hese were different breaks than those I took to watch television, take a nap or fold laundry; none of those acts felt like a continuation of the writing process the way that yoga d
I get this. I always tell myself I'm going to take a break to do something relaxing that I enjoy but often find it so hard to refocus after these breaks.
destabilizing their complete authori-ty in the classroom.
Like they said in our ISU ed classes on occasion, be the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage... Although, we are asked to be more than guides but rather participants here. That is a tough step to take because giving up authority makes us vulnerable.
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The silence component reminds me of a time I remember from high school. When we were in the middle of reading Thoreau, we took a trip out to our local state park to simply sit...think...write... We had no phones and no distraction. We weren't allowed to sit by anyone or have conversation. It was so therapeutic...simply watching the water roll and the trees blow in the breeze.
I am not alone, then, in my interest to explore what contemplative pedagogies might add to our classrooms.
I think there are many educators who would be interested in exploring this idea, but I also think that many educators would refrain from exploring due to admin disapproval.
Mindfulness is the practice of slowing down and paying close attention to the present moment.
Sometimes I forget to be mindful.. I'm always on the go and always in a hurry. I need to take more time to slow down.
; at this moment, I am with my students in ways traditional class structures often make impossible.
These genuine moments are so powerful yet so rare. We have too rigid of expectations to do this type of stuff frequently.
I began to notice just how much weariness they wore on their faces and the exhaustion with which they seemed to carry their bodies
I have also heard this chatter in my classroom, yet ignored it because we had stuff to get done. I struggle not giving them the "Well I'm tired too. I have a lot on my plate too."speech. Most of the time I ignore it and move on. Sometimes I'll ask why, but I know it isn't going to change my plans so I quickly move on.
ne by one, they look to me for reassurance,
I can relate to this... Often when we are doing a socratic seminar in class, my students try to look to me for reassurance instead of trusting in their responses and engaging with their classmates. They get better with more experience, but at first, it's a little rocky.