Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms pdfdrive com

Strike a balance: While I appreciate the quietness I’ve observed in many
Finnish classrooms, where I’ve seen a lot of independent work, there’s also a
definite need for all students to discuss ideas and collaborate on a regular basis,
too. One way of striking a balance is to offer opportunities for both. For
example, students can work quietly at their desks while those students who need
to discuss an idea, get feedback, or collaborate on something else can visit a
designated spot in the classroom, where they won’t disturb the peace.
• • •
TODAY, ONE OF THE HOTTEST TRENDS IN CLASSROOMS around the
world is practicing something called “mindfulness.” When I first heard about
this practice, I admit that I was skeptical. (Honestly, I thought it sounded pretty
hokey.) But as I’ve read more and more about the benefits of this approach (and
the relatively small investment of classroom time), it seems like a practice worth
implementing in any classroom. Not only do mindfulness exercises help kids to
remain attentive, according to researcher Amanda Moreno, but also students
recover more quickly if they become unsettled and have an easier time
transitioning throughout the school day (Deruy, 2016). One study, in an
elementary school setting, found that children who received a mindfulness-based
program not only bettered their “stress physiology” and “cognitive control,” but

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they also:
(b) reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control,
optimism, school self-concept, and mindfulness, (c) showed greater
decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated
aggression, (d) were rated by peers as more prosocial, and (e) increased
in peer acceptance (or sociometric popularity). (Schonert-Reichl et al.,
2015, p. 52)
During the 1970s, the biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn introduced the term
mindfulness and he “defines it,” wrote Lauren Cassani Davis (2015) for The
Atlantic, “as a state of mind: the act of ‘paying attention on purpose’ to the
present moment, with a ‘non-judgmental’ attitude. But mindfulness is really a
secular philosophy and set of techniques adapted from thousands-of-years-old
Buddhist meditation traditions . . .”
In the classroom setting, mindfulness exercises can vary, but they typically
last just a few minutes, or even seconds. In New York City, one high school
teacher, Argos Gonzalez, schedules five-minute mindfulness breaks in his
English lessons, where students might conjure up mental images of their
emotions or pay attention to inhaling and exhaling (Davis, 2015). In Patricia
Jennings’s 2015 book Mindfulness for Teachers, she suggests several simple
exercises (appropriate for all students) that are “intended to promote self-
awareness; foster cognitive, emotional, and behavioral self-regulation; and
reduce stress” (p. 176).
• • •
ACCORDING TO JENNINGS, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON mindfulness-
based practices is “mindful listening,” and the only thing that’s needed is a bell
or a chime. This exercise seems especially useful when implemented during
transitions, such as returning to the classroom after lunch or just before
dismissal. Jennings recommends that teachers employ these words as they teach
the routine of mindful listening:
“We’re going to do a listening activity that will help our minds relax and
become more focused. First, let’s all sit up nice and tall in our seats with
our hands folded in our laps (or on the desk). In a few minutes, I’m going
to ring this chime, and we’re going to listen to the sound until it
disappears. I find that I can focus my attention on my hearing best when I
close my eyes. You can try that, but if you aren’t comfortable closing

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close my eyes. You can try that, but if you aren’t comfortable closing
your eyes, you can lower your gaze to your hands.” (p. 177)
Once all of the students appear ready, the teacher can ring the bell, and when the
ringing stops, the teacher can begin the lesson (Jennings, 2015).
Another effective mindfulness-based activity Jennings recommends to help
students transition is called “mindful walking.” When introducing this exercise,
it’s best if students have plenty of space to move around, such as the gym or the
playground. Jennings advises teachers to introduce this activity in the following
way:
“Today we’re going to practice paying attention to how we walk. I will
show you how.” Demonstrate walking slowly and describe how your
weight shifts from the heel to the ball and then to the toe of your foot.
“Pay attention to the feeling of the weight of your body on the soles of
your feet.” Have the students all face the same way and begin slowly
walking in a circle. After a few minutes, stop and ask them how that
feels. They may notice that it’s not so easy to walk slowly. (p. 178)
Once these mindfulness-based routines have been mastered, Jennings
recommends “[weaving] them into the fabric of your day,” which will “create
regular spaces in the day for everyone to calm down” (p. 176).
* The names used for students in this book are pseudonyms.

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