SHOULD WE TEACH “MINDFULNESS” IN OUR SCHOOLS?
Students in England already learn about mathematics, science and history, but hundreds of schools are preparing to expand the traditional curriculum with a new subject: mindfulness. In up to 370 English schools, students will start to practice mindfulness as part of a study to improve youth mental health. Alberta Education should pay close attention to the results of the British initiative.
A survey commissioned by the National Health Service found that one in eight children in England between the ages of 5 and 19 suffered from at least one mental disorder at the time of their assessment in 2017 and it is rising. Canadian results are probably very similar. Disorders like anxiety and depression were the most common, affecting one in 12 children and early adolescents in 2017, and appeared more often in girls. Counsellors and social workers see children and teenagers struggling to come to grips with how they fit into the increasingly complex modern world — contending with things like intense pressure at school, bullying or problems at home, all while being bombarded by social media. The goal of the program is to study which approaches work best for young people in a world of rapid change. The teaching of mindfulness was considered to be a very promising practise to help troubled youth more effectively cope with the stresses of their lives. Many adults scoff at the notion of “stressful teenage lives”, but it is a growing reality.
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present in the moment, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. While mindfulness is innate, it can be cultivated through proven techniques involving meditation. These short pauses can be inserted into everyday life or merged with other activities, such as yoga or sports. When we meditate we are more relaxed and it can reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and awareness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being.
According to experts, mindfulness meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness—to ourselves and others.
Any practise that can help reduce mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, misbehaviour, psychosis, bipolar behaviour, eating disorders or suicidal thoughts has to be taken seriously. Mental health issues continue to rise in our world and any initiatives aimed at dealing with the problem must be considered. Although teachers are already constantly overwhelmed with new responsibilities perhaps this is a new one that holds a lot more promise for a lot more students.
PS Sorry, Peter!
No, no, no... Ken, It's called mindlessness. I looked it up. It's similar to cluelessness and brainlessness. Closely associated with researchlessness.
ReplyDeleteMindfulness is brought to you by the same people who brought you 'measles vaccinations cause autism'. And the same people who brought us 'multiple intelligences' and 'learning styles'.
There is no empirical evidence supporting a causal link between organised, structured, enforced 'mindfulness' activities and long term reduced stress, anxiety, ADHD, autism, or tooth decay. Students would be far better off just sitting and doing nothing for 10 minutes - oh wait...
There is loads of empirical evidence showing that have a rest every hour or so, for a few minutes, is good for us. The rest can be accompanied by a cup of tea (no, not dandelion, rhubarb, and dead rabbit infusion tea, just ordinary tea), or coffee, or a beer, or even a cigarette. Kids in school should probably stick to a glass of water or play a few rounds of angry birds. It's called, 'taking a break'. Dad called it 'smoko'.
There is also a small mountain of empirical evidence showing a link between strong numeracy (just arithmetic, not multi-variable calculus) and accurate life decision making (such as not using a credit card to buy a car). So 10 minutes every day in school doing mental arithmetic or 10 minutes every day doing mindlessness? Hmm???
As for reducing stress... I've noticed that I am stressed before a lesson that I've not prepared for. I'm stressed if I have to give a speech that I've not prepared for. But if I've done the preparation, I'm not stressed. I don't feel anxious before exams, BECAUSE I do the preparation. Wishing, hoping, and mindfulness don't reduce stress. Preparing, studying, planning - these reduce stress.
If you're still devoted to mindfulness, if you still think it's a panacea for all that ails... perhaps you'd be interested in buying some of my dehydrated water. It cures headaches, dehydration, and thirst. 100% money-back guarantee. It can also be used to put out forest fires.
Peter: obviously a math/science guy; lots of evidence to suggest how meta-cognition and self-regulation enhance ones' learning strategies and competencies. Don't knock it till you've tried it ;)
ReplyDeleteUnknown: Mathematics, Statistics, and Probability are the basis of Knowledge. Knowledge (as opposed to belief) is based on, indeed, it requires, empirical evidence or logic.
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous studies supporting mindfulness as being effective in stress management, ADHD, poor school performance... But critical thinking rather than gullibility is also required when reading these studies. Not all reserach is robust and reliable... you will recall the study oublished linking measles vaccinations and autism. Critical thinking is essential to academic discussion.
Most importantly, mindfulness is not defined. What one study refers to as mindfulness does not match other studies. This is like a chemistry experiment testing the effect of water on iron. Water is real, but there are many different forms of water.
Doing nothing for 10 minutes will often help relieve stress. But not always and not for all people.
How can we be sure a mindfulness person is actually thinking about nothing? We can't.
What measures are used to indicate reduced stress? Or improved ADHD? Are these controlled studies or are the participants doing other things to treat their stress or ADHD or...?
Most importantly for schools, could the mindfulness time (and money) be spent differently for better outcomes? Yes, fir example, ten minutes every day practising arithmetic will make students into better decision makers and improve self esteem. And yes, there is empirical evidence, based on controlled experiments to support this knowledge claim.