Workshops for School Staff
Workshop Topics
Workshop 1: An Introduction to Mindfulness and its relevancy to Social and Emotional Literacy (SEL)
Workshop 1 is a pre-requisite for other workshops. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Have an understanding of mindfulness and its application in their lives and in schools.
- Understand the differences and similarities between mindfulness and SEL.
- Be aware of why mindfulness is critical for developing self-awareness, emotional regulation, impulse control, responsible decision-making and the ability to be kind.
- Understand how mindfulness can be used as a vehicle for trauma sensitivity.
Workshop 2: Understanding the “stress response” and how Mindfulness can decrease it
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:
- Describe the autonomic nervous system.
- Explain how the brain reacts to the body’s stress response.
- Identify how the brain is affected by stress.
- Understand which parts of the brain regulate the stress response.
- Be able to explain which parts of the brain are positively affected by mindfulness.
- Comprehend that using mindfulness techniques is a trauma-informed practice.
- Demonstrate a minimum of three mindfulness-based techniques that regulate the nervous system.
Workshop 3: How Mindfulness enables us to Self-Regulate when Faced with Strong Emotions
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:
- Identify the components of an emotion.
- Recognize how sensations can act as a radar/signal for strong emotion.
- Distinguish between automatic reactions to emotions versus mindful responses to emotions.
- Demonstrate three mindfulness-based techniques to recognize body sensations and calm strong emotions.
Workshop 4: Being Mindful in School and Classroom Relationships
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:
- Describe how the brain is a social organ and why safe relationships are critical to learning, self-regulation and impulse control.
- Connect mindfulness, attachment theory, and trauma-informed care to the social and emotional well-being of students.
- Identify ways that mindfulness strategies can establish connections in the classroom that foster safety and learning.
- Demonstrate three mindfulness techniques to establish safe and trusting relationships in the classroom.
- Demonstrate a mindfulness strategy that could be employed in an interaction with a peer or other school staff.
Workshop 5: How Mindfulness Nurtures Resiliency
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be able to:
- Understand how mindfulness techniques can rewire the human brain for positivity.
- Create practical classroom protocols to emphasize strengths-based classroom management techniques.
- Identify strategies for self-care and self-compassion.
- Demonstrate three mindfulness techniques to build positive neuroplasticity in the brain.
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