Season Mussey - Mindfulness in the Classroom: Mindful Principles for Social and Emotional Learning

Copyright 2019, Prufrock Press Inc.

Edited by Stephanie McCauley

Cover design by Micah Benson and layout design by Allegra Denbo

ISBN-13: 978-1-61821-931-2

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Dedication

To Max, my favorite.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Teachers transform the world by transforming the lives of their students. My life has been transformed by the teachers who have selflessly served me. I have learned most from my ultimate teacher, Jesus, and I pray that I reflect His compassion and love in my interactions with others.

I admire and lift up all of my countless teachers and professors, and I wish I could thank each and every one of you by name and buy you a cup of coffee. But that would take a lifetime (and I shouldnt drink that much caffeine), so Ill just say to all of my teachers: I love you and thank you, especially Miss Linda, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Armstrong, Mrs. Hill, Mr. Phillips, Mrs. Boyette, Mrs. Spencer, Dr. Wishard-Guerra, Dr. Ramsey, Dr. Levin, and Dr. Daly.

Similarly, I want to recognize all of my former, current, and future students. Ive learned so much from you. I love you. Let me know what amazing things you are doing in your life.

Mom and Dad, my first teachers, you saw the teacher in me from the time I was 7 years old. From my first stapler, to my work ethic and perseverance, to the mighty machine that I am using to type these words today, youve always equipped me with the tools that I would need to succeed. I love you.

To my best brother Troy, my first student and friend: Thank you for supporting my adventures no matter what, especially in California. Thank you to my brothers loving wife, Reba, a dedicated principal and teacher leader. Thank you to Jonah, Jeremiah, Braiden, and Brielle for coming to Aunt Camp and trying my crazy crafts and science experiments. Thank you, Mimi, for your sweet words of encouragement. Thank you, Dean and Kris, for cheering me on. Thank you to all of my family members, near and far. Family is everything to me. I love you.

A special thank you to Jeremiah for consulting with me on kid-friendly definitions and ideas. His expertise and writing abilities were invaluable to me on this project. Jeremiah is 6.

To my dear friends, old and new: You bless my life. To Jaimee for sharing your heart and wisdom and for talking me through this process week after week: Thank you for sharing your story of empathy, a lesson for all of us to learn. Thank you, River, for your sweet heart. Thank you to Dr. Napoli for our transformative conversations: You believed in this project from the beginning. To Glenda, Beth, Jena, and my ladies: You hold me up.

Thank you, Paula, for telling me what I actually mean when I say what I think I mean, and for convincing me to stay in teaching. If it werent for you, I might be studying bonobos in Africa right now, which would be cool, but not where I was meant to be you knew.

Thank you, Bud, for being my mentor and friend. I treasure being your student and witness to your legacy.

Thank you for the lessons learned from all of my colleagues and leaders at TAMUCT and HT. Thank you for your kindness and professionalism, especially Deborah, Yvonne, Christina, Dorleen, and Brenda. Thank you, Dr. Seiter, my research partner and friend: You are a true professional educator and leader. Thank you, Dawson, my teaching partner and friend. Thank you to the entire science department and my friends at McCallum and Preuss, and thank you to the leadership at both of these fine institutions. What I learned at McCallum laid the foundation for much of what I do today. What I learned at Preuss transformed the way that I think about the world. Thank you to my friends at AVID, Beth and Holly: You taught me about grace. Thank you to my yoga teachers and classmates for teaching me how to breathe: You still bring light to my life and the world. Thank you for my friends and coaches at Team in Training for teaching me discipline and commitment. Go Team!

Thank you to the friends and organizations that allow me the opportunity to do what I love and nurture my gift of teaching. Thank you especially to my friends at Woodlawn, Friendship International, and ISS.

Thank you to everyone who supports Kaya Teacher Project. This book will be foundational for the work that we do moving forward.

Thank you to the amazing team at Prufrock Press for recognizing the potential of this project and for guiding me through this wonderful process. It has been a dream to work with you, and you have made it seem relatively easy. A special thank you to my editorial team, Katy McDowall and Stephanie McCauley. I have loved collaborating with you on this important work. Stephanie, your insight and thought-provoking (and kind) questioning style pushed my thinking and elevated the level of this work beyond what I imagined. Thank you to the sales team at Sourcebooks and everyone in your organization that has made this possible: You are a treasure and I hope that my efforts live up to your expectations.

Thank you to all of the teachers who will read this book. Thank you for using the ideas presented here to impact the lives of kids and make the world a better place for us all. I wish I could see all of the amazing things you will do, taking words on a page and putting them to action in your classroom. Your masterpiece awaits. You and the precious, beautiful students whom you serve are my why.

Finally, my heart, my darling husband: Your calming presence is a blessing, and you remind me what matters most. I love you more. To my little Lulu, my muse: Thank you for letting Mommy do her homework and reminding me to save my book. I hope you are proud of me. I am so very proud of you forever. This book is dedicated to you and your teachers. May they serve you well.

PART I

Mindfulness Matters

Begin at the beginning, the King said, very gravely, and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

Lewis Carroll, Alices Adventures in Wonderland

Pay Attention