The 6 best books for incorporating mindfulness into your classroom
Since the topic of mindfulness has been close to my heart for a long time and I experience the positive effects myself, it is very important to me to get my students excited about this topic and to practice mindfulness together.
Mindfulness is an important concept that is becoming increasingly important in our hectic and stressful world. It is the ability to be in the present and focus our attention on what is happening instead of letting our thoughts and feelings distract us. In a classroom, mindfulness can help improve student concentration and performance, and create a positive learning environment.
There are many books on the subject of mindfulness that offer ideas and guidance on how to incorporate mindfulness into the classroom.
In this blog article I will introduce you to 6 books that have helped me to convey this topic to the children in a child-friendly and interesting way and to build up a common mindfulness practice.
Let yourself be surprised and discover how easy it can be to integrate mindfulness into the everyday life of elementary school children.
Why is mindfulness important in the classroom?
Mindfulness can be beneficial in the classroom in a number of ways. Some of the main advantages are:
Improved concentration and performance: By learning to focus their attention on what is happening instead of being distracted by the outside world, thoughts and feelings, students can improve their concentration and focus better on the lesson.
Reducing Stress and Anxiety: Mindfulness can help reduce stress and anxiety by helping students focus on the here and now rather than dwelling on the past or future.
Improving Social Skills: Mindfulness can also help improve students' social skills by teaching them to take better care of themselves and others, and to better understand and process their own thoughts and feelings.
Creating a Positive Learning Environment: Learning to be mindful can contribute to an overall positive and supportive learning environment in which everyone feels comfortable and can reach their full potential
The best books for integrating mindfulness in the classroom
Awake Children - How We Help Our Children Cope with Stress and Experience Happiness, Joy, and Compassion by Susan Kaiser Greenland (in German)
"Wake Kinder" by Susan Kaiser Greenland is a book aimed at parents and teachers who want to teach their children how to be more mindful and present in everyday life. The book offers many practical exercises and ideas to help children train their attention and better understand and regulate their emotions.
The focus of the book is on promoting emotional intelligence and self-regulation in children. Susan Kaiser Greenland explains how parents and teachers can encourage mindfulness in their children by teaching them to observe and be compassionate about their thoughts and feelings. She also shows how mindfulness can help build children's self-esteem and social skills.
Exercises from the book:
Body scan: This exercise is about consciously feeling your own body and concentrating on the individual parts of the body. For example, children can sit on a cushion and feel themselves from the tips of their toes to the crown of their head.
Sensory Exercises: These exercises help children focus and become more aware of their five senses. For example, children can examine an object like an orange and become aware of how it smells, tastes, feels, and so on.
Breathing exercises: Breathing exercises can help children relax and focus their attention on the breath. A simple exercise, for example, is to close your eyes and consciously breathe in and out.
Feeling exercises: These exercises help children to be more aware of their feelings and to put them into words. For example, children can look at pictures that represent different feelings and think about how they would feel in a similar situation.
Calm Kids: Help Children Relax with Mindful Activities von Lorraine E.Murray
Calm Kids: Help Children Relax with Mindfulness, is a book by Lorraine Murray intended for parents, teachers, and other caregivers who want to learn how to encourage mindfulness in children and help them relax and reduce stress.
It contains a series of meditations and activities that adults can do with children to teach them how to incorporate meditation into their everyday lives. The book offers tips and suggestions for the integration of meditation into the everyday life of children and contains numerous practical examples and ideas for different age groups.
Exercises from the book:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This is a technique in which children consciously contract and relax their muscles to calm and relax. You can start by clenching your fists and then releasing them. You can do this process with all muscle groups such as shoulders, arms, stomach and legs.
Self-soothing: This is an exercise in which children learn to soothe themselves by saying something nice to themselves or by giving themselves a soothing gesture, such as putting their hand on their heart or chest. It is helpful even if they repeat a reassuring statement like "I'm safe" or "I can do this" in their mind or out loud.
Short Meditations: This is an exercise in which children go in their minds to a place where they feel relaxed and happy. They imagine how they are in this place and what they see, hear, smell and feel. They allow themselves to be carried away by their imagination and enjoy the relaxation they feel in the process.
Abdominal breathing: This is a simple breathing exercise that has children focus on their abdomen as they breathe. Sit comfortably and watch your stomach rise as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out. They focus on their breath and try to block out all other thoughts.
Praxisbuch Achtsamkeit in der Schule: Selbstregulation und Beziehungsfähigkeit als Basis von Bildung von Vera Kaltwasser (in German)
Aimed specifically at teachers and education professionals, this book will show them how to promote mindfulness in their classroom and help their students relax and reduce stress.
The book provides an introduction to the concept of mindfulness and why it is important for students to learn to relax and train their attention. It contains a series of exercises and activities that teachers can do with their students to teach them how to integrate mindfulness into their everyday lives. The book also offers tips and suggestions for integrating mindfulness into the classroom and contains numerous practical examples from different school types and subjects.
Exercises from the book:
Metta Meditation: Is a type of mindfulness meditation in which students show compassion to themselves and others.
Exercises to Explore Emotions: Some exercises are presented to help students get a feel for their feelings.
Mindful Movement: Mindful movement is a type of movement in which children consciously focus on the movements and are aware of the present experience rather than being distracted by thoughts.
Exercises for joy: This is about collecting moments of joy and consciously perceiving them.
Wellbeing in the Primary Classroom: A practical guide to teaching happiness von Adrian Bethune
The book contains various tips and ideas, how teachers can promote the well-being of their students by improving the classroom atmosphere, supporting students in overcoming challenges and strengthening their emotional and social skills.
It also explains how to integrate mindfulness into the classroom.
It contains a lot of tried and tested activities that can be implemented very well in elementary school. This is the book I have found most useful in my classroom and would recommend to any teacher with a clear conscience.
Exercises from the book:
Value Development Exercises: This book provides some exercises to develop and encourage generosity and kindness towards one another.
Mindfulness Exercises: These exercises aim to draw attention to the present experience and to be aware of the thoughts and emotions without evaluating or changing them. There are many different ways to practice mindfulness. This book describes different meditation and breathing exercises.
Exercises for good classroom community: The book contains many exercises that promote a positive classroom.
Gratitude exercises: Gratitude exercises are not neglected in this book either. These practices help children learn to feel and express gratitude.
Stillsitzen wie ein Frosch- Das Arbeitsbuch von Eline Snel (in German)
It is a book, which explores mindfulness practice with children and includes exercises and activities that can help children learn to sit still and focus their attention.
It is designed to be used by teachers and parents or other adults who want to work with children and teach them to be mindful.
It's important to note that the effectiveness of mindfulness practices can vary from person to person, and it may take time for children to feel the full effects. This book contains many creative and fun exercises that help children to become more relaxed.
Exercises from the book:
Concentration exercises: The book describes different concentration exercises that help children to focus their attention on a certain object and to focus on it longer.
Breathing Exercises: The book features exercises that teach children to explore their breath and help them focus on their breath better.
Sense Exercises: Some of the practices in this book relate to how children can exercise their individual senses.
Feeling exercises: Here children learn to recognize their feelings, to get involved with them and to accept them.
Achtsamkeit-Fantasievolle Übungen, die Kindern Ruhe schenken von Wynne Kinder (in German)
This book contains many imaginative and varied mindfulness exercises for children. Especially if you don't know that many mindfulness exercises yet, this book will help you to get inspiration and ideas. The pictures and the instructions encourage the children to imitate. It doesn't matter whether you have children yourself or work with children, the #exercises are suitable for at home and in class. Older children can also practice the exercises independently. Parenting tips and how best to support the child in these practices are also included. In addition to concentration, movement and resting exercises, there are also breathing exercises and some ideas for creative implementation.
Exercises from the book:
Quiet exercises: In this book you will find some exercises on how to get your students to calm down.
Movement exercises: Movement exercises can help children to concentrate better, reduce stress and let go of uncomfortable feelings.
Exercises in caring for oneself and others: The book describes exercises in developing a loving relationship with oneself and with others.
Reflection exercises: Children learn to reflect on their experiences, themselves and others. These are exercises that help children to take short breaks and listen to themselves.
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In conclusion, integrating mindfulness into the classroom is a valuable way to improve student performance and reduce stress and burnout.
The books presented in the blog article offer a wealth of ideas and exercises to promote mindfulness in the classroom and are suitable for teachers who already have experience with the topic as well as for those who are just starting out.
Since each book has its own strengths, it is advisable to compare the different books and choose the right book for your own teaching. In this way, every teacher can find a method of mindfulness integration that suits them and their students.
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