Getting Started Guide

The success of our program heavily relies on the participation of teachers. If teachers actively engage in daily mindfulness practices alongside their students, they reap the benefits themselves and encourage the students to participate more actively.

It's normal for students to be restless and playful during the initial weeks. Teachers who regularly sit with their students will notice a change over time. After a few weeks, students should start to become more comfortable and appreciate these brief daily moments to reset. The crucial elements for success are commitment and regularity.

The importance of consistency cannot be overstated. Research indicates that the advantages of mindfulness are derived from regular practice rather than the length of each session. Identify a time of day that aligns with your schedule and maintain it. Prioritize regularity. Though we recommend beginning the day with Reboot, if you and your students find another time more suitable, please adhere to that schedule.

Once you've identified a suitable time, instruct your students to clear their desks. Highlight to them that any disruptive or distracting behavior during the guided sessions will affect their peers as well. To manage restlessness, students can engage in a breathing exercise. They can place their fingertips together (with palms facing each other), spread their fingers wide during an inhale, and close them during an exhale, mirroring the mechanism of a Hoberman sphere. Alternatively, they can tap their fingers on their leg silently while breathing or subtly wiggle their toes within their shoes. Allow them to doodle during this time as well. Many of our guides also incorporate movement, so they won't always be required to remain stationary for the entire 3 minutes.

Appoint a student as the 'Mindfulness Director' on a weekly basis to foster active participation and demonstrate breathing techniques using their hands or a Hoberman Sphere. Just like having a class duty, the appointed Mindfulness Director will not only guide the class in mindful breathing during the daily three-minute sessions but also assist in regaining focus and managing transitions, such as returning from recess. Request the class to adopt mindful postures and engage in five deep, mindful breaths together. The Mindfulness Director can stand at the front of the class, using their hands or a Hoberman sphere to demonstrate these breaths.

Every guide concludes with a mindfulness task for that day. These tasks could be as simple as identifying shapes in clouds or initiating a writing or drawing exercise. Each day, jot down the mindfulness task on the whiteboard or somewhere in the classroom or hallway. By jotting down their tasks daily, students will be encouraged to participate in the task and cultivate mindfulness throughout their day.

It's important to remind students who are distracted or disruptive that mindfulness practice may be truly beneficial for their peers. Even if they don't feel the need for it themselves, their settled behavior can enhance the overall class environment. Let them know that the benefits of mindfulness extend beyond personal gains; they can contribute to a kinder, more focused, successful, healthier, and friendlier classroom atmosphere. Patience is key. Over time, as the advantages of mindfulness begin to manifest, these students may themselves suggest a time for Reboot.