Increasing levels of behavioral and disciplinary issues in schools have left teachers wondering what they can do to combat such issues. The Primary Sources: America’s Teachers on the Teaching Profession report found that, “Behavior issues that interfere with teaching and learning have notably worsened, according to an astonishing 62 percent of teachers who have been teaching in the same school for five or more years.” The question posed, “Should mindfulness meditation be required in all K-12 Classrooms?,” presents an interesting solution to such problems. I believe that the introduction of mindfulness meditation practices into k-12 classrooms would have a multitude of positive results; including increased attention/reduction in ADHD symptoms, reduced levels of anxiety, and increased attendance rates. However, these are the results found to occur when mindfulness meditation is properly administered and practiced by willing participants. While these symptoms and the obvious positive effects they could have in classrooms are undeniable, I do not believe mindfulness meditation should be required in k-12 classrooms. I base this opinion on peer reviewed sources, personal experience, and the accounts of friends, all of which have led me to believe that meditation is useless in a classroom if not fully supported by teachers and adopted by students.
A close friend of mine, a rising Elon University Junior, attended The Nueva School in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, a k-12 private school that focused on the importance of ‘Social-Emotional Learning’ by providing students with a ‘constructivist education’. From ages 4 to 13, my friend took part in both social emotional learning classes and group activities that focused on mindfulness and meditation. He described his own experiences saying,
“Kids came back from recess very energized. We couldn’t focus because we overstimulated by everything so our teachers lead us through some breathing exercises to bring us back to a place where we could be focused and more functional students. At the time we weren’t very cooperative: it was like trying to get a bunch of cats to sit and stay. It just doesn’t work. We thought it was ridiculous. But, in retrospect, it was an amazing thing to have. Classes were quieter and more focused. I think that there is a time and a place for it, and that teachers need to be aware of how to properly instruct mindfulness. If it is not taught correctly or at the proper time, it is useless.”
My friend’s account leads me to conclude that the practice of mindfulness meditation is beneficial to students, but also to ask: would students comply? For this question I have no answer. Research on the topic is limited, and the only way to research it is to first implement meditation practices in the classroom. However, the cooperation of students remains a fundamental concern of mine. This concern also links back to my personal experiences with meditation in school.
My junior year of high school I took an AP Psychology class. Our professor regularly explained her beliefs and experiences with meditation and would invite us, once a month, to practice with her at the start or end of the class period. She had been a subscriber to Oprah & Deepak’s 21-Day Meditation Experience, a series of pre-recorded, guided meditations, for several years and utilized these for class practices. Many students embraced the opportunity to learn and practice meditation in school. However, I often heard the laughs and ‘guess it’s nap time’ comments of my more skeptical classmates. The time engaged students spent participating seemed to leave a calming effect, but what about the students who weren’t engaged? Do the benefits gained by compliant students warrant the possible disengagement or alienation of others? Could class time have been better spent focusing on curriculum? But maybe these less willing students are the ones we should be trying to reach out to the most.
A study conducted to investigate the methods and causes of bullying, concluded with a concept of what schools need to do to prevent such future bullies; “The schools have to help the children fulfil their needs of positive identities, social acceptance and belongingness based on constructive, inclusive and caring social interactions.” How can we achieve this? Mindfulness meditation may be the answer. Found to increase competence, improve social cognitive abilities, increase self awareness, and further develop information processing skills, mindfulness meditation may provide disengaged students, such as bullies, with the social skills and self awareness they need to stop combative interactions.
While the symptoms of mindfulness meditation may benefit disengaged students and reduce school bullies’ desires to victimize other children, I find it hard to believe that we can force children to meditate effectively enough to reap the associated benefits. I believe that while students should be encouraged to embrace opportunities for meditation, implementation would be most effective in schools if practices are made optional.