Today, Ann Brand came in to talk about mindfulness. She had extensive knowledge and insight into the concept of mindfulness, and I learned a lot as to what it actually is. She discussed a few techniques in mindfulness, which I found to be interesting, as I tend to rush through life and make sure everything gets done. She stated that it is important to take time to be in the moment, which is indeed important, especially as a teacher, as I need to be in the moment to help my students in terms of really listening to them. I also need to be mindful of myself in order to better help my students. If I'm not taking proper care of myself, how can I expect to take proper care of my students and their needs?
Through Ann's discussion, I realized the importance of implementing some mindful practices, which, for me, would be taking the time to really listen to those around me, as my mind tends to be a few places at once. I did not realize how quickly my mind wanders until she had us try an exercise of thinking about our breathing. I couldn't go three seconds without my mind wandering off to something I had to do later today, or an event that happened. Rather than judge myself for allowing my mind to wander off, I learned that I need to accept the fact that it happened and re-focus on the present moment. I can adopt this strategy (though not necessarily the breathing) to better connect with my students in re-focusing my attention on them when I find that my mind is beginning to wander.
Overall, I felt that I learned quite a bit about mindfulness from Ann, and though I may not implement all of the techniques she discussed, I found that at least focusing on being in the moment, especially when listening to someone, is something I can adopt into my current lifestyle, which will help me to become a better listener and teacher.
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