Mindfulness
From WikEd
Contents |
[edit] Definition
Mindfulness is both a new catch phrase and an ancient way of being. It is a word that has roots in Eastern philosophy and has been recently popularized by Ellen Langer in her books and articles. She distances her idea of mindfulness from the Eastern ideas that involve meditation. Instead, Langer defines her version of mindfulness as a "heightened sense of situational awareness and a conscious control over ones thoughts and behavior relative to the situation" (Marzano 2003, p. 65). She explains that mindfulness is not about just paying attention. It is making a conscious effort to be "in the moment" and to not ignore the environment.
[edit] Mindlessness
Mindfulness is not a normal state for most people. Often people operate mindlessly: driving while thinking about what to eat for dinner, shopping while talking on the cell phone, cleaning while daydreaming... Mindlessness, or "zoning out," is often a way to make mundane tasks bearable. In Mindless in America, Carrie McLaren points to three types of mindlessness: categorical thinking, "blindly going with the flow" (p. 1), and automatic actions. McLaren does not contend that people need to be mindful constantly; she is more concerned that they recognize that they are not always thinking through what they are doing.
I think many peoples lack of mindfulness derives from the need to constantly be multi-tasking. I am constantly trying to do a number of things at once. I don't know exactly when I realized how much I was doing this or when it changed in my classroom but it made a huge difference. Instead of trying to collect papers, answer questions, take attendance, correct disruptive behavior, and begin a lesson all at the same time, I set up a system that the students understood, for each of this tasks. This enabled me to give a students question my full attention, collect papers and remember where I put them. etc. It made a huge reversal in allowing me to be more organized and have much better classroom control. L. Gowler
The three types of mindlessness can be useful, but all of them also have negative consequences.
1) Categorical thinking: This can be helpful in a world where we have so many choices and so much information to deal with on a daily basis, but it can also lead to stereotyping and to mislabeling. Snap judgments are sometimes necessary and sometimes harmful.
2) "Zoning out," "not thinking," or "not paying attention": People who are in this mental state do not shift perspectives or weigh their options. This can certainly be a problem when new situations arise, but often it is a way for people to "save mental energy for when we need it" (McLaren, p.1).
3) Performing routine tasks automatically: Using automatic actions can make tasks faster. For instance, touch typists often slow down if they start looking at the keys. The problem with acting without paying attention to what you are doing is that you risk relying on routine. People need to be able to recognize when they are on autopilot and decide when they need to really focus.
[edit] Application
Mindfulness and mindlessness are concepts that need to be better understood by educators, both for classroom management reasons and for best teaching practices. In "Classroom Management That Works," Robert Marzano analyzes mindfulness as a necessary mental set for a teacher. He believes that a mindful teacher can incorporate both Jacob Kounin's "withitness" and the idea of emotional objectivity (p. 66-67). Mindfulness in classroom management means that the teacher is doing more than just having eyes in the back of his or her head. He or she is aware of what students are doing, aware of the environment, and aware of his or her own behavior and attitude. Teachers that operate with mindlessness instead of mindfulness get themselves caught up in their routine that they do not quickly adapt when there is a problem.
Mindfulness is not just useful for teachers, it is useful for students as well. In "Life in the Mindful Classroom" Ron Ritchhart and David Perkins point out that "for generations, educational philosophers, policy makers, and practitioners have decried the mindlessness of schools and their tendency to stifle creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm while nurturing passivity and superficial learning" (2000, p.1). Richart and Perkins are concerned that if teachers do not help students make a conscious effort to understand mindfulness, then students will not learn, or possibly even notice, new and interesting information and ways of operating. Mindfulness involves being open to new ideas and experiences because learning is fun and interesting. McLaren agrees with Ritchart and Perkins when she writes "a mindful approach is like 'play;' a mindless one, 'work'" (McLaren, p. 3).
[edit] Becoming Mindful: A Short Introduction
To become mindful, one must first begin to notice something simple, subtle, and constant. One's breathing is the best and most popular "anchor," or thing to notice. Start noticing and checking in with your breath at random times in the day, when you're not doing anything. Is your breath short or long? Shallow or deep? Fast or slow? Either way is okay.
The next step is to watch your thoughts as they appear and go away, rise and fall, just like your breathing. Take all thoughts in with the same ease. Watch your thoughts come to fruition, and ebb away. Try not believing your thoughts.
The best way to become mindful is to meditate. Whether it's for 5 minutes each day or more than an hour, it will help you become mindful of your breath, your thoughts, etc. During meditation, one sits on a chair or cushion, moving as little as possible, and focuses primarily on the breath or one's breathing mechanism is the primary focus. Thoughts will enter the mind, and they are gently but firmly pushed away, and focus returns to the in and out flow of breath.
http://www.laurachenoweth.com/albums/vast%20sky/dancing-clouds.jpg
[edit] Mindfulness in the Classroom
One way for teachers to foster a mindful mindset in their students is to explicitly teach the concepts of "thinking outside the box" and metacognition. Another idea is to let students tackle rote learning in a novel way, such as trying to write spelling words with the hand that they do not usually use to write. Mindful learning is about play and novelty. That is where schools sometimes fall short. Asking students to learn more of the same in the same way as always does not show students the joy of discovering the world in a thoughtful, focused way.
One popularized example of mindfulness in schools and corporations is the FISH! philosophy. The ideas behind FISH! are all about how a fun and focused mindset can improve daily life. The FISH! philosophy is divided into the four core principals of Play, Make Their Day, Be There, and Choose Your Attitude:
[edit] Evidence of Effectiveness
The Bright Light Foundation is currently working on two studies in an effort to provide evidence for mindfulness education. The foundation is doing a study on Teacher Education and Elementary & High Schools. The studies are ongoing and thus results are not available at this time.
[edit] Critics
A number of resources indicate the time commitment to teaching mindfulness. This can be a serious drawback to the philosophy because, although it can be very helpful, mindfulness is not one of the standards teachers are being held accountable for on standardized tests.
[edit] Personal Testimony
I have never thought of mindfulness. I do this all the time. Many times throughout the day, I watch and take in the happenings in my classroom. I feel that I get a sense of what is going in my classroom. In the language arts classroom, I like to see how my students read on their own. I can tell what students focus and what students try to do anything but read. Many of my students think that I am zoning out when I do this. Then they realize that I am taking everything in that is happening in the room. Nichole Jessup
Roughly six years ago I found the book "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Nhat Hanh. It's a tiny book with a big message. One never realizes how often we go through our everyday routine on auto pilot. Not really thinking about what we are doing, but rather thinking about all the things we have yet to do. This book gives the reader exercises for practicing mindfulness. Simple tasks like washing the dishes take on a new meaning when you are mindful of what you are doing. I think I have applied this concept most in my life with my children. Stop what you are doing and be mindful of their moods and presence and most important - what they have to say. The battle between multiplexing and mindfulness will not end soon. The amount of information each of us attempts to assimilate daily is not decreasing but increasing. Just knowing about the concept of mindfulness may help put all this into perspective. ~BSmall
[edit] Web Sites About Mindfulness and Mindlessness
University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society
Stay Free! Magazine Archives, "Mindless in America"
School Reform.net’s "Mindlessness: What It Looks Like"
Dr. Ellen Langer, Harvard Professor, is one of the leading writers on minfulness
Life from Lincoln Center Interview with Ellen Langer
Mindfulness Studies in Elementary & High School
Mindfulness Studies in Teacher Education
Mindfulness What it looks like
Mindlessness What it looks like
[edit] References
Harvard University. N.d. Ellen J. Langer. (Online), November 4, 2004. http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~langer/
Marsano, Robert J. (2003). Classroom Management That Works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Masur, Kurt and Chang, Sarah (March 3, 1998). Interview with Dr. Ellen Langer. Live from Lincoln Center-- The New York Philharmonic.
McLaren, Carrie. N.d. Mindlessness in America: Ellen Langer and the Social Psychology of Mindlessness. (Online), November 4, 2004. http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/16/mindlessness.html
Ritchhart, Ron and Perkins, David N. (Spring 2000)). Life in the Mindful Classroom: Nurturing the Disposition of Mindfulness. Journal of Social Issues.
SPN. 1999. Professional Profile: Ellen Langer. (Online), November 4, 2004. http://langer.socialpsychology.org
Wolfgang, Charles H. (2001). Solving Discipline and Classroom Management Problems. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
[edit] Further Reading
Heal Thy Self : Lessons on Mindfulness in Medicine by Saki Santorelli; Harmony/Bell Tower, 2000.
Lovingkindness : The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg; Shambhala, 1997.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki; Weatherhill, 1973.
