Today the burdens of schoolwork, social life, sports and other extra-curricular activities, combined with the barrage of media in our culture, leave students facing an enormous amount of pressure.
According to a survey recently published by the American Psychological Association, teens routinely say that their school-year stress levels are far higher than they think is healthy and their average reported stress exceeds that of adults.
As part of her professional development at Gateway Public Schools, Kory O'Rourke, Humanities Teacher at Gateway High School, has made it her mission to improve concentration and reduce stress among her students through a mindfulness educational practice.
This year, Ms. O'Rourke has spearheaded participation in Mindful Schools, a Bay Area-based program that offers trainings to teachers on how to equip youth and teens with concentration and stress-reduction skills.
When asked about Mindfulness, Ms. O'Rourke responds with a quote by Viktor E. Frankl author of Man's Search for Meaning: "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
"Teachers who learn and practice mindfulness experience the benefits of mindfulness in their own lives, and can then share these tools with their students," said Ms. O'Rourke. "Students who practice mindfulness have more tools for emotional self-regulation, improved attention and focus, and increased academic outcomes. Mindfulness is also one of the few practices that science proves can increase happiness and satisfaction in life."
Although research on mindfulness, especially with children and adolescents, is still in relatively early stages, research collected by the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley, has shown the potential benefits of mindfulness practices for students' physical health, psychological well-being, social skills, academic performance, and more. Other studies have indicated that mindfulness may be effective for reducing stress and burnout in teachers and administrators as well.
Mindful Schools is just one example of Gateway's commitment to being at the forefront of new ideas and initiatives, and to providing a community that is grounded in the core values of continuous learning, reflection, and professional growth.