What nobody likes to think about
February 9, 2018
Aphrodite will roll as scheduled
February 9, 2018
Every weekday morning, 17 Lisa Park Elementary students join their guidance counselor, Stephanie Morvant, in her office before they begin their classes. While the bluetooth speaker plays soft music with subtle narration, they sit around the office quietly, with their eyes closed and the lights off, as Stephanie leads them through guided meditation. This program, that’s been going on for just over 12 weeks now, has sparked tremendous growth in these students in conduct, academics, and mindfulness.
Being in the school system for 28 years and at Lisa Park for four years, Stephanie witnessed many programs, already in place, which she never saw as a great benefit to students. They might improve conduct that semester but not the overall behavior long term. She started researching methods that would help kids not only in school, but also outside of school for the rest of their lives. That’s when she came across meditation habits and mindfulness and read about a meditation program at another school district that saw great success.
“That’s something practical and can be beneficial because [mediation program] gives them the tools they need,” explains Stephanie.
A break from traditional programs, Stephanie’s program focuses more on the children’s own mindfulness of their actions, what causes those actions, and ability to stay calm, rather than the consequence after they misbehave. The students who meditate with Stephanie every morning comprehend the altered focus being on the positive.
“Starting off their day just quiet and calm has made a tremendous difference,” says Stephanie.
Along with group meditation, Stephanie set good behavior goals for her students, some of whom even started meditating at home. Children in her program, which ranges from 3rd through 6th grade, that meet their positive goals get to choose rewards. Lunch with her students and brief discussions after their sessions help the children in her program process what they learned from their meditation such as techniques and how to expand their mindfulness.
Stephanie works closely with the teachers of kids in her program. The students can come to her during the day and do mini one-on-one meditations. She says after these mini sessions, they calm themselves, go back to class, and continue their day. She has also been able to mediate conflict amongst her students in a calm manner.
“It has absolutely been amazing. I didn’t dream that it would go as well as it has when I first implemented this program, but I was hopeful,” says Stephanie, “It has far exceeded my expectations.”
Stephanie wrote a grant for the program and hopes to receive funding to be able to buy supplies for the meditation sessions such as a bluetooth speaker (she currently uses her daughter’s), more meditation CDs, and floor seats. She has been compiling the data from the program since it started and will present it at the next parish counselors meeting.
