EDU 533 - Mindfulness

Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Baccalaureate degree
Term: Varies

This course is designed to introduce future early childhood, special and general educators to the nature of Mindfulness in Education and the importance of teaching Mindfulness strategies to our students. The content of this course will include an overview of the brain, and reactive versus responsive learners. The course will provide an introduction to the nature of neuro-developmental patterns, including sequential movements with regard to importance for foundational learning. Students will gain insight and understanding of the origin of Mindfulness and experience self practices for utilizing mindful strategies in the classroom setting with all students regardless of level of learning in order to assist students and teachers in meeting the rigors of today’s educational benchmarks. Students will explore the importance of the hierarchy of learning and the link between Mindfulness in reducing student anxiety relative to meeting academic demands. Practical, research-based methods in mindfulness will be taught in order to assist teachers in reducing students’ generalized anxiety in education. Teachers will learn how to become more mindful instructors, recognize anxious learners and develop useful strategies for maximum and optimal learning in their students and set up classroom(s) to emphasize a calming learning environment.