The Compassionate Classroom and Mindfulness for Educators
In this course participants will consider the following questions:
Earl Stevik states that “that success in the language classroom depends less on materials, techniques or linguistic analysis, and more on what goes on inside and between the people in the classroom” and further elaborates that “the most important aspect of "what goes on" is the presence or absence of harmony: it is the parts working with, or against, one another.” In this 10 day course we will look at the relationships in the classroom (teacher-self, teacher-student, student-self and student-student) and explore ways that mindfulness, (the ability to pay attention to the present moment without judgment) and empathy (the ability to truly understand or imagine the depth of another person’s feelings and needs) contribute to collaboration, connection and harmony in those relationships which in turn support dynamic and joyful learning. We will draw on the work of Marshall Rosenberg, Jon Kabat Zinn and Pema Chodron, among others.
- What do I do to create safety and trust in the classroom?
- When making decisions about relationships, curriculum and classroom structure what are the ways in which I include my own needs and the needs of the students?
- What are the things I do to develop communication skills that facilitate respectful, meaningful dialogue and enhance student learning?
- What do teachers and learners need in order to thrive and to engage in joyful learning in the classroom?
Earl Stevik states that “that success in the language classroom depends less on materials, techniques or linguistic analysis, and more on what goes on inside and between the people in the classroom” and further elaborates that “the most important aspect of "what goes on" is the presence or absence of harmony: it is the parts working with, or against, one another.” In this 10 day course we will look at the relationships in the classroom (teacher-self, teacher-student, student-self and student-student) and explore ways that mindfulness, (the ability to pay attention to the present moment without judgment) and empathy (the ability to truly understand or imagine the depth of another person’s feelings and needs) contribute to collaboration, connection and harmony in those relationships which in turn support dynamic and joyful learning. We will draw on the work of Marshall Rosenberg, Jon Kabat Zinn and Pema Chodron, among others.
