How can mindfulness support the diverse learners in your school district?

 

When we talk about “diverse learners,” we’re talking about any students who may have unique learning needs. This could include kids with mild learning disabilities, kids with developmental or intellectual disabilities, and kids with mental and behavioral challenges like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These kids deserve the gift of mindfulness, too.

 

Calm Classroom has many unique features that make it a good choice for diverse learners in your district. Today, we’ll take you through the reasons why.

 

The value of mindfulness for diverse learners

 

Mindfulness is beneficial for all kids, no matter what their learning needs. Research has found that mindfulness has benefits for diverse learners like:

  • Reducing stress and anxiety
  • Improving focus
  • Strenghtening emotion regulation and self-soothing skills
  • Improving self-esteem
  • Better behavioral and emotional functioning

Teaching neurodivergent kids may mean that you need to adjust your teaching style — something that educators already know well. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t teach them mindfulness at all. With the right program, mindfulness lessons can be accessible for all of your students.

 

Why Calm Classroom is a good choice for diverse learners

Calm Classroom’s mindfulness curriculum can turn school into a safe and soothing place for diverse learners. Here are some of the benefits of Calm Classroom’s curriculum for kids with unique learning needs.

 

Short lesson plans

Calm Classroom’s mindfulness lessons are short and sweet — around 2 to 3 minutes on average. This means that your students, especially students with unique learning needs, won’t be required to follow along for a lengthy period of time. The lessons are short enough to be engaging, even for kids who have shorter attention spans.

 

Shorter lessons also means that special education teachers, who already have a lot on their plates, don’t need to struggle to find time to incorporate mindfulness into their school days.

 

Easily modifiable

If the lessons don’t work for your students in any way, they can easily be modified to meet your students’ unique needs. For example, the lessons can be practiced either standing or sitting. They can also be shortened even further if you find that they’re too long for your students. You, as the teacher, have the ability to adjust each lesson as you see fit to best serve the needs of your students.

 

Diverse lessons for diverse learners

You might imagine that a mindfulness curriculum is mostly made of guided meditations. But Calm Classroom’s program includes a variety of lessons made for every type of kid and every energy level. Some lessons are relaxing and soothing, while others are active and energizing. There are other ways to practice mindfulness that don’t involve sitting meditation.

 

Taught by teachers

You know your students best. Because we know and respect this, Calm Classroom doesn’t force their way into your school. The lessons are always taught to students by teachers and other staff. That means kids are learning mindfulness directly from adults they already feel safe with. It also means that teachers can adjust the lessons to fulfill their students’ unique needs.

 

Hands-free audio recordings

The Calm Classroom program is made of audio recordings. That means that teachers can have their hands free while students engage in the lessons. This allows teachers and other staff to walk around the room during lessons to share private feedback and give individual support to the students who need it.

 

Manuals for each developmental group

Calm Classroom understands that what works for a high school senior may not work for a 6th grader. Similarly, what works for a neurotypical high school senior may not work for a neurodivergent high school senior. 

 

Our lesson manuals are split up by age or developmental stage: Pre-K and Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. If your students have developmental disabilities and would benefit from another manual, you’re free to use any of the manuals that works for you and your kids.

 

Give the students the gift of mindfulness with Calm Classroom. Get in touch with us today to get started.

 

Get in touch with Calm Classroom