It is well established that social and emotional skills, such as the ability to manage one’s emotions and get along with others play an integral role in academic and life success. The latest SD 73 data is showing that the North Shore area lacks in the social and emotional development of middle school aged children so it is crucial for school transitions that we as a community work on self-regulation. As such, all of the North Shore elementary schools have committed to using either MindUp or a similar program to help students learn ways to self regulate their emotions and reactions to stress. As you are aware, BEST has been using the MindUp program in our classrooms.
What is MindUP?
MindUP is a comprehensive, classroom-tested, evidence-based curriculum framed around 15 lessons that foster social and emotional awareness, enhance psychological well-being, and promote academic success. The MindUP classroom promotes and develops mindful attention to oneself and others, tolerance of differences, and the capacity of each member of the community to grow as a human being and a learner. Over the course of MindUP experience, children learn about the brain and how it functions, in the process gaining insight into their own minds and behaviours as well as those of the people around them. The essential work of MindUP is accomplished through the lessons themselves, which include the repetition of the Core Practice – deep belly breathing and attentive mindfulness. The recommended daily core practice and the content of each lesson serve as conduits through which young learners can broaden their awareness of the connections between brain and body, between what goes on “inside “ and actual experience. The outcome of this enhanced awareness is a group of resilient children whose awareness of their impulses, thoughts, feelings and behaviour enhances their confidence, pleasure and sense of agency in their own learning process.
What is MindUP?
MindUP is a comprehensive, classroom-tested, evidence-based curriculum framed around 15 lessons that foster social and emotional awareness, enhance psychological well-being, and promote academic success. The MindUP classroom promotes and develops mindful attention to oneself and others, tolerance of differences, and the capacity of each member of the community to grow as a human being and a learner. Over the course of MindUP experience, children learn about the brain and how it functions, in the process gaining insight into their own minds and behaviours as well as those of the people around them. The essential work of MindUP is accomplished through the lessons themselves, which include the repetition of the Core Practice – deep belly breathing and attentive mindfulness. The recommended daily core practice and the content of each lesson serve as conduits through which young learners can broaden their awareness of the connections between brain and body, between what goes on “inside “ and actual experience. The outcome of this enhanced awareness is a group of resilient children whose awareness of their impulses, thoughts, feelings and behaviour enhances their confidence, pleasure and sense of agency in their own learning process.
