affecting their behavior, ability to learn and overall well-being. These critical life skills, essential to success at home, in school and throughout life, can be learned when taught in a developmentally appropriate and engaging way. In this introductory, experiential session, you will learn how integrating simple yoga and mindfulness practices, specifically designed for the time and space crunched classroom, can be a convenient, engaging and effective way to promote these skills while cultivating a positive, peaceful, productive classroom climate. The Yoga 4 Classrooms program model was developed to inspire and empower schools to affordably, practically, and sustainably integrate yoga and mindfulness school-wide by providing training and resources that encourage and support implementation from the inside.
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$200 School Grant valid toward Onsite/Inservice PD Training
20-30% Discount on School Bulk Orders of 10 or more Yoga 4 Classrooms Activity Cards Deck Sets
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To receive the discount, contact Lisa Flynn at lisa.flynn@yoga4classrooms.com and let her know you are a member of COSEM's Mindful Learning Center.
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ONSITE / IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR SCHOOLS
Yoga & Mindfulness in the Classroom: Trauma-Informed Tools to Support SEL, Student Success and Positive Climate
This popular workshop often touted as "the best, most immediately usable PD ever," provides educators and other school professionals with tangible, effective classroom-friendly strategies for integrating mindful moments throughout the day. Mindful Educator Academy Schools will receive a $200 School Grant to apply to the presentation budget. Contact us and mention code: COSEM. FMI: http://www.yoga4classrooms.com/in-service-workshop
YOGA 4 CLASSROOMS ACTIVITY CARDS
The Yoga 4 Classrooms Card Deck is a fun and effective tool for teachers to use with their students for a peaceful and productive classroom. Larger 6x8 boxed set features 67 yoga and mindfulness-based activity cards which include illustrated instructions, discussion points, sub-activities, and educational tie-ins, for a total of more than 200 beneficial classroom practices.
The activities were specially chosen for their suitability for the typical classroom space. That means all activities can be done standing beside or sitting at desks, while bodies and hands remain off the floor, away from dirt and germs.
The cards include a mix of yoga postures, brain boosting movements, breath exercises, visualizations, mindfulness activities, creative movement, and community-building games. Wellness and character-building discussion points such as the power of positive thinking, nutrition, and being a peacemaker, address the whole child – physical, social and emotional.
Mindful Educator Academy Schools save 20-30% on orders of 10 or more Card Sets. FMI: http://www.yoga4classrooms.com/activity-card-deck
Inner Explorer's mindfulness program helps teachers, students, and their families develop skills to reduce stress and lead healthier happier lives. Daily practice helps to reduce perceived stress, enhance student readiness to learn, improves classroom management with reduced behavioral issues, and increases teaching time and efficacy with better impulse control.
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The program includes a series of daily 5-10-minute audio-guided mindfulness practices. It is a CASEL 'SEL-Related Approach.' Inner Explorer offers 90 age-appropriate (PreK, Elementary, Middle, and High School) mindfulness practices following MSBR
progressions. Teachers 'press play' and practice right alongside students. No training or prep work required.
Register for Inner Explorer's Community Edition license by September 2020 using reference promo code 15MLC2020 and receive 15% off the $1000 cost for an annual license.
Ambassador Program
The Mighty Networks platform has an Ambassador Program feature where we can give rewards to those who help grow our membership. When you invite in as few as two new members, you’re adding rocket fuel to what our community can accomplish together. Each August, we will send out a special discount link to our bronze, silver, and gold ambassadors to use when they renew their membership. The platform automatically tracks everyone's invites so you don't need to sign up to be an ambassador. Our Member Site also has invite buttons to easily send invite emails or join links to your colleagues.
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Bronze Level Ambassadors sign up 2 members within the year and receive 10% off Tier 2 Membership for the next school year
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Silver Level Ambassadors sign up 10 members within the year and receive 50% off Tier 2 Membership for the next school year
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Gold Level Ambassadors sign up 25 members within the year and receive 100% off Tier 2 Membership for the next school year
Amy Saltzman, M. D., is Founder of Still Quiet Place and author of A Still Quiet Place: A Mindfulness Program for Teaching Children and Adolescents to Ease Stress and Difficult Emotions, A Still Quiet Place for Teens: A Mindfulness Workbook to Ease Stress and Difficult Emotions, and A Still Quiet Place for Athletes: Mindfulness Skills for Achieving Peak Performance and Finding Flow in Sports and in Life,
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10% Discount for MLC members and 5% back to COSEM
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"It is a pleasure to support the members of COSEM in cultivating the ability to share mindfulness with youth with authenticity, integrity, and joy. This discount applies to all online courses- courses for teachers, therapists, and allied professionals wanting to share mindfulness with school-aged children and adolescents, course for athletes and coaches and other high performers wanting to use mindfulness to achieve peak performance and find flow, and courses tailored to your particular group, desires, needs..."
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To receive the discount, contact Amy at dramy@stillquietplace.com and let her know you are a member of COSEM's Mindful Learning Center.
At Generation Mindful, our passion is raising an emotionally healthy world. We make tools and toys that nurture emotional intelligence via play and positive discipline. Join GENM parents, educators and therapists from 66 countries and growing as together we’re making connection a habit in homes and schools.
The code COSEM10 provides a 10% saving for all members AND the schools, families and people they serve. Plus for every 10% saved, 10% is given to the ongoing support of COSEM.
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They are also offering a free, digital FEELINGS BINGO download to all MLC members (a $9 value).
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ONLINE SUMMIT & MINDFUL LEARNING CENTER
Thank you to all who joined us for our free online Educating Mindfully Summit April 23-26, 2020! You can access the content here.
Each day we provided 12 learning choices, including informative sessions recorded at our 2019 and 2020 Educating Mindfully Conferences, inspirational interviews and chapter author chats, as well as learning content from aligning organizations.
Session topics included:
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Teaching Mindfully During the Coronavirus Crisis
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Panel: Race, Equity and Bias in Schools and Its Connection to Mindfulness
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Teaching Mindfulness-Based Conflict Resolution: Skills that Work Beyond the Classroom
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Student Mindful Mentors and Mindfulness Rooms
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Mindful Culture and Mindful Self: Cultivating Staff Wellness to Impact Student Learning
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Looking Through the Eyes of Trauma: Using Mind-Body Interventions
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Growing Up Mindful, Capable and Resilient
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A Mindful Approach to Healing Education-Based Trauma
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Taking in the Good: Mindfulness for Teens and Young Adults
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SEL and Mindfulness to Build Student-Teacher Connection
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How to be a Racial Healing Ally in Your School
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Six Sustainable Happiness Skills Fostered by Mindfulness
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The Language of Mindfulness in the Early Years
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Chair Yoga for Classrooms: Get Kids Moving and Ready to Learn
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Taking Mindfulness to Scale: Whole-School Implementation
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Cultivating Seeds of Compassion
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Transformative Educational Leadership
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And more
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Receiving mentorship from over 40 school educators and experts in the field, and learning about many mindfulness-based SEL resources, you'll be empowered to cultivate both a personal practice and a culture of mindfulness in your school community.
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Support our mission by purchasing an annual membership to our Mindful Learning Center - $100/individual and $200/school. You will then have access to our growing video library May 1, 2020, through April 30, 2021, including all four days (48+ sessions) of summit content, 30+ additional conference session recordings, interviews with school leaders and educators, webinars, and our Equity-Based Convo Series - as well as discounts from our resource provider partners.
Here are some of our confirmed breakout sessions presenters (the exact day that each is presenting is not known at this time):
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Mindfulness as an Equity Tool, Tovi C. Scruggs-Hussein, COSEM president, Tici'ess, Inc.
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Mindfulness Spaces and Student Mindfulness Mentors, Lauren Beversdorf with 7th and 8th graders from Bannockburn School
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Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities Through Mindfulness and Metacognition, Tara Schneider, M.M.F. School, NY
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Teaching Subject Content While Also Exploring Issues of Self, Community & Other, William Meyer, The Bronxville School, NY
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Mindful Culture & Mindful Self: Cultivating Adult Wellness to Impact Student Learning, Lindsey Frank, CCSD 59, IL
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Exploring the Relationship Between Well-Being and Breath, Matt Dewar, Well-Being Coordinator, Lake Forest High School, IL
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Lawsuits and Lessons Learned About Secularity, Fiona Jensen, Calmer Choice
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Student Mindfulness Practice Groups Before & After School: What To Know and Do (& Not Do), Andrea Holm, Lewis University
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Mindfulness & Social Identity: Practices for Challenging Implicit Bias, Grace Helms Kotre, Power to Be
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Teaching Mindfulness-Based Conflict Resolution in Elementary School: Skills that Work Beyond the Classroom, Linda Ryden
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Applying Mindfulness to Evaluation: Transforming Pedagogy, Advancing Student Agency, Sheila Kennedy and Jen Consilio
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Intro to Mindful Chair Yoga for Classrooms, Mayuri Gonzalez, Little Flower Yoga
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Stress Resilience and Sustainable Resourcing, Kelly Knoche and Sonya Mehta, The Teaching Well
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Cultivating Self-Compassion, Ramaa Krishnan, Grow Through Mindfulness
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Our First High School Mindfulness Course was So Popular We Added a Second Course, Michelle Martin, Brebeuf Jesuit Prep, IN
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Expanding from an 8th Grade Mindfulness Elective into a Whole School Mindfulness Initiative, Trottier Middle School, MA
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The GRIT Institute's SMART Program (Stress Management and Resiliency Training), Sheila Anderson, Britton-Hecla SD, SD
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Mindful Behaviour Guidance in Early Grades, Adenia Linker, Erikson Institute
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SHARING the CARING: What I Learned at the Educator CARE Retreat, Valerie Pienka, Supporting Teacher Success
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A Digital Tier 1 Teen Intervention, Alissa Mrazek, UCSB Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential, Evidence-Based Courses
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Looking Through the Eyes of Trauma: Using Mind-Body Interventions, Kathy Flaminio, 1000 Petals
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Film Screening of May I Be Happy
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Intro to SEE Learning Curriculum
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Details on breakout sessions coming soon.
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Here are some of our confirmed breakout session presenters (the exact day that each is presenting is not known at this time):
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Embedding Mindfulness Practice into School-Wide SEL Systems, Glen Ellyn CCSD 89, IL
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Staying Present for Better Teaching & Learning-Create a Mindful Group of Teachers, Lauren Beversdorf, Bannockburn School
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Baby Steps In SEL Make Giant Strides In Standards-Based Grading, Metea Valley High School, IL
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Adding Yoga as a Special at Your Elementary School, Jessica Janowsky, Elmira City School District, NY
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The Racially Literate Mindfulness Teacher, Sally Green, VVSD 365u, IL
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Mindful Leadership: Creating a Mindful School Culture, Renee Metty, With Pause
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An Elementary School's Journey to Mindfulness, Julia Chamberlain, Tyler Elementary School, VA
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Mindfulness as a Tool for Promoting Student Voice and Agency, Miriam Ojaghi, DeKalb ROE, IL
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Restorative Circles with a Mindfulness Foundation, Megan Grochowiak, Chicago Public Schools
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Jin Shin Jyutsu for Education Professionals: The Perfect Mindfulness Companion, Kate Martin, Asheville City Schools, NC
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A Multimodal Exploration of Contemplative Pedagogy Practices, Debra Vinci-Minogue, Dominican University, IL
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Building a State or Local COSEM Chapter: One Size Does Not Fit All, Joan Tetrault, New England Chapter of COSEM
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Details on breakout sessions coming soon.
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School educator presenters and interviews include:
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Tovi Scruggs-Hussein, Award-Winning Urban Principal, San Lorenzo High School, CA, Founder of Tici'ess, COSEM President
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Barnaby Spring, Director of Mindfulness in Education, New York City Department of Education
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Cheryl Watkins, Network 13 Chief of Schools, Chicago Public Schools
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James Butler, SEL Mindfulness Specialist, Austin ISD, Author and Founder of Mindful Classrooms
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Linda Ryden, Peace Teacher at Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, DC, Developer of Peace of Mind Program
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Matt Dewar, Well-Being Coordinator, Lake Forest High School, IL, COSEM Past President
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Lindsey Frank, Climate and Social Emotional Learning Coach, CCSD59, IL
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Doug Stalnos, SEL Specialist, Chicago Public Schools
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Tina Raspanti, Educator in Pittsburgh, PA, Founder, Building Compassionate Learning Communities
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Renee Metty, Founder, The Cove School, WA, Founder of With Pause
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And more
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Resource providing individuals and organizations include:
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Amy Saltzman, M.D., Association for Mindfulness in Education, Author of A Still Quiet Place and more
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Gina Biegel, MBSR-Teens, Author of Taking in the Good: Skills for Staying Positive and Living Your Best Life and more
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Meena Srinivasan, Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL), Author of SEL Everyday and Teach, Breath, Learn
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Chris Willard, Harvard Medical School, Author of Growing Up Mindful, Alphabreaths and more
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Carla Tantillo Philibert, Mindful Practices, Class Catalyst, Author of Cooling Down Your Classroom, Everyday SEL and more
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Laurie Grossman, Inner Explorer, Author of Master of Mindfulness and Breath Friends Forever
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Helen Maffini of MindBE Education interviewing Daniel Siegel of Mindsight Institute
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Mark Greenberg, CASEL Co-Founder and Board Chairperson of CREATE
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Marc Brackett, Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
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Megan Sweet, Mindful Schools
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Hector Montenegro, TEL
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Heather Schwartz, CASEL
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Amanda Moreno, Erikson Institute
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Amy Eva, Greater Good Science Center
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Michelle Mitchell and Anne Contreras, Pure Edge
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Lisa Flynn, Yoga 4 Classrooms
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Jennifer Cohen Harper, Little Flower Yoga
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Kathy Flaminio, 1000 Petals and Move Mindfully
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Lisa Clarke, laLa wellness
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Jill Manly, JabuMind
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And more!
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Each summer COSEM wants to help coordinate a wide variety of mindfulness trainings throughout the US, with a focus on those led by our state chapters, called the Summer Mindfulness Series. We also want to promote all of the other wonderful trainings led by mindfulness organizations around the globe.
Here are in-person summer events happening across the US in the summer of 2019 (we'll update each spring with new dates):
June 21 Rocky Hill School Mindfulness Conference in East Greenwich, RI
June 21-23 ChildLight Yoga & Mindfulness for Children Teacher Training in Chelsea, MI (many other summer dates and locations)
June 22-25 Yoga Calm Summer Intensive in Portland, OR
June 23-28 Holistic Life Foundation Youth Yoga and Mindfulness Training at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY
June 27-30 Mindful Schools Summer Retreat in Big Bear, CA
June 28-July 17 Breathe for Change 200 hr Wellness and Yoga Training for Educators in Chicago, IL and Madison, WI
July 12-14 Mindfulness & Education Conference at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY
July 13-14 Childlight Yoga and Mindfulness in Schools Teacher Training in Dover, NH
July 14-19 Greater Good Science Center Summer Institute for Educators in Berkeley, CA
July 15-19 Learning and The Brain's Weeklong Intensive Making Mindfulness Stick in Schools in Boston, MA
July 15-16 ChildLight Yoga & Mindfulness for Tweens and Teens Teacher Training in Dover, NH
July 17-18 ILASCD and Mindful Practices SEL in Schools Summit in Oak Park, IL
July 19-21 Social Equity in Schools at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY
July 20-21 Little Flower Yoga Foundations of Children's Yoga Level 1 Training in Salt Lake City, UT
July 20-21 Kidding Around Yoga Kids Yoga Teacher Training in Chicago, IL
July 22-26 Mindfulness in Education Teacher Training at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY
July 23-25 Yoga 4 Classrooms IMPLEMENT Leader Program in Dover, NH
July 29-August 2 CARE for Teachers 13th Annual Retreat at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY
August 1-4 Waynflete School's Teachings in Mindful Explorations (TiME) in Hurricane Island, Maine
August 2-9 Little Flower Yoga Weeklong Training Intensive at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY
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These orgs have in-person events at various times and places all summer long (too many to list above):
Inward Bound Mindfulness Education Teen, Young Adult and Adult Retreats
ChildLight Yoga & Mindfulness for Children Teacher Trainings
Kidding Around Yoga Kids Yoga Teacher Training
Breathe for Change 200 hr Wellness and Yoga Training for Educators
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June 2019-June 2020 Inward Bound Mindfulness Education Yearlong Mindfulness Teacher Training in Charlton & Concord, MA
Sponsors can place up to 4 of their png-format
event flyers at bottom of this webpage
DOUBLE SESSION
Day: Friday
Room: Prescott
Time: 12:30
Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities Through Mindfulness and Metacognition (ALL)
Presenter: Tara Schneider, Mary McDowell Friends School and Bodymind Learning, Brooklyn, NY
Description: Interest in mindfulness-based interventions is exploding. Mindful practices are particularly effective for students with attention difficulty (including ADHD) and learning disabilities. This experiential double session shares practical activities and exercises that support students’ awareness of their own learning, energy level, body regulation, and mood.
Day: Friday
Room: TBA
Time: TBA
Mindful Games: Supporting Awareness, Attention, and Community (ALL)
Presenter: Lisa Flynn, Founder, Yoga 4 Classrooms
Description: In this FUN and experiential workshop, you’ll learn classroom-friendly yoga and mindfulness-based “games" that support the development of social and emotional learning competencies, focus and attention while building community and positive climate. Activities will include and expand upon those found in Lisa’s book, Yoga for Children, Yoga 4 Classrooms Activity Cards and other resources. Participants will receive a packet of activity instructions, considerations, and modifications for varied ages and needs, and a selection of suggested resources for continued learning. Since 2009, Yoga 4 Classrooms has been inspiring and empowering schools and school districts to affordably, practically, and sustainably integrate yoga and mindfulness school-wide by providing training and resources.
Embedding Mindfulness and Positive Psychology Practices into Each School Day (ALL)
Thursday 12:30-3:45
Cost: $90
(includes materials)
Led by:
Cindy Goldberg
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Website:
If you ask parents what they want for their kids, the answer is usually a happy, successful life. Far too many students and educators are living with stresses that are keeping life from feeling happy and successful, especially as they move through school. Trauma, digital distractions and the pressures of educational expectations drive the school day. It is no wonder that focus, self-regulation, the ability to calm and even joy has declined in our classrooms. Mindfulness practices are a form of mental fitness; a way to create the compassionate, supportive environments that we as educators desire.
This workshop will bring 25 short and usable mindfulness/positive psychology practices to you in ways that you can embed into each day without the need for a special program. Mindfulness and the tenants of positive psychology go hand in hand. They both require practice and application to work, which is why a daily intentional activity is far more successful than a set of formal lessons. You will leave this workshop with 25 activity cards, several powerpoint/google lessons for the times you want more and everything you need to begin embedding mindful practices into your daily school day. Everything in this workshop can be used for your own self-care and the self-care of your students.
The learning goals of this workshop are:
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Explore how the science of Mindfulness and Positive Psychology are complimentary.
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Experience mindfulness practices together.
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Participate in Positive Psychology interventions.
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Explore strength-based teaching and learning.
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Explore self-awareness, self-care, and self-compassion.
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Discover ways to be happier in your role as an educator.
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Learn how to reframe negative, ruminating thoughts.
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Create a Mindfulness Tool Kit tailored to your classroom.
Presenter:
Cindy Goldberg, M.Ed., CAPP, MMT has taught as a public school educator where she incorporated Mindfulness and Positive Psychology in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. She became one of the first Mindfulness/ Positive Psychology coaches in a public school district and has taught hundreds of educators how to embed mindfulness and positive psychology into each day. She has modeled and taught thousands of students the science and practices of mindfulness and positive psychology to help them name and navigate the stresses of their lives. From acute trauma to a bothersome sibling to the academic pressures of school, students have learned that they have more control over their lives than they knew. Cindy is the PA State Chapter Coordinator for COSEM. She is the author of Mindfulness Activity Cards as well as Penelope’s Headache, a children’s book, and is currently in the publishing phase of a strengths-based children’s book. Cindy works in the Philadelphia area as a Mindfulness Consultant to schools, mindfulness trainer and leads workshops and mindfulness groups.
Chair Yoga for Educators and Clinicians: Bringing Simple and Sustainable Yoga to Children and Teens (ALL)
How can you bring the benefits of yoga to students, when your school simply doesn’t have enough space? Chair yoga makes it possible. In this experiential workshop Mayuri Gonzalez teaches simple and effective chair-based practices you can immediately bring to students, incorporating movement, breathing, mindfulness and relaxation.
WHY CHAIR YOGA?
Children today sit still for developmentally inappropriate periods of time. Many schools are increasing rigor and standardized tests, while decreasing time for physical education. In addition, many schools lack space for activities like yoga, and transitioning students in and out of classrooms can be time consuming and complicated. Chair yoga is an effective and sustainable way to bring daily yoga practice to children and adolescents in a classroom setting, without the need for additional space or yoga mats.
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AFTER COMPLETION, YOU’LL BE READY TO
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Create and implement chair yoga sequences to meet the needs of children and adolescents.
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Teach a variety of yoga poses, breath work, mindfulness and relaxation practices to students seated in chairs or using chairs as supports.
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Understand how movement connects to learning, and how chair yoga powerfully compliments mindfulness programs, providing meaningful benefits and engaging experiences for students.
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Implement strategies that support both student and teacher self-care and wellness.
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Articulate the benefits of chair yoga to a school.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
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6 hours of engaging instruction
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70-page manual featuring 65+ chair yoga poses and activities
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Sample class sequences
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Chair yoga class planning templates
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3 personal practice videos
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3 audio recordings for personal practice
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Log sheets for personal practice
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Day: Saturday
Room: TBA
Time: TBA
Y.O.G.A. Program: Yoga as a School "Special' (K-6th)
Presenter: Jessica Janowsky, M.Ed., RYT, Elmira City School District, NY
Description: Learn how to implement a yoga and mindfulness program school-wide, across all grades levels and for all students, that builds a school culture of compassion, tolerance, and trusting relationships. Jessica has started a program in her intermediate school (3rd-6th grade) that emphasizes calming and self-regulation strategies for a population of students that are in the low socio-economic and trauma victim categories. She'll share how she came to be a "Specials" teacher in her school, how the students rotate through Specials such as PE, Art and Music, and what she has learned and refined along the way. She will share, and participants will try, a few of her students' favorite practices.
Integrating Mindfulness Throughout Your Elementary Art, Social Studies and Environmental Curriculum (K-5th)
Thursday 8:30-11:45
Cost: $90
(includes materials)
Led by:
Bonnie Weiss
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Website:
Many educators are using mindfulness as a strategy for self-care, as classroom intervention, and as an additional component to the rhythm of their day perhaps during circle, morning meeting, or at a difficult transition period. In this workshop, attendees will learn ways to integrate mindfulness practices and principles throughout their curriculum as an overall pedagogy to integrate throughout the school day. Attendees will have fun with mindfulness practices and complete two contemplative art projects in addition to presentation of principles and discussion.
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Note: This workshop includes all materials for two contemplative art projects to take home.
Learning objectives for this 3 hour workshop:
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Elementary educators will be empowered to weave mindfulness practices throughout their classes, focusing on Social Studies, Art, Environmental Sciences, and Language Arts.
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Teachers will learn to expand their uses of mindfulness in the classroom to an educational pedagogy that infuses their entire classroom environment.
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Attendees will be encouraged to add contemplative practices into their lesson plans and be coached on appropriate sequencing.
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Presenter:
Bonnie Weiss is the owner of The School of Mindful Arts, teaching meditation, art, multiculturalism, and sustainability to children ages 3-18. Her teaching background includes the whole child developmental training of being both a Waldorf and Montessori teacher. As a former educator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, she is skilled in teaching about environmental and social sciences. Her secular mindfulness training includes certificates in both Mindful Schools curriculum and MBSR-T (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Teens), Awaken’s Mindful Connections for Classrooms, and Path of Freedom. Her conference presentations in contemplative arts have included The University of Pittsburgh Mindfulness Fair, Robert Morris Educational Conference, Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children UN-Conference, Building Compassionate Learning Communities Day of Practice, and the STAR Summit for Magellan Health Network. Her work has been featured in Pittsburgh Parent Magazine and an upcoming documentary about the Mindfulness Movement in Pittsburgh. Bonnie is a member of the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Mindfulness and Consciousness Studies.
Communicating Mindfully: Helping Students-and Teachers-Help Themselves (6th-16th)
As school districts explore incorporating mindfulness into their curricula, it is important to consider how to include mindfulness into an already busy schedule, what kind of experience teachers need to have with mindfulness before they teach it, and how a school culture/climate can be created to promote the practice of mindfulness. During this workshop, participants will learn how the Communicating Mindfully curricula can help address all of these fundamental questions.
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Agenda:​
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Benefits and misconceptions of mindfulness
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Developing mindfulness: intentions vs. goals
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Student videos and results of Communicating Mindfully studies
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Challenges and evolution of mindfulness at NHTI
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Importance of mindful communication
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Basics of Communicating Mindfully curricula for educators
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Three main methods of developing increased mindful communication abilities
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Related exercises and meditation
Learning objectives:
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Identify some of the many benefits of mindfulness
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Understand common misconceptions that can interfere with experiencing those benefits
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Recognize how mindfulness helps students help themselves
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Consider and explore challenges to incorporating mindfulness in schools
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Recognize how Communicating Mindfully course/training can help meet those challenges
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Learn three methods for improving mindful communication
Presenter:
Professor Dan Huston, MST teaches mindful communication and writing in the English Department at NHTI—Concord’s Community College. He has been incorporating mindfulness, meditation, and emotional intelligence in his communication curriculum for over twenty years. Huston is the author of the textbook Communicating Mindfully: Mindfulness-Based Communication and Emotional Intelligence, which has been adopted at numerous colleges and universities. His Communicating Mindfully course is required of students in several degree programs at NHTI. The course doubles as a form of professional development for faculty, and it serves as the foundation of NHTI’s Mindful Communication Certificate. He regularly presents at professional conferences and institutions, and he provides training in Communicating Mindfully to K-12 teachers and administrators. He has received training at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Deep Looking, Mindful Listening: Using Art and Poetry to Cultivate Mindfulness and Observation (6th-16th)
Thursday 8:30-11:45
Cost: $75
Led by:
Tim Iverson
In the digital age, careful observation and deep listening are in danger of being compromised. In this workshop we will learn a variety of classroom strategies to strengthen our capacity for mindful seeing and deep listening. Participants will learn fun ways to use art and poetry to bring mindful awareness to the 6th-12th grade classroom or other group settings. In addition, we’ll learn short practices for seeing and listening that can be done without elaborate props or preparation.
Goals for this 3 hour workshop include:
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Practice mindfulness together
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Connect with colleagues through deep attention and discussion
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Affirm the importance of observation and listening in contemporary society
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Learn simple , bite-sized seeing and listening activities
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Learn to use art to enhance deep looking
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Practice deep listening, using poetry or other writing
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Understand and practice a secular form of “lectio divina”
Presenter:
Tim Iverson is a newly retired art and humanities teacher from Minnesota. After training in MBSR in 2001, he began sharing mindful practices with teachers and students in Mounds View Public Schools. He has presented at the Minnesota Middle School Association conference, Tufts University, as well as being on the board of the Mindfulness in Education Network. Tim co-leads Mindful in MN, a Minnesota-based group that supports mindful educators. He is an award winning artist, and has also supported adults living with anxiety disorders through NAMI Minnesota.
Tim’s blog: https://highviewtest.blogspot.com/
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Teen Mindfulness Workshop: A Field Trip for Student Groups and Their Advisors (6-12th)
Once teens learn about and practice mindfulness, they become its greatest advocates. This workshop is a chance for 6-12th grade students and educators to learn about mindfulness together and collaborate on ways to create a culture of mindfulness, compassion, inclusion, and equity in their school.
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We would like schools to RSVP by Jan 1 to show their interest in attending. If we get enough interest, we'll set prices (based on # participants and if we win a grant) and take registrations in early January. RSVPing is not a 100% commitment to attend but will help us with our planning.
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We hope to find a sponsor to fly in an expert on teen mindfulness, as well as teen Adam Avin, founder of Mindful Kids Peace Summit, to co-lead the workshop; otherwise, a local expert will lead the day. Consider showing Adam's TEDx Talk about Mindfulness in Education to your students.
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Tentative Agenda:
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9:00-9:30 Intro to mindfulness and its relevance to teens; ice breaker mindfulness activities
9:30-11:00 Watch documentary May I Be Happy; mindful movement break
11:00-12:00 Discuss film; learn about mindfulness themes and try mindfulness practices
12:00-12:30 Working lunch; brainstorm ways to bring mindfulness into schools
12:30-1:30 Share ideas; learn ways to create and utilize school mindfulness spaces and become mindful mentors at your school; learn about more mindfulness themes and try more practices
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SEE Learning Intensive Workshop (ALL)
Described as “SEL 2.0” by Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, SEE Learning is a K-12 education program developed for international use and conveys a universal, non-sectarian, and science-based approach to bringing the ethical development of the whole child into education. The program, launched in the spring of 2019, is the culmination of decades’ long academic collaboration between Emory University and the Dalai Lama.
This intensive workshop is for educators who would like to begin using the SEE Learning right away with their students. As such, this day-long workshop will briefly summarize the comprehensive and holistic SEE Learning framework and then focus largely on hands-on experience from the first two chapters (units) of the curriculum: Creating a Compassionate Classroom and Building Resilience. These chapters help set the foundation of compassion and interdependence in the learning environment, provide immediately useable trauma-informed strategies for self-regulation, and offer a glimpse of the systems thinking mindset that is woven throughout the curriculum.
Prior to the workshop, it is recommended, though not required, that participants register for SEE 101, the free online orientation, at seelearning.emory.edu. The first two chapters of curriculum are accessible there for all; the full curriculum is available for free at the completion of the online orientation.
Facilitator:
Lindy Settevendemie is the Project Coordinator for SEE Learning at the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University. She plans and facilitates SEE Learning educator workshops around the world, serves as a liaison with North American school partners, and coaches educators on their SEE Learning journeys. While teaching the middle school curriculum in an afterschool program at an Atlanta public school for three years, Lindy coordinated the writing and development of the K-8 curriculum and currently manages the in-progress high school curriculum. With over thirteen years’ experience in education, Lindy has served middle and high school students by mentoring and coaching teachers, writing curriculum for grades 6th–12th, and facilitating advisory groups that focus on social-emotional learning and academic development.
Day: Friday
Room: TBA
Time: TBA
Social, Emotional, & Ethical Learning -Center for Contemplative Science & Compassion-Based Ethics (ALL)
Presenter: Lindy Settevendemie, MAT, Project Coordinator for SEE Learning, Emory University
Description: While mindfulness and SEL are becoming well established in education, this session will explain the added value for students and educators of incorporating trauma-informed skills, systems thinking, and basic human values such as compassion, within a single comprehensive and holistic framework, such as the one offered by SEE Learning. Described as “SEL 2.0” by Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, SEE Learning is a K-12 education program developed for international use and conveys a universal, non-sectarian, and science-based approach to bringing the ethical development of the whole child into education. The program, launched in the spring of 2019, is the culmination of decades’ long academic collaboration between Emory University and the Dalai Lama.
Equity and Sustainability in Education (ALL)-sorry; this workshop is cancelled; replacement coming soon!
In this 3 hour workshop, participants will learn about the biology of stress and trauma through the lens of the education system. Through a somatic-based process, the participants will learn to identify their own stress signals, understand how they carry stress in their bodies, and learn tangible ways to support their colleagues with stress resilience and sustainability. The workshop will be a dynamic and interactive combination of learning through listening, conversation, writing, drawing, mindfulness, and somatic practices.
This workshop will have a specific lens of racial equity and is a wonderful complement to the morning workshop Mindfulness Practices for Exploring Racial Identity and Systemic Whiteness.
One of the most profound impacts of white supremacy and other oppressive systems is to force people, particularly people of color and particularly those on the frontlines of serving community, to dissociate from their bodies. Our education system constantly requires teachers to choose between their own personal health and wellbeing and serving their communities, and this false choice leads rapidly to chronic stress and burnout.
Our work at The Teaching Well shifts this paradigm, by helping educators to see that investing in resourcing ourselves actually gives us much more capacity to serve our communities, and to sustain ourselves in the work in the long term. Our work is about "wellness beyond whiteness," and expanding beyond self-care to include community care in our definition of systemic, holistic wellness. When we deepen our own personal wells of giving, we serve community from a more compassionate and healthy place, and heal many of the dehumanizing aspects of our education system.
In particular, we'll explore the following inquiry questions: - What is trauma and how does it engage the nervous system? - How do teachers’ bodies respond to working in classrooms and communities with high exposure to trauma? How can teachers and others on the frontlines of the education system manage their trauma exposure to prevent burnout and be their best selves in the work? - How can we become more aware of our escalation patterns? What tools can you add to your toolkit to calm your nervous system when experiencing stress, trauma exposure, or fatigue? - How is investing in teacher health and wellbeing a powrful lever for educational equity?
Presenters:
Sonya Mehta, Director of Partnerships, The Teaching Well
Kelly Knoche, Executive Director, The Teaching Well
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At The Teaching Well, we’re committed to creating thriving school ecosystems by focusing on adult wellbeing and healthy communication. We support educators in understanding their stress signals, regulating their nervous system, and communicating their needs to bring people back to their bodies. Our holistic suite of offerings includes a combination of mindfulness, somatic strategies to explore sensation in the body, written reflection, discussion, and concrete tools. We have found that when people are connected to their bodies, emotions, and needs, it increases their impact, sustainability, and longevity in equity and justice work.
Contact Tracy if you are leading a Workshop, Training, Webinar, etc. (anywhere in the nation) that you would like promoted on this page. It's free!
If you sign up for any, let them know you were referred by Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully. In some cases, they will make a small donation to our nonprofit, and these donations will go to our Mindfulness Resource Fund.
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We are working to create a series of Mindful Educator Academies in the Chiagoland area, led by certified MBSR teachers as well as educuators who have completed other mindfulness trainings. The MEAs will provide self-care practices, mentoring, training, and other support for educators passionate about practicing and integrating mindfulness in their classrooms. Become a member to receive updates! Once we get them started in the Chicago area, we will branch out to helping our other chapters start Academies.
If your school is willing to host an after-school or evening 4-6 week session, please let us know. We are seeking partnerships and funding to make the fees to take these Academies low or free for educators. Once we get this service rolling in Chicagoland, we will start creating Academies in other areas of the country, partnering with Departments of Education to help with promotion.
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Summer
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RSVP for one or more of the COSEM offerings by May 8 and any offering meeting the minimum 'break-even' RSVPs (8 for retreat, 16 for those with local presenters, and 24 for those with non-local presenters) by then, will run.
Registration will then go from May 9-July 1 or until max capacity is reached. No onsite registration. No refunds, but contact us for ticket transfers or to transfer payments to 2020 conference or Mindful Educator Academy.​
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A special thanks to CASE DuPage for providing CDPUs and CEUs.
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Investment for 1 or 2 days (or 1 or 2 people) is $150. This includes lunch brought in from a local restaurant such as Noodles & Co or Panera. Price decreases to $125 for day 3 and 4 (or person 3 and 4), and to $100 for day 5 or person 5. For groups of 6 or more, call Tracy and she will work with your school on a group rate and provide an invoice.
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1-$150
2-$300
3-$425
4-$550
5-$650​
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Mindful Schools will also be hosting a Mindful Room at the conference. It will be an exhibition displaying various mindfulness activities, wall displays, photos, teaching props and books for school-aged students. They curated this room with suggestions from educators from across the nation. It will be open and available for conference attendees to explore the display as well as offer a space for practice throughout Thursday and Friday of the conference. We hope visitors walk away from this exhibition inspired to try out one of these ideas in their school.
Our workshop will help Pre-k – 2nd grade educators create a sense of belonging and safety in their classroom by approaching discipline in a compassionate and caring way. Participants will reframe classroom challenges through a culturally sensitive and trauma-informed lens. Educators will come away with new ideas in embedding SEL in their school and challenge traditional classroom management techniques with the purpose of creating peaceful and smoothly functioning learning space.
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Learning Objectives:
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Understand the role of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in early childhood
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Differentiate SEL and behavior management
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Approach behavioral challenges with empathy and understanding
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Cultural and familial considerations in approaching behaviors
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The role of self-care in behavior guidance
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How trauma effects behavior​
Presenter Bios:
Adenia Linker, MEd, SAYD, CYT (top photo), is the Project Coordinator for Erikson Institute’s SEL Initiative. She has nearly 20 years’ experience bringing wellness education to children, families and educators. During that time, Adenia has partnered with nearly 50 Chicago schools and community organizations, supporting their staff and families. She has a deep understanding of how our youth respond to their environment and how to help them foster valuable physical, intellectual, emotional and social skills. Most recently, Adenia has managed a federally funded study of mindfulness as tool for enhancing social and emotional skills in K-2nd grade classrooms. Overseeing the implementation in over 90 classrooms, supporting 16 elementary school teams and engaging with stakeholders at every level, she (like all involved) eagerly awaits published outcomes expected this winter. As a graduate of UIC's Department of Educational Psychology, she is engaged in ongoing social and emotional learning research, serves as an adjunct professor and conducts anti-bias workshop at Erikson Institute. She is also currently enrolled in Erikson’s Doctoral program with a focus on the intersection between social justice and social and emotional learning.
T-SHIRT FUNDRAISER
Proceeds will benefit our Mindfulness Resource Fund. No t-shirts will be sold at the Conference. Pre-order only.
Pre-order by February 6 when you register for the Conference and pick it up when you check-in.
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OR: If you can't attend and want the t-shirt shipped to your home, order on Custom Ink HERE.
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The t-shirts are super soft Bella/Canvas unisex style. They run small; check sizing at CustomInk.com.
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We made a request for Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) to be the Keynote for our Conference. His scheduler responded that she would be glad to list our event on his calendar, but the 2019 Congressional calendar does not come out until December 2018. At that time, they will look into his availability. Fingers crossed!
Congressman Tim Ryan brings a unique perspective to today's political and social reality: he's an established figure in the mindfulness movement and an all-American guy from the heartland who's now in his eighth term in Congress. His newest book is Healing America: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Recapture the American Spirit. In this revised edition of A Mindful Nation, he presents us with an inspiring and hopeful view of our country's future and a roadmap for how to get there.
Congressman Tim Ryan connects the dots between what's happening with mindfulness in classrooms, hospitals, boardrooms, research labs, and army bases across the country by sharing his interactions with experts in education, defense, health care, criminal justice, and the environment. His book paints a picture of emerging solutions that support us on many levels: it shows how the benefits of mindfulness apply to the challenges that affect each of us in our own lives and in our communities, and thus have implications for our society as a whole. Ryan will share what we can do, right here and right now, to help our country and ourselves.
This workshop is for any educator, PreK -16, parent, educational leader, elected official, power-holder, decision-maker, experimental scientist, creative artist or educational theorist realizing - or making your own connections - around how mindfulness brings creativity, imagination and innovation to life in our world on all levels of development and all of our professional activities. Mindfulness reminds us why these essential elements of learning, of making, of dreaming and “stepping outside the box and reimagining the situation” are critical to our joy, happiness, freedom, as well as the sustainability of our species.
Human creativity drives us forward as a species. It’s this unique ability to harness thoughts and ideas that has produced everything from the first sharpened stick, to the wheel, to the space shuttle, to the micro-processor. Yet despite our incredible capacity for creativity and imagination, there’s very little we actually understand about the creative process. Where do we get our great ideas, those sparks of insight that drive us forward as a species? How do we harness our own minds to produce incredible works of art, clever inventions, and new creations? Why can we be focused on a problem for days, months, even years, only to have a solution appear suddenly one day as if from nowhere?
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While we might not truly understand the nature of creativity and the imagination (at least, not yet), we can still continue to apply ourselves in order to benefit from the rewards that come from focused concentration and those brief moments of inspiration that hit us like lightning bolts (http://www.keepinspiring.me/). As we engage in this mindfulness workshop/journey we will travel together towards the creation by each participant of a personal artifact, a symbol, a design, a character, an image. . . that “marks” your mindful engagement with this dynamic process and your own personal “work of art” that embodies and represents what you explored today as well as a vision for your own creative, imaginative and innovative journey into the future.
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Presenter Bio:
Barnaby Spring is an actor, artist, writer, educator, public speaker, activist, certified mindfulness and yoga teacher, educational theorist, husband, father and currently serves as Director of Mindfulness In Education, in the Office of the First Deputy Chancellor, in the New York City Department of Education where he has served since the mid-90s as a teacher working with girls on Rikers Island, then as a Dean of Students, then as Principal and now in this current role.
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Rahesha Amon-Harrison is an enterprising 21st Century educational leader. After 23 years as an award winning classroom teacher, she stepped into the roles of Educational Coach, Academic Director, and Assistant Principal prior to becoming a founding Principal of Frederick Douglass Academy III in Bronx, New York. She later became a Deputy Superintendent and currently serves as the Superintendent of Community School District 16 in Brooklyn, New York.
Rahesha and her colleague Una-Kariim Cross will share their districts's unique vision for ensuring all schools have equitable resources and supports that address disproportionality. This includes identifying the practices, policies, and implicit biases that promulgate educational inequities and achievement gaps​. Their work is on bringing their community together and centering their children and education using mindfulness, ancient practices, and traditions that preserve the history and culture of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Community.
Their phase 1 focus is on awareness, disporportionality, and implicit bias; phase 2 is on identifying, unpacking, healing, and storytelling; phase 3 is on the courage to dive deep, curriculum, and culture; and phase 4 is on schools as locations for healing, connections, and capstone. Key actions for development and sustainabilty include self-work (healing), community work (healing and practice), leadership work (capacity building), (re)conceptualizing the mindful school and classroom, and empathy/curiosity/kindness.
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Linda Ryden has been teaching mindfulness-based social emotional learning as the full-time “Peace Teacher” at Lafayette Elementary School in Washington DC for over a decade. In her work with 700 first through fifth graders every week, Linda has seen the transformative potential of this work for students and schools. Linda would cover these topics: (1) Why we teach mindfulness, why we combine it with brain science, SEL and conflict resolution, and the positive impact this combination has for children. (2) How the needs of her students drew her to this work; (3) How this work has transformed her school: a case study of the power of a weekly, year-after-year, whole school model of integrating mindfulness-based social emotional learning; (4) The challenges she has faced along the way, such as teacher and administrator acceptance; (5) What we have learned about the conditions for success, including trauma-informed practices; (6) How and why we developed the Peace of Mind Curriculum and Program; and (7) Why it is so very important to be doing this work now, in community with others.
Not sure how to start? With Inner Explorer, just press play and practice.
Inner Explorer program is a series of daily 5-10-minute audio-guided mindfulness practices. The program focuses on key areas of development, bringing mindfulness to education and helping students prepare for learning. It offers programs for all age-groups (PreK-12).
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Inner Explorer had the idea for this campaign and they are offering a free 3 week trial to start your "Commit to 1%" journey. The trial can be for one individual, all teachers at a school, or a whole school community. Consider starting with a 21 Day Community Mindfulness Challenge. Inner Explorer's platform keeps track of mindful minutes logged so you can set a group goal. During your challenge you can send out weekly newsletters introducing school families to the benefits of mindfulness and update everyone on their total mindful minutes logged. Families who practice a certain number of mindful minutes could be entered into a give-away raffle to win something healthy and fun.
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Visit our Resources Page for a multitude of other mindfulness resources for schools-curriculums, books, trainings and more-all in one place to start your research and find one that best fits your school's unique needs.
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Empowering Minds Deep Dive
This experiential workshop will provide a hands-on deep dive into the Empowering Minds curriculum. From theory to practice, participants will leave with a thorough understanding of the Empowering Minds program and a clearly defined strategy for implementing the program in their setting. We will blend didactic and experiential components throughout the day so that participants develop a clear understanding of the 'what, why and how' of the program and leave with a number of tools, skills, and lessons that can be implemented immediately. Some highlights include:
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Engaging team-building activities to cultivate cooperation and cohesion in your classroom
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Direct experience practicing and teaching mindfulness
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An exploration of cultural responsiveness and social justice in relation to SEL & mindfulness
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Breath and movement techniques to reduce stress and increase well-being
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Strategies and resources to promote high-quality, school-wide implementation
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A neurobiological approach to stress, trauma, and mindfulness
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Active engagement strategies to facilitate SEL in any academic context
As a bonus, participants in the deep dive workshop will be given free 30 day access to the entire curriculum to pilot at their site!
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Presenter Bio:
Cody is the Executive Director of Denver-based non-profit, Empowering Education and author of "Empowering Minds: A Mindfulness-Based Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum". He has been working with youth for the last decade in a variety of settings from school counseling, wilderness therapy, international service learning trips, community organizing, and private practice. Cody is a licensed professional counselor, a licensed school counselor, a nationally certified counselor, a certified yoga instructor, and a long-time practitioner of mindfulness. His work is informed by his travel and study of indigenous healing practices in SE Asia, India, South America, and North America.
Playing Present: Mindfulness for Athletes and Peak Performers
LED BY:
Todd Corbin
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WEBSITE:
toddcorbin.com
Tailored for PE teachers, coaches, parents, and professionals who work with or raise student athletes. Coaches can invite their athletes 15 yrs+ as well. The activities/exercises/interventions in this workshop provide a research-based set of skills to help:
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Reduce the impact that stress and anxiety have on your performance
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Boost confidence and mental toughness
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Increase your ability to get into “The Zone.”
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Calm your mind and sharpen focus and sensory awareness
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Increase sport satisfaction and overall well-being
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Enhance performance
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Gain more control and awareness of your actions and emotions on and off the field
“I strongly recommend this for all athletes, competitors, family members, coaches, and professional personnel.” — William E. Reith, Former US Olympic Fencing Coach and Gold Medalist
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“This is an incredible program for all who want to really learn how to apply mindfulness training to sports. I find the content very helpful when working with athletes at all levels and enabling them to reach new heights in life and sports.” — Graham Betchart, Mental Skills Coach and consultant to USA Basketball and Young NBA Stars
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Agenda:
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Foundational Skills for a Mindful Athlete​​
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Opening Your Sport Senses
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Boosting Your Body and Breath—Enhancing Physical Awareness, Stamina, and Agility
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Minding Your Mind—Mental Awareness Training ​
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Emotional Mastery and Developing a Confident Athlete ​
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Meet Your Presenter Todd Corbin
Click Here to Purchase Todd's new workbook-#1 New Release on Amazon
Mindfulness, Narrative Identity, and Well-Being:
A Guided Exploration
This workshop is for history, English, and language arts teachers in middle school through higher education (or anyone else) interested in the intersection of mindfulness, narrative identity, and well-being. This workshop will explore how mindfulness - via narrative writing - can uncover narrative themes associated with well-being and help students discern and construct themes of resiliency, gratitude, and meaning in their emerging life stories.
During the first half of the workshop, participants will explore parallels between research on narrative identity and Joseph Campbell's work on the "Hero's Journey," a model for narrative identity in literature. Both narrative research and the Hero's Journey highlight themes of resiliency and self-transformation, which lead to the second half of the workshop where participants will practice mindfulness activities and narrative identity writing exercises that can be utilized in a variety of classrooms.
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Presenter Bio:
Dr. Matthew Dewar is the founder of JOURNEY 30K, a personal development platform that utilizes wellness and mindfulness strategies to transform individuals and organizations. Matthew is also a high school teacher, well-being coordinator, and learning facilitator who has designed and implemented teacher professional development and school wellness curricula, including mindfulness-based wellness for faculty and students. Most recently, Matthew has created and implemented mindfulness programming for professional and collegiate athletes. His work has been featured on TEDx, NPR, and the National Wellness Institute's podcast. He is the author of Education and Well-Being: An Ontological Inquiry.
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Koru Mindfulness Workshop
LED BY:
Miriam (Mimi) Ojaghi
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WEBSITE:
resilientmindconsulting.org
This workshop will be a combination presentation, discussion, and mini-retreat! Utilizing practical, research based curriculum developed by Koru Mindfulness Training, participants will examine the implications for developing important academic habits of mind that speak to issues of social justice through contemplative practices. Discussion will be complemented with specific mindfulness techniques as well as suggestions for incorporating them into classroom content in the K-20, parent, and community setting.
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Presenter Bio:
Dr. Miriam Ojaghi has over 15 years of experience applying mindfulness. A certified teacher, she has over 20 years of educational experience including 5 years as middle school teacher and 12 years as a college instructor. Her dissertation research examined the experience of underrepresented minority students pursuing STEM degrees to whom she taught mindfulness. She trained with The Center for Koru Mindfulness as well as the Learning to Breathe program. Dr. Ojaghi enjoys working with her Chicagoland clients to create a personalized plan for successful implementation of mindfulness.
YES! for Schools Workshop
This workshop is offered in two parts; the second part is optional and you must sign up separately for an additional cost of $50. ​
Part 1: Saturday, 8:30-4:00; receive many useful tools, but not the full SKY practice
Part 2: Sunday, 9:00-12:30; receive training in the unique and powerful SKY Breathing Meditation technique (more below). ​
It is geared towards K-12th grade teachers and administrators. College educators are welcome and will find value also.
Part 1 (Saturday): Techniques for Excellence
This day is designed to strengthen the individual through practical self-care tools and life skills to manage stress and emotions, improve performance, increase job satisfaction, and support well-being. Within a school, it is a powerful staff experience, uplifting morale, generating connectedness, and fostering open, dynamic teamwork and communication.
Our programs for educators alleviate teachers’ stress, enrich dialogue and connection between colleagues, and boost team morale, supporting a healthy learning environment. By equipping teachers to manage their stress and emotions, we can transform the daily educational experiences of hundreds of students for every year each teacher is in service. And we can significantly uplift school climate and keep our best teachers inspired and in service, sustaining positive, engaging classrooms that keep kids in school, connected, learning, and successful.
Objectives for Part 1:
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Give participants practical tools that help them recenter their systems, reducing stress and increasing vitality and calm.
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Help participants prevent and manage burnout by using increased self-awareness to engage in dynamic internal balance.
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Understand the powerful role that stress plays in schools, and what can happen when it is addressed.
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Introduce the transformative YES! curriculum and the process for building comprehensive SEL, mindfulness, and restorative practices school-wide.
Part 2 (Sunday): Experience the Unique Gift of SKY Breathing
Research on SKY finds:
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Improved cholesterol profile Enhanced immune system
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Relieves anxiety and depression Improved emotion regulation
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Reduced levels of biochemical markers of stress
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Increased mental focus
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Reduces and sustains relief in PTSD symptoms
Essential Questions:
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How is my internal state of being affected by external pressures?
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How does my internal state of being determine how effective and skillful I am in my environment?
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Why is it critical for teachers and agents of change to honor and attend to their inner state and how can we do that?
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How can we cultivate our self-awareness to find an internal balance that keeps us grounded, energetic, and happy?
When we engage in a regular practice of “self-restoration”, we find that balance to be transformational, allowing us to be present and affect change in a whole new way.
Learn more about SKY breathing here: tinyurl.com/skyres.
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Calm Your Classroom
In this dynamic, inspiring, and FUN workshop—full of immediately actionable ideas—kids’ yoga and mindfulness expert, author, TEDx speaker, and award-winning musician Kira Willey will teach you how to incorporate music, movement and mindfulness easily and seamlessly into your classroom in order to:
--Give your students the tools to calm themselves
--Teach essential social-emotional lessons
--Empower children with skills to release their anxiety and stress
--Help kids develop self-awareness, the first step to self-regulation
--Incorporate healthy movement breaks, without losing control
--Completely engage (and keep) kids’ attention
--Create predictable, calming structure
--Ease transitions
--Help kids focus their energy
Learn the critical role the “3 M’s” - music, movement, and mindfulness - play in helping kids self-regulate and focus, and in getting the frequent brain breaks they need to be ready to learn. Kira will teach an arsenal of practical, quick, and easy-to-use mindfulness tips and techniques to calm your classroom (and yourself!), focus your students, and help them release anxiety. Kid-friendly breathing and focus exercises, chair yoga, and simple songs which incorporate movement will be included.
Kira will demonstrate her teaching methods using original music from her five award-winning CDs of kids’ yoga songs, as well as playing live. She’ll guide participants in creating their own simple mindfulness activities, rhythm games, call & response songs and more to help ease transitions, focus children, and help them learn how to cope with stress. (There’s absolutely no musical experience necessary, Kira’s an expert at making these techniques immediately accessible to everyone!)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
—How to use simple mindfulness techniques to calm and focus children
—How mindfulness is an ideal vehicle for social emotional learning
—How music, rhythm, and movement affect the brain
—How music and memory work together to help kids retain information
—How to use rhythm & song to create predictable, calming structure
—How to create simple, memorable rhythm games and songs
—How to give kids quick, healthy movement breaks without losing control
—How to unify a group with music
—How to combine music and movement to fully engage children
We’ll have a blast trying these techniques together, and we’ll discuss practical applications and ways to incorporate these techniques into your day. You’ll practice using what you've learned, and leave totally inspired, with tons of use-it-now ideas to incorporate into your classroom right away!
Kira’s many resources available to support you include her children’s mindfulness book, Breathe Like a Bear, her four CDs of kids’ yoga songs, and her Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winning mindfulness album, Mindful Moments for Kids. Learn more at kirawilley.com!​
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Teaching Peace: How to use restorative circles, mindfulness and conflict resolution to build kind and inclusive school communities
Join Linda Ryden, author of The Peace of Mind Curriculum and founder of Peace of Mind Inc, and Dave Trachtenberg, Mindfulness Educator and Restorative Circle Facilitator, for an experiential workshop on teaching peace. This is an ideal workshop for teachers, counselors and administrators who work with children in PreK through Grade 5.
We’ll explore how Peace Education and teaching Conflict Resolution, when integrated with mindfulness practices, basic neuroscience, and social emotional learning skills, can increase student well-being and create more peaceful schools.
Linda will share best practices developed over 15 years as the Peace Teacher at Washington DC’s largest public elementary school, where the climate has shifted dramatically toward inclusion and kindness. Linda continues to teach her Peace of Mind Curriculumto over 700 children a week.
Dave will lead us in creating Mindfulness Circles, where educators will learn experientially how to build authentic relationships, deepen mindfulness practice, and create more inclusive spaces through Circle-Facilitation. This is based in the philosophy of Restorative Practices, which provides a holistic way of fostering community and dialog where everyone is seen, heard, and treated equally.
We’ll discuss and experience:
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How you can become a Peace Teacher
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How to deepen relationships and trust through Mindfulness Circles
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How mindfulness and brain science create a powerful foundation for social and emotional learning and for preventative Conflict Resolution
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What student-centered, trauma-informed mindfulness teaching looks like in elementary school and how it can strengthen your ability to help your students
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How to use singing, hip-hop, storytelling, and drama to teach mindfulness and SEL
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How to meet the critical need for educator self-care and support
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How this approach can create a more peaceful school community, even starting with one teacher and class at a time
This workshop will include self-care and self-compassion practices as well as the chance to dive into the Peace of Mind Curriculum. We’ll sing a little, do some skits, try some restorative practices and explore the transformative power of a whole-school, year-in, year-out mindfulness and SEL program that was made by teachers for teachers.
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"Peace of Mind is an extraordinary curriculum, at once practical and visionary. The lessons are thoughtfully and meticulously scaffolded as the children are guided step-by-step into an understanding of how their brains work, how to interact with the world with kindness, and how to master themselves. In this age of anxiety, what could be more important or valuable than to teach children at an early age how to interpret and navigate their big emotions, calm themselves, and by extension, each other?" – Val C., Early Childhood Educator, June 2017
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Meet Your Presenter Linda Ryden
Meet Your Presenter Dave Trachtenberg
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Pure Edge Culture of Care Training
The Culture of Care training prepares educators to deliver breathing, mindful movement, and relaxation exercises in the classroom, and to train colleagues to do the same. With a little practice, the exercises are simple for educators to learn and share. Participants in the training will learn and be able to communicate how this approach promotes socioemotional learning (SEL) in the classroom.
The training includes a self-care practice for participants, as well as time for Q & A and practical implementation strategies. It is highly interactive and participants will practice teaching the exercises with colleagues. Participants will become familiar with the Pure Edge online resource library to support establishing a Culture of Care at their school site.
The training also explores the effect of stress on the field of education, and the importance of self-care for educators. It examines how breathing exercises and mindful movement improve the body’s stress response by discussing breath’s effect on the brain and the nervous system. Participants will experience a self-care practice designed to alleviate the effects of stress on the mind and body, and they will learn to implement Pure Edge’s Brain Breaks program. Participants will also practice teaching mindful movement sequences from the Pure Power Curriculum.
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Presenter Bio:​
Russell is Director of Partnerships. His portfolio of work includes leading the mindfulness project in Milwuakee Public Schools and Ravenswood City School District’s Health & Wellness Demonstration Partnership with the Child Psychiatry Department of Stanford University. He was also director of the Ashtanga Yoga Program at Stanford University. He was formerly Vice President of Recruiting at Case Recruiters: the largest Urology recruitment firm in the country. He serves as a senior advisor on yoga and mindfulness to Sonima.com. He earned a B.F.A. in performance art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as well as a Post Baccalaureate in painting. He is a Terra Fellow, and earned an M.F.A. in Painting from Mark Rothko’s School of Art at Brooklyn College. He is a certified Level II instructor from the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute of India.