Mindfulness encompasses a variety of techniques that increase your awareness of the present moment. As an example, as I am typing this, I am also caught up in my thoughts about a conversation I had yesterday. Why didn't I respond differently? Does the other person think I'm weird now? Should I reach out and try to correct the situation or will that make it ever weirder? 

As humans, our thoughts and emotions often get caught up in past events or future possibilities. Mindfulness simply attempts to bring our awareness out of those places (where we have no control) back to the present moment, the only place where we can affect our reality.

Mindfulness is not a religion. It does contain some philosophical concepts and follows scientific principles.

• How mindfulness helps with the adolescent brain

  • Adolescent brain development has been well documented and indicates that adolescents often struggle with emotional stability. This is due to the maturation of the amygdala while the prefrontal cortex will not mature until around the age of 25.

    • The prefrontal cortex is the last area of the brain to mature in adolescents. This is the area where rational decisions are made. In short, adolescents feel huge emotions but have no way to reason through them or to make rational decisions about them. Adolescents benefit from learning skills that will help them to regulate, understand, and make better decisions in relation to the intense emotions that they feel.

    • Learning mindfulness practices allows adolescents to "slow things down". They can come back to the present moment where they can work with the emotions and activate the prefrontal cortex.

• The adolescent time period (ages 12-25) is a fantastic time to learn mindfulness. Due to the plasticity of the adolescent brain, adolescents are better able to learn mindfulness. They do so with greater results than adults.

• Several studies have documented the positive effects that mindfulness has on adolescents:

  • • Decreased depression, anxiety, and stress

    • Increased attentional control (focus)

• These benefits show up in the classroom in several ways:

  • • When adolescents have the tools to regulate their emotions, you will experience less disruptions and classroom behavior issues.

    • Increased focus during work periods

    • Students get along better and have stronger communication skills when they are in conflict.

• School curriculum that focuses on training adolescents in mindfulness techniques have a positive correlation with attentional tasks and high levels of enjoyment by the students.

Sources that support this information:

Armstrong, T. (2021). The power of the Adolescent Brain: Strategies for teaching Middle and high school students. ASCD.

Dumontheil, I., Lyons, K. E., Russell, T. A., & Zelazo, P. D. (2022). A preliminary neuroimaging investigation of the effects of mindfulness training on attention reorienting and amygdala reactivity to emotional faces in adolescent and adult females. Journal of Adolescence, 95(1), 181–189. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12107

Ma, Y., & Fang, S. (2019). Adolescents’ mindfulness and psychological distress: The mediating role of Emotion Regulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01358

Sanger, K. L., & Dorjee, D. (2016). Mindfulness training with adolescents enhances metacognition and the inhibition of irrelevant stimuli: Evidence from event-related brain potentials. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 5(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2016.01.001

Schussler, D. L., Oh, Y., Mahfouz, J., Levitan, J., Frank, J. L., Broderick, P. C., Mitra, J. L., Berrena, E., Kohler, K., & Greenberg, M. T. (2020). Stress and well-being: A systematic case study of adolescents’ experiences in a mindfulness-based program. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(2), 431–446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01864-5

Tang, D.-F., Mo, L.-Q., Zhou, X.-C., Shu, J.-H., Wu, L., Wang, D., & Dai, F. (2021). Effects of mindfulness-based intervention on adolescents emotional disorders. Medicine, 100(51). https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000028295

White, A. M., & Swartzwelder, S. (2013). What are they thinking?! the straight facts about the risk-taking, social-networking, still-developing Teen Brain. W.W. Norton.

While research findings about mindfulness and adolescents are becoming more well-known, schools often struggle with the practical realities of implementing effective programs. Pink Panties & Other Life Lessons is an easy-to-use and enjoyable curriculum that can be implemented directly in the classroom. Use the book and/or consult with Danielle to bring the benefits of mindfulness to your school. 

Mindfulness can be implemented in the classroom in several ways. There are two parts to teaching mindfulness: 1) teaching the concepts and 2) practicing the techniques.

To teach the concepts, I recommend dedicating one 20-minute session once a week to cover topics and/or have conversations about the topic. (If you can dedicate more time, that's great! I have been successful in the past with a once weekly 20 minute session. I see this as a minimum.)

There are a variety (so many!) techniques for practicing mindfulness. The trick is that not every student will enjoy every technique. I recommend spending one 20-minute session once a week to practice a technique together as a class. Students can provide their feedback and reflections afterwards. After several techniques have been practiced, students can start to implement choice during this time. They can choose any mindfulness technique that works for them. 

Eventually, mindfulness can be used in the spur of the moment in the classroom. When students are overwhelmed or if the energy of the class becomes too intense, the teacher or student could implement a 5-minute mindfulness break. 

The point is for students to understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, and that they have choice in their practice. Once they have this foundation, mindfulness will begin to happen spontaneously and it becomes part of the classroom culture.

Mindfulness and Montessori classrooms pair as well together as dark chocolate and caramel. Here is a look at how they reinforce each other:

• Choice

  • • Montessori classrooms thrive on the element of choice. Mindfulness does as well. When adolescents are caught up in their thoughts and emotions, they tend to feel as if they have no control over what is happening. Mindfulness teaches that we can use techniques to bring ourselves back into control (into the present moment) where we can make informed decisions. The technique you decide to use is up to you. You get to choose. 

• Character Development

  • • The reason I fell in love with Montessori education was because it incorporates character development. We are preparing students to be human beings (as opposed to simply more advanced students). This concept goes by many names, such as socio-emotional learning, personal development, or even the spiritual preparation of the child. 

    • The science of mindfulness shows that the brain structure changes that occur when mindfulness becomes a habit enhance the character development. Mindfulness increases the amount of grey matter in the brain, which enhances information processing. It helps adolescents to reflect, to feel calm, and to have meaningful discussions.

• Practical Life Skills

  • • Montessori students are taught practical life skills from the earliest age. Part of practical life for the adolescent includes how to interact with others, how to navigate challenging situations, and how to understand yourself and your place in the world. 

    • Mindfulness is a practical life skill because it helps you to regulate your thoughts/emotions. How amazing would it be if all adults could do this?!

    • Due to the plasticity of the adolescent brain, mindfulness is easier to learn at this age. In addition, the habits incorporated during adolescence tend to stick with us through life.

• Classroom Management

  • • As a teacher or administrator, one huge connection between mindfulness and the classroom involves behavior issues. Because mindfulness provides hands-on techniques for working with big thoughts and emotions, one side effect you will notice is a decrease in behavior issues. It provides a common language for students and teachers to use when issues arise as well as those specific techniques that can be used to shift students from hot cognition to cold cognition where rational decisions can be made. Montessori education focuses on consequences instead of punishment. Mindfulness techniques are a peaceful way to work through situations.