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EDUCATION IS
ALL IN THE MIND |
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The 5th graders in Ms. Baker's class at Grant Elementary,
deep in the heart of Richmond, were listening intently to Mr. T, who was
teaching them about mindfulness.
I was there to observe, thanks to the invitation from JG
Larochette, the Founder and Executive Director of Mindful Life Project, a
non-profit organization that teaches children in underserved schools the
skills and tools that lead to improved self-awareness, impulse control,
confidence and resiliency.
It's a subject that is dear to my heart, because I've
witnessed the chaos in classrooms that is such a detriment to learning,
and such a nightmare for those wonderful people we know as teachers.
12 years ago, when my oldest daughter was 25, she got her
teaching credential. She had a chance for a position at a school in a
wealthy Marin County community, but she decided she wanted to teach
inner-city children who were less privileged. She got an interview with
the East Palo Alto School District and they hired her on the spot to teach
a 5th grade class.
That might have been a clue.
I couldn't believe the stories my daughter would tell me
during the first few weeks of school. The kids couldn't be that difficult.
All they needed was more discipline than an inexperienced 25 year old
could offer.
Naturally, I was the guy to right the course. When she told
me that budget cuts had eliminated the P.E. teacher for her fifth-grade
class, I offered to help her out by occasionally coming to the school and
teaching the children some much needed discipline. Not only would I show
them how to play basketball, but I'd teach them respect, honor, duty and
commitment while I was at it.
What a disaster. I spent my entire hour as a P.E. teacher
failing miserably as I tried to get their attention. I'd get three words
in before I had to stop and order one kid or another to be quiet. And it
never stopped. I would stand over one group of kids and look as imposing
as possible, and another group would start yapping. I'd turn to them and a
third group would begin.
It was chaos, and I quickly and sadly realized there was
nothing I could do. And the saddest part was there were some kids who
wanted to listen and learn, but they were at the mercy of the disruptive
ones.
Meanwhile, my daughter sat on a bench a few yards away,
watching me suffer. She was clearly having the most fun she would have all
day.
After an exhausting hour teaching nothing to nobody, I
sheepishly climbed into my car and exited. My respect for the teaching
profession, while always healthy, had grown enormously. And my respect for
teachers who work in difficult areas such as East Palo Alto or Richmond
was off the charts.
That's why I was so interested in what Larochette and the
Mindful Life Project was doing. They are serving 14 Richmond schools, with
every class receiving a 25 minute presentation each week, reminding
students to practice mindfulness, to be aware of the present. It's the
next generation of exercise.
There is also a "Rise-Up" program, where Larochette
and his instructors take students who have been referred by principals
and/or teachers for special attention. Groups of eight are formed,
including some high achieving students to serve as role models, and they
meet for 45 minutes each week.
Does it work? Yes, it does, and in spectacular fashion. At
Grant Elementary, the school where I witnessed the program, there were 154
suspensions in 2015, before the Mindful Life Project began. In 2016, the
first year of mindfulness training, the number dropped to 40. In 2017, it
was 16. Similar numbers have been experienced at the other schools in the
program.
Mindfulness is not a new concept. It's been around forever,
profiled on 60 Minutes and practiced by huge corporations, including
Google. But nowhere can it be more productive and enlightening than in all
of our schools, especially our inner-city ones.
I wish my daughter had access to the concept. 81% of the
teachers in Richmond are incorporating mindfulness into their daily
routine, and the results speak for themselves.
A good week for my daughter was one where she didn't break
down crying. Miraculously, to my disbelief and everlasting pride, she
signed up for a second year in East Palo Alto. But the stress eventually
did her in, and she moved on, completely burnt out.
She could have used a Mindful Life Project. All teachers and
all schools could. It makes so much sense. |
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