The school’s physical environment should be congruent with the school’s approach to mindfulness and offer students appropriate facilities to practice mindfulness.
A dedicated space to take time away from class activities.
Create a space in the classroom that young people can utilise if they're in need of a break.
Set-up a space that is comfortable, calming and has some activities students can take part it to help them calm and re-focus. The space might include different mindfulness props to help young people calm. This might include cushions, colouring materials or mindfulness props.
Collective garden space
Space young people can go when needing time away from class or for a dedicated activity during class.
School can develop a community garden space that young people can interact with if needing time out. The space can be used to teach students about developing and caring for a garden and can be tended to by young people that need to 'cool off' before discussing behaviour issues.
http://www.natureplaywa.org.au/for-schools
http://www.natureplaywa.org.au/natural-play-spaces-make-kids-more-active-and-less-depressed
Zen garden.
An outdoor space that encourages calm and interaction with nature.
School can develop a garden space that can be used for discussing issues or working out plans with young people.
http://www.natureplaywa.org.au/for-schools
http://www.natureplaywa.org.au/natural-play-spaces-make-kids-more-active-and-less-depressed
School's Counsellor or Chaplain
Providing a room that is centrally located and welcoming to students enables the school's counsellor or chaplain to utilise mindfulness techniques with students or groups of students
By providing a dedicated, centrally located space to the school's counsellor or chaplain signals the school's commitment to mindfulness and enables the counsellor or chaplain to implement mindfulness with students in a calm and developmentally appropriate space
Allocate a central, quiet space to the school's counsellor or chaplain and provide funding for resources and activities to be used to encourage mindfulness or meditation practices with individual or small groups of students.
Posters or visual queues to remind students of different mindfulness techniques.
Place different mindfulness posters or visual queues around the school that can be referenced during the day.
Poster resources:
Dedicated room for meditation.
Room set-up to easily administer meditations that includes music, comfortable places to sit and meditation props (chimes, glitter jars, posters).
Teachers might use this room for a dedicated meditation time before exams or it can be used for young people who need to calm before dealing with behaviour issues.
In class or music over PA system.
Schools might decide to play relaxing music over the pa system during breaks or while students move between classes. Teachers also might play music during the lesson to help young people concentrate.
Selection of free music: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?feels%5B%5D=Calming
These magical glitter jars are the perfect sensory toy for children and grown ups alike. Designed to soothe and relax, the swirling patterns created by glitter, water and food colouring are ideal for calming down a stressed out child (or adult, for that matter) - leading to their alternative name, 'calm down jars'
Calm Down Bottles can serve as a visual “anchor” for upset children to bring their focus into one place or can be used to help young people calm down.
Mindful Glitter Jar Instructions - http://www.preschoolinspirations.com/6-ways-to-make-a-calm-down-jar/