There are many practical strategies that educators can incorporate into their teaching to build mindfulness. For example, Dr. Patricia Jennings, an expert in mindfulness and education, recommends that a teacher use an exercise known as "Centering." The first step is that the teacher stands up from their seat with their knees about shoulder width. Then, the teacher takes note of the area about one inch within their abdomen. Finally, the teacher spends a few minutes feeling the center of their body and the force of gravity keeping their feet on the ground. This exercise shifts our perspective to focus on our experience and makes us more in tune with ourselves.

Reference

Patricia (Tish) Jennings (n.d.). Seven ways mindfulness can help teachers. Greater Good. Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_ways_mindfulness_can_help_teachers. 

Courtney Chicvak Thank you for sharing this exercise. This remind me about the importance of being mindful of our breathing and how that can help us to relax. After attending a webinar about Mental Health and learning about this, whenever I feel stressed I remind myself to take deep breaths or do "belly breathing". 

I found a web page that talks about this and provides some exercices: https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz2255

I believe that this is important during our class time as well. Whenever I first started teaching I remember feeling nervous about being in front of a big class. I always try to be mindful of how students could be perceiving me, my tone, and my instruction. I try not to rush during the lecture, ask for questions, and if I feel like being mindful of our body language and breathing can help to radiate confidence in your class.  

Vivian Hobbins Thanks for the response, Vivian! I enjoyed reading the article that you shared about breathing exercises. However, I find that when I do breathing exercises myself without following an article or video, the results aren't as impactful as when I focus and refresh my memory with a guide.

I also appreciate the point made about lecturing and mindfulness. As an online instructor, I find mindfulness to be equally important. Sometimes, it can feel abrupt in how we log on and log off or disconnected if we spend a lot of time in front of a screen alone. Like in-person instruction, I find myself double-checking my wording and make sure I'm creating a comfortable classroom to reduce any unnecessary stress. 

Incorporating gratitude, I typically start every response to a student with a "thank you" (e.g., thank you for your post, thank you for your message) to show appreciation for students' effort. Are there any tips you've developed for integrating gratitude in the classroom?

Courtney Chicvak Thanks for your response and follow up question. I teach environmental sciences and some topics talk about environmental damage, food security, resource distribution, and others. During my lecture, I highlight how fortunate we are by living in a developed country and having the opportunity to study and learn about these important topics. I try to encourage students to be grateful of having so many privileges and to have the opportunity to really make a difference in our world. Due to stress, tight schedules, and responsibilities, sometimes is difficult to remember to appreciate all the good things that we have in our lives. 

Vivian Hobbins Absolutely! This past week, we've been getting ready for Thanksgiving, with twelve guests coming to our house this year. While it can be stressful at times, we are very fortunate to have the luxury of making multiple trips to the grocery store, placing orders online for last-minute items, and having family and friends get together. 

YouTube offers a variety of mindfulness exercises that can be used by teachers and students. This simple breathing exercise takes only three minutes and can guide the participant through a mindfulness exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEfs5TJZ6Nk

Additionally, YouTube features a variety of resources about developing our own personal gratitude. Here is a video summarizing tips to develop gratitude: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMd1CcGZYwU

When considering the topics of mindfulness and gratitude and how they connect to our roles as educators, another question to consider is: 

• How can we incorporate gratitude and mindfulness into the classroom to enhance student learning?

Thanks for creating this discussion thread Courtney.  It made me pause and reflect on how I am doing with this myself and within my classroom, both face to face and online.  

In my face to face classroom, I take the time to circulate around the classroom during group breakout time, I stop and talk to each group.  I follow up on life events that have been happening with each them.  I have never considered that being mindful, but rather just being a human being that cares, BUT it does help the mindfulness of my students to me and each other.  Luckily, I have a strong memory recall, so this works well for me.  I also keep a teapot and tea in my office and if a student stops by, there is an offer of tea and chat.   

In the online classroom, its more complex and requires more work, but most of the mindful attempts I offer are in CATs or announcements, seeking to offer students a different way to frame their mindset (usually for me how they think about statistics!)...and being aware to bias they might be bringing to the classroom.  Striving to get them to be mindful of what type of learner they are is something I try to do early, so they class is the biggest value added as possible.  

My final thought on mindfulness--COVID has made me more mindful myself. I more strategically choose what to be involved in and at what level involvement.  Sometimes more is just that, MORE (not better).  That sense of comfort and mental calm is the lovely outcome of that.  As we return to normal, stop and ponder what you really want to return....and what you don't. 

Here is a good pondering point: 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-the-pandemic-is-shaping-our-2021-resolutions-and-what-experts-want-you-to-keep-in-mind

Summer Zwanziger Elsinger "I also keep a teapot and tea in my office and if a student stops by, there is an offer of tea and chat. "

This is a great idea, Summer! As an online instructor, I also try to make opportunities to build a classroom that incorporates mindfulness and gratitude. Like what you mentioned, I like using announcements to communicate regularly with students and using CAT's. I use a CAT called "Self-Reflection Journal" that I typically post in Week Eight, asking students what's an essential takeaway they've had from the course and how they plan to apply it in their day-to-day lives. I'm always happy to see when students cite specific concepts covered earlier in the class and describe how they have already used or plan to apply a course concept.

Also, I enjoyed reading the article about New Year Resolutions (approximately 45 days away until 2022!) My teaching New Year Resolution would be to become more intentional with incorporating mindfulness and gratitude in the classroom. Do you have any New Year resolutions related to teaching?

As the discussion continues, there is a theme that much of our ability to integrate mindfulness and gratitude into the classroom relates to our interactions with students. An additional question to consider as part of this discussion is: 

• How does communication impact gratitude and mindfulness? 

In my experience, communication is an essential part of integrating mindfulness and gratitude into the classroom. Because I am an online instructor, I think communication is vital to fill in any gaps for students they might have in understanding. For students, because I teach conflict resolution, students are required to complete self-reflection journals as part of their coursework. The self-reflection journals encourage students to engage in mindfulness practice, e.g., reflect up emotions experienced within the past week. It is also informative for me as the instructor to learn about student experiences and what resonates for them most. 

Courtney, Thank you for facilitating this conversation! It is important to communicate our gratitude to others. Giving thanks can make you happier ("Giving Thanks", n.d.). I write thank you notes just to let people know I appreciate them.  In my classes, when I notice a student who is going above and beyond, I message them in the Private Forum (now Messages) and let them know that I notice their efforts and that I appreciate their contributions. My students love when I acknowledge them. Sometimes we get focused on helping those that "need" help. It feels good to send positive messages too. 

Georgette

Giving thanks can make you happier. (n.d.). https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

Hi Georgette, I love the idea of verbalizing gratitude with a "thank you" message to students! I agree with your point that as instructors, we may not always give as much praise to the students who are excelling in the course, and it's equally important to acknowledge and praise successes.

When students send me private messages thanking me for the course, it always puts a smile on my face. In this regard, it makes sense that studies have found that there are health benefits to showing gratitude towards others and receiving appreciation. 

In addition to the socio-emotional impact of happiness, studies have also found that gratitude can improve our physical health, including lower blood pressure scores and reduction of physical pain, and an overall longer life span (The Science of Gratitude, n.d.). As Thanksgiving approaches, do you plan on incorporating any specific Thanksgiving day gratitude in your classroom?

The science of gratitude. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMd1CcGZYwU. 

I bet we all just got the best surprise in our inbox! A student sent us thanks for being the best instructors at GCU - not even sure if she was my student - but warms the heart anyway. Have we all thanked someone today?

Lisa Durff Thanks for sharing this example, Lisa! I love the idea of thanking someone every day. In my teaching experience, many of our students make sacrifices in different areas of their lives to pursue their education. Nearly all introduce themselves on the Class Wall and describe how it has always been their dream to have a college degree. By thanking the students for all they do in the classroom, it can be encouraging and show mindfulness on the part of the instructor acknowledging students' efforts. 

As the discussion continues into the Thanksgiving holiday, one additional question to consider is: 

• Reflecting upon the past year, have you had any takeaways about mindfulness and gratitude? 

One aspect I've realized in the past year is that mindfulness and gratitude come from practice. Therefore, by setting my intentions before interactions and developing habits by setting goals for myself (e.g., journaling each day, saying thank you), I will gain the many benefits of mindfulness and gratitude. 

As we gather with friends and family on Thanksgiving Day today, wishing the GCU Faculty and Staff a joyful and blessed holiday. I'm grateful to be a part of the GCU Faculty, teaching and helping students learn, and having the opportunity to facilitate this month's discussion! What will you share today as something you are grateful for?