Quieting the Mind

I was struck by the quote, "Parents and teachers tell kids 100 times to pay attention...But we never teach them how." I like the idea of trying to make students more efficient by making them self-aware. Children are impulsive by nature and if we can get them to consider their actions, or to be aware of their emotional state, then many of their costly decisions can be thwarted.

I have seen relaxation therapy done with students in an afterschool detention program. For the most part, it was effective. Students would still get themselves riled up afterwards, but they would at least learn effective management techniques for the future.

We should also note how technology can run counter to this aim. The fast-paced media society we live in compels students to move quickly, thoughtlessly. Relaxation and mindfulness techniques are all the more relevant, but perhaps only as a counter to the hyper-speed at which the rest of a child's life is paced. It is sound practice to look to improve the concentration of our students. We should look to optimize the learning environment and the mindset of our students.

We must at the same time recognize that every year we get a series of new students and the process must begin again. While we can improve procedures and implement new techniques, we cannot make students grow up any faster. Our success should not then be gauged based on the elimination of student distractions, but by gradual improvement in the grade level behaviors of students.