Open Educational Resources

Document Type

Activity or Lab

Publication Date

Summer 8-1-2024

Abstract

The Effortless Mindfulness in the Classroom Toolkit is an open educational resource designed to create happier classrooms, boost student engagement, and foster a sense of community through brief, effective mindfulness exercises. This comprehensive toolkit provides educators with everything they need to seamlessly integrate mindfulness practices into their teaching routines, regardless of prior experience. The toolkit includes introductory slides, 15 ready-to-use meditation scripts, and accompanying audio recordings, covering a variety of mindfulness techniques such as focused breathing, body scans, and loving-kindness meditations. Each meditation is paired with a reflective prompt to deepen student engagement and reinforce the benefits of mindfulness. Additionally, an LLM (Large Language Model) meditation script prompt is included, allowing instructors to generate customized scripts as needed.

Research supports the numerous advantages of mindfulness in educational settings, including improved attention and focus, reduced anxiety, enhanced compassion and inclusion, and better knowledge retention. These benefits accrue to both the instructor and students. The instructor can begin each class with a 3-minute meditation, either reading a script or playing an audio file, followed by a reflection. The toolkit addresses common concerns, offering time-efficient practices that fit easily into existing class schedules, require no prior mindfulness experience, and are designed to be secular and optional for students. By incorporating these practices, educators can create a more compassionate, relaxed, and effective learning environment, supporting both student well-being and academic success.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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