Robert W. Coleman Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland decided to change the strategy for dealing with unruly children that we have all been used to for centuries with a rather unexpected one.

Namely, instead of detention or suspension, children in this school are asked to sit on the floor and meditate to calm down, and technique which was found to be highly successful.

‘Mindful Moment Room’ is the place where children are sent to meditate in silence, and it was created in partnership with local charity the Holistic Life Foundation.

According to Kirk Philips, the school’s Holistic Me coordinator, children found the room a great place to meditate, and at their Christmas party, they meditated before they were given presents.

Numerous other schools are considering such kind of holistic thinking since it produces incredible results. For example, the Mindfulness in Schools Project in the UK teaches adults how to set up programs.

According to its official website, a more mindful awareness helps students to recognize worry, manage difficulties and cope with exams,  trains them to understand and direct their attention with greater awareness and skill, boosts their capacity to concentrate and avoid distractions, and improve their working memory.

Additionally, mindfulness helps to develop a greater awareness of relationships and the possible ways to manage them, boosts optimism and self- esteem, and offers a richer understanding of things.

When it comes to children’s behavior, mindfulness helps them to self-regulate, control impulsivity and reduce conflict and oppositional behavior.

The benefits of these strategies are numerous, and according to Philips, there have been exactly zero suspensions since the introduction of the program in their school. Additionally, suspension rates decreased and attendance increased as a result of the mindfulness program implemented in the nearby Patterson Park High School as well.

Source: educateinspirechange.org