Mindfulness in the classroom: goodbye punishments and welcome meditation

Those of you who already know me a little will know that I am not in favor of punishments (under no circumstances: neither in schools nor at home). It was clear that the "punished without recess", "punished with two more exercises" was not going to last a lifetime (although many teachers still apply it). A school in Baltimore, USA, decided change the punishments for the practice of mindfulness and the results have been a success. 

In Spain we are a little behind. There are still very few educational centers that have dared to apply mindfulness and relaxation techniques with students in the classroom. The schools and colleges that have carried it out They have stated that they have obtained great results in the school environment. What do you think of the idea of ​​exchanging punishments for meditation practices and techniques with students?

Well, if the majority of educational centers carried it out, it would be an advance in education. It would mean that we are finally distancing ourselves from himto the traditional and obsolete line of the educational system and that we are saying goodbye to punishments and welcoming the practice of mindfulness. But how could classroom meditation help students?

Decreases anxiety and stress

When talking about mindfulness we do not have to do it only referring to avoiding punishment. Meditation practice in classrooms could help students reduce your anxiety and stress levels. Knowing how to relax in situations that can generate nervousness (for example, exams, tests or grades) is very important for day-to-day life.

Promotes group cohesion and prevents bullying

You may be thinking that mindfulness practice consists of students sitting silently on mats. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are exercises and meditation techniques that are done in groups. Such as activities and body language dynamics that require trust between peers. In this way, fellowship and group cohesion would be fostered. Thus, it would also be favoring personal relationships between students and avoiding possible aggressive behavior and harassment between them. 

Goodbye to rejection and fear that punishments generate

Many experts say that punishments generate rejection and that children do what is asked of them out of fear and not of their own free will. Imagine a student who misbehaves in class. You may be thinking about the traditional punishments, but what if instead in the educational center there were two hours a week or extracurricular activities dedicated to meditation? The specific student he would learn relaxation techniques, to manage his emotions and to have self-control. As I said before, changing punishments to mindfulness would be an opportunity to get away from an obsolete educational system and favor the well-being of students.

Promotes empathy, values ​​and conflict resolution

Teachers at the Baltimore school observed that since the students practiced mindfulness they were more aware of the problems of others, they tried to help their classmates more and when a conflict arose in the classrooms they resolved it peacefully and assertively. Meditation helps the mind and heart to be in balance. In this way, students who practice it can develop more sensitivity towards others and towards their environment.

Improve family relationship

As we have said before, the practice of mindfulness helps to manage emotions, to overcome stressful situations and to calm anxiety. All this is also noticeable in the family atmosphere. Students who practice meditation have more relaxed and calm relationships with their parents and are able to communicate in an assertive way with them. In this way, conflicts and some problems between families could be reduced. It would be recommended that mothers and fathers They also attended meditation classes to establish a good relationship with their children and improve the family climate. 

And to you, what do you think about students practicing mindfulness in educational centers? As parents would you go to meditation classes to improve the family environment and communication with your children? If you have already practiced mindfulness and your children also, I will be happy to read your opinions and if you have obtained beneficial results.

Obviously, if you are teachers in educational centers and you are practicing meditation with students, I would also like to know the educational results that you are achieving by introducing mindfulness in the classroom. Have you noticed a notable improvement in the school climate of the classrooms when exchanging punishments for meditation? Are students more aware and empathetic?