[bell rings]
[bell's tone resonates]
[bell's tone is sustained]
- Lori: Mindfulness is really
the awareness that comes from paying attention
in a certain way.
In this particular way of:
How do I pay attention using my senses?
How do I pay attention to others?
How do I pay attention
to these emotions that are happening
and to perhaps learn ways to self-regulate.
How does your body feel right now?
- Students: Happy!
- Does anybody feel sad right now?
- Students: No!
- The more a child is able to recognize
how a feeling feels inside his or her own body,
they're better able to recognize
what might be happening for someone else.
There's that sense of,
"Oh, I understand this,"
and maybe even that sense of,
"I can do something here.
I can maybe offer some care."
So, we actually teach them
how to offer this care
to themselves, to others, to their family,
to everyone in the world.
♪ ♪
[class sings "May You Be Happy" by Betsy Rose]
♪ May we be happy May we be peaceful ♪
- The Kindness Curriculum is a series of lessons
designed to support
young children ages four-to-six.
It's 24 lessons,
one lesson built on the other.
- Marci: The Kindness Curriculum has books.
It's movement, it's singing, it's games, it's role plays,
and so, it's fun.
So, the kids associate mindfulness
with coming to have a fun, engaging lesson.
- Lisa: Teachers might see students
being able to find ways to calm down at times
where, perhaps earlier,
they didn't have that skill.
Students are more patient,
are able to wait, take turns.
There is more of a sense of community in the classroom,
more of a connection.
Students better able to share with others,
help each other,
planting seeds of kindness throughout the day.
- The sooner we can integrate some capacities
for emotional awareness and emotional intelligence
to go along with academic demands in a school setting,
the better we're going to be able to support kids
to be ready for the content
that they're being asked to attend to
at whatever grade they're in,
whatever level they're at.
- I think the biggest benefit
is that it just becomes second-nature
so that when they are in a situation
where they're stressed or scared
or mad or sad,
they have these tools
that they've already practiced,
time and time and time again.
Kids at every age
want to do well, and they want to feel loved,
and they want to show kindness,
and so, when you can give them the words,
you can give them the experiences,
you can give them the safety.
Then it just becomes second nature for them
to express it for each other.
It's really, really beautiful.
♪ ♪