Throughout history, human beings have inherently been social animals.  Our social and emotional well-being are naturally nurtured through making and maintaining human connections.  Unsurprisingly therefore, students’ learning automatically benefits when they feel a human connection with the key people around them – family, peers and of course, teachers.  As I often find myself saying to parents, if students are unhappy (and this is usually to do with a lack of quality human connections), then their learning is stifled.

One need not look far for established research into the importance of human connection for successful teaching and learning.  Work from the child psychologist, Led Vygotsky, in the 1920s and 1930s for example, was firmly rooted in social constructivism, which stresses the significance of both culture and social environment in the way in which we relate to the world around us; it is the systems and processes we employ to build knowledge from our understanding (MacBlain, 2014).  In other words, learning takes place through relationships with others, supported by conversation and language.

Importantly, this means that if a student does not admire or respect the teacher, s/he is far less likely to lean into difficult tasks, be enamoured with the subject or respond well to critical feedback – all natural outcomes from successful teaching.  The rousing TED Talk by educator Rita Pierson (2013), for instance, makes clear this value of human connection for students.  As Rita Pierson eloquently puts it, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like”.

Successful teaching requires the ability to connect with and facilitate connections between other human beings.  It is also necessary for teachers and school leaders to build and foster congenial relationships across the school community, with colleagues and parents.  In this way, ideas are shared, support networks are formed and a spirit of camaraderie becomes the norm – all of which benefits teaching and learning.

A related idea to growth mindset and human connection is that of mindfulness.  By its nature, mindfulness practice can help to break the pattern of habitual, self-limiting, and ‘fixed’ mindsets about ourselves and our students.  I do certainly believe that mindfulness can serve as a very effective tool both for helping us to take control of our own inner voice (and consequently, mindset) while also, in the process, helping us to master our emotions .  In the bigger picture therefore, mindfulness practices such as relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and other methods, can help to foster human connection.

In fact, for quite some time now, there have been a vast array of mindfulness interventions and initiatives around the world in education.  Some notable examples include the ‘Mindfulness in Schools Project’, ‘Mindful Schools’, ‘MindUP’ and ‘Smiling Mind’.  At the time of writing, mindfulness has also been introduced as an official subject in several hundred schools in England in an effort to teach children about the importance of looking after their mental health.

These moves reflect recognition of the fact that mindfulness practice can be an important part of successful teaching as well as the overall health of students.  Recent scientific advances, for instance, allow us to see that the parts of the brain associated with such positive emotions as happiness, empathy and compassion actually become stronger and more active as people engage in mindfulness practice (Williams et al., 2001).  Studies also show that mindfulness helps us with the regulation of emotion, attention, thought and behaviour (Jennings & Siegel, 2015).

However, I am aware that there exists some confusion and misconceptions related to mindfulness, which I would like to clear up.  Often, for example, mindfulness can be confused with meditation.  While there is certainly overlap between the two terms, there are some important differences, which should be clarified.

According to the authors of ‘Mindfulness – a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world’, Mark Williams and Danny Penman state that,

‘Mindfulness is about observation without criticism; being compassionate with yourself… In essence, mindfulness allows you to catch negative thought patterns before they tip you into a downward spiral.  It begins the process of putting you back in control of your life.’ (Williams & Penman, 2011, pp. 5)

In other words, mindfulness is both the state itself of mastering emotions and it is the tool to achieve this mastery.  As a form of meditation, mindfulness is about focusing on being in the present, such as focusing completely on eating soup, taking in its scent, warmth, and taste and letting go of unwanted emotions from your mind in the process.  In this way, you are monitoring, in real time, your experience, and doing so in a nonjudgmental way.

My personal journey and understanding of mindfulness began back in 2009, when I went to northern India to do a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat.  Up until that point, I had, like most people, become accustomed to distraction.  For the first time ever though, all that distraction was quite literally taken away – no mobile phone, no one to talk to, no reading material – literally nothing to do except attend scheduled meal and meditation times.  The experience was an arduous one; even by the end of the 10-days, I never really felt that I had been able to meditate successfully.  Instead, I would just close my eyes, try to concentrate on my breath and then be bombarded with thoughts darting back and forth – thoughts about the past and thoughts about the future.  I could not escape them.  When those 10-days were finally up, I felt it had all been a waste of time and I had achieved nothing more than a disdain for meditation.

Since then, however, I have gained a new understanding of this experience.  For a start, the experience taught me just how powerful and repetitive our thoughts can be.  Most of us, most of the time are operating unconsciously on autopilot; our minds are dragged around from one thought to the next like wild horses.  As Williams and Pennman (2011, p. 9) explain, when we feel even a little unhappy (which is perfectly normal), our thoughts rush in, trawling through memories to find those that echo our emotional state.  This can draw us into an emotional quicksand because our state of mind is intimately connected with memory.  One thought or feeling triggers the next, and then the next.  Before long, the original thought – no matter how fleeting – has gathered up a raft of similar thoughts and you have become immersed in a particular feeling.  This was certainly the experience that I felt in India.

Some years later, in 2012, I discovered – without realising it at the time – mindfulness meditation.  I had embarked on The Camino de Santiago, a long pilgrim route stretching across Europe to the town of Santiago in Spain.  Over the space of just a couple of weeks, I walked almost 200-miles – more than I had ever walked in such a short amount of time before.  Unaccustomed to such long walks, my feet quickly became covered with blisters and upon my arrival at Santiago, I had tendonitis in both ankles.  I did, however, love the experience.  During those log walks, I would get into a rhythm and become acutely aware of my surroundings – including the sights, sounds and smells of the experience. In other words, I was experiencing the very essence of mindfulness meditation.

The state that I had unsuccessfully been trying to reach through Vipassana meditation was a state of mindfulness.  While mindfulness is involved in most forms of meditation, mindfulness is itself a form of meditation, which simply requires you to remain aware and present in the moment.  Rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, mindfulness encourages awareness of your present surroundings – as I experienced on The Camino de Santiago.  In a state of mindfulness, we are no longer operating on autopilot and instead have a space of mind that gives us the ability to pause before reacting mindlessly.  The beauty of mindfulness, however, is that it is something we can practice almost anywhere – including in the classroom.

If a teacher is not mindful of what they are doing, the classroom environment can be a setup for stress-related health problems:

‘Under pressure, some students become disruptive, distracted, and even defiant, and teachers may become anxious, frustrated, embarrassed, and hopeless.  From this perspective, it’s easy to see why teachers are burning out and students aren’t learning.  The stress response is derailing our teaching and students’ learning.     

The idea of applying a mindfulness-based approach to supporting teachers’ well-being make perfect sense.  Furthermore, if we could give teachers the skills to better manage these social and emotional demands, the classroom climate would improve and so would student behavior and learning.’ (Jennings and Siegel, 2015, xix)

Mindfulness has not only been shown to benefit social relationships (Karremans et al. 2017), but it can also be practised specifically in the context of social relationships (Kok and Singer, 2017).  Being mindful while interacting facilitates effective communication (Burgoon et al. 2000).  Specifically, this is known as interpersonal mindfulness.  According to Jennings and Siegel (2015, pp. 6-7), interpersonal mindfulness involves the development and practice of the following behaviours:

• Listening with full attention to others
• Present-centred awareness of emotions experienced by oneself and others during interactions
• Openness to, acceptance of, and receptivity to others’ thoughts and feelings
• Self-regulation: low emotional and behavioural reactivity and low automaticity in reaction to the everyday behaviours of others
• Compassion for oneself and others

It is not difficult to see how such qualities can be invaluable to the school-context, when dealing with students, parents and colleagues.  When we encounter a disruptive child, an enraged parent or an obnoxious colleague for example, we can sense and observe our own emotional states without becoming reactive or impulsively acting on them.  In this way, we achieve a state of equanimity and are in a much better position to teach successfully, as our ability to handle difficult situations improve.  For further information and practical exercises to develop your mindfulness practice, I highly recommend ‘Mindfulness for Teachers’ by internationally recognised leader in the field, Patricia Jennings.

References

Burgoon, J. K., Berger, C. R. & Waldron, V. R. 2000. Mindfulness & interpersonal communication. Journal of Social Issues. 56(1), 105-127.

Jennings, P & Siegel. 2015. Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom. 1^st Edition. W. W. Norton & Company.

Karremans, J.C., Shellekens, M.P., & Kappen, G. 2017. Bridging the sciences of mindfulness and romantic relationships: a theoretical model and research agenda. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 21(1), 29-49.

Kok, B. E. & Singer, T. 2017. Effects of contemplative dyads on engagements and perceived social connectedness over 9 months of mental training: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(2), 126-134.

MacBlain, S. 2014. How Children Learn. London: Sage.

Williams KA, Kolar MM, Reger BE, Pearson JC. 2001. Evaluation of a wellness-based mindfulness stress reduction intervention: A controlled trial. American Journal of Health Promotion.  15: 422–432.

Williams, M & Penman, D. 2011. Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World. Piatkus.

Mindset refers to the assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves and others, which determine our commitment to any given task.  Dr Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence.  Learners with a fixed mindset believe that there is a limit on how much they can learn and, therefore develop intellectually.  Those with a growth mindset on the other hand, believe they can get smarter, and they understand their talents and abilities can be developed through effort and persistence.

Although individuals may not necessarily be aware of their own mindset, it can still be discerned based on their behaviour.  The mindset of an individual becomes particularly evident in the face of setbacks or failures.  A student with a fixed-mindset dreads failure because it is a negative statement on his or her basic abilities, whereas growth-mindset individuals do not mind failure so much, since they realise their performance and learning can be improved from failure.

As educators, we must do all that we can to cultivate our own growth mindset first.  This means we should be lifelong learners, keen to develop our skills, and acquire new ones.  After all, we are role models for the students that we teach, and to have a growth mindset also shows our students that we believe they can be successful too.  Equipped with a growth mindset, educators will adapt the teaching style and instructional material, to ensure all students can learn.

Recent advances in neuroscience have shown than the brain is much more malleable than previously thought.  Research on brain plasticity shows how the connectivity between neurons change with experience.  With sustained practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and builds insulation that speeds the transmission of impulses.  Teaching learners about their brain plasticity then, helps to shift mindsets from fixed to growth, which then leads to increased motivation and achievement.

In addition to teaching about brain plasticity, the type of feedback that teachers give their students can have a huge impact on their mindset.  For example, studies presented by Carol Dweck have shown that telling children they are intelligent encourages a fixed mindset, whereas praising effort cultivates a growth mindset.  When students have a growth mindset, they are more likely to take on new challenges and learn from setbacks, which therefore increases their abilities and achievement.

To put all this theory into practice, we gave our teachers and students these activities below to complete in the makerspace.  Even if your school does not have a makerspace, depending on the resources you have available, these activities can be adapted to take place in a standard classroom.  The most important thing is for the activities to give students the opportunity to learn something new whilst being challenging and fun!  By tackling and overcoming these learning challenges, the idea is for students to develop their growth mindset.

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Shaping school culture begins with effective leadership, which then permeates and fosters positive change throughout the school.  This is because effective leadership influences everyone who works for a school, and everyone of these staff members is either directly or indirectly responsible for students’ learning. For a school leadership and culture to be successful therefore, it needs everyone on board, facilitating educational experiences that cater for students’ interests, innate desire for creativity, and a need for play.  Teaching staff, administration and support personnel must work collaboratively in order to create a learning experience that will bring significant value to students.

I’ve been reading Eric Sheninger’s book, Uncommon Learning, which has given me some great ideas on the topic of school culture, the role that leadership can play and where technology fits in.  According to Sheninger, there are several key ingredients to effective leadership that promote a positive school culture:

1.  Clear vision and communication – According to Leithwood & Riehl (What we know about successful school leadership, 2003), effective leaders help their schools develop or endorse visions that embody the best thinking about teaching and learning while inspiring others to reach for ambitious goals.  In the digital world, leaders can use a variety of communication channels to reach all possible stakeholders.  In addition to memos, meetings, newsletters, and email, messages can be amplified using social media tools such as Google Classroom, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

2.  Allowing for autonomy and ownership – Unprecedented learning opportunities can take place when school leadership gives up some control, allowing learners (teachers included!) to explore their own passions and interests, enabling them to take ownership of their learning, while helping the community to develop growth mindsets.   According to Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck (2007), learners with growth mindsets have been found to be more motivated to learn and exert effort and outperform those with fixed mindsets.  An excellent example of autonomy and ownership in classroom practice is Genius Hour. Genius Hour is most often associated with Google, where employees were able to spend up to 20 per cent of their time working on projects they were passionate about.  Motivated by curiosity and passion, the big idea for Google was that employees would be happier, more creative, and more productive, which benefitted the company in terms of morale and overall performance.  This concept can be transferred to the school system by allowing teachers and students time to explore their own curiosity, and then integrating this time into opportunities for meaningful teaching and learning.

3.  Collaboration – Empowering teachers to work and collaborate toward a common goal makes them aware of their responsibilities and the important role each one of them plays in the work (Hughes & Pickeral, 2013).  Again, this requires allocating time specifically for this purpose.  Well planned collaborative workshops can be a great way for teachers to share ideas about professional practice.

4.  Modelling – Initiating sustainable change requires educators to model the same expectations that they have of others.  This is true of teachers and leaders alike.  Setting a direction and helping people implement a change are imperative for the successful implementation of any initiative.  Eric Sheninger (2016) makes a very valuable point in his book ‘Uncommon Learning’, that we should move away from telling people what to do , and instead take them where they need to be.  Accoording to Sheninger, ‘if you want change, model it.  Modelling the way is one of the best things a leader can do to move others down a different path to initiate and sustain change.’

5.  Promote Risk Taking – The right culture encourages teachers to try new strategies and activities in the classroom.  In such an environment, teachers feel they have the autonomy and support to be as innovative as they want.  The same is true for students.  As Branden (1994) states in ‘The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem’, students who feel empowered are more confident and exhibit more self-esteem.  Confidence can increase a person’s ability to think and cope with basic challenges.  Self-esteem can increase feeling worthy and the ability to assert one’s needs and wants.

6.  Support – Time, professional learning, infrastructure, and resources are all areas of support that help to create a positive school culture.  Teachers need time for example, to innovate, try new things, and learn.  In particular, schools need to consider ways to free up teachers from meaningless meetings and instead use that time for professional development.  My own experience of this is through the delivery of workshops, which I always strive to make as fun and engaging as possible.  After all, what we feel we remember, which is why attaching emotion to learning is so impactful!  As professional development time with teachers can be short (usually, a training workshop lasts just one hour), I believe there are three key elements to making workshops for teachers successful:

– the core idea must be presented as simply as possible

– the training must allow for creative expression

– at least one new skill must have been acquired by the end of the session

In other words, fun & engaging PD workshop = easy to grasp + allows for creative expression + provides new skill(s)

Concluding thoughts…

Shared vision, effective communication, autonomy, collaboration, modelling, risk taking and support all contribute to a transformational school culture, which leads to greater levels of teacher satisfaction and student achievement.