Mindfulness is when you are aware of your surroundings and actions. You are aware of what
your
actions do to yourself and others. I think mindfulness means being thoughtful. When we water the good
seeds
of ourselves, we will be impacting others. They may want to water their good seeds too, and
it could sort of be like a chain.
– Seldon, Grade 6
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For me, teaching is not a job—it is a calling. I am an educator because I sincerely believe that it is how I am meant to make the world a better place. Over the last several years, I have embarked on an intellectual and spiritual journey which has convinced me that change can be affected at the grassroots level. Teachers are not only a vital link in creating "the change we wish to see in the world" but fundamentally embody this Gandhian vision.
During my time in India, this country has been rocked by numerous bomb blasts fueled by fundamentalist thinking. In the fall of 2008, New Delhi alone had been the site of five deadly attacks injuring more than 100 people and killing close to 25, causing my school to cancel all field trips for the semester. |
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On the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday (October 2, 2008), I accompanied my teacher, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Monk, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, and founder of the “Engaged Buddhist” movement, Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, in a walk for Peace from Vijay Chowk outside of Parliament to India Gate. As we walked in silence trying to cultivate peacefulness within so that we can be peaceful in the world, I felt a deep sense of hope despite all of the bloodshed and violence my adopted city has faced.
In that moment, my mission as an educator became crystal clear. I have dedicated my life to ensuring that the values of compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, harmony and social responsibility are taught in schools and modeled by teachers. Teachers must find ways to transmit these values so that they are not just dogmatic assertions and school administrations must make them a priority; this is the only way we can be witness to an era of renewed hope. |
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Educating is much more than imparting knowledge and skills. In the words of Parker Palmer, “to educate is to guide students on an inner journey toward more truthful ways of seeing and being in the world.” I have committed my professional life to focusing on what it means to be a global citizen by articulating an ethical, ecological, humanistic approach to education grounded in mindfulness and strive to craft innovative curriculum that promotes efficacy and empathy.
I have brought my passion for teaching to leading independent and international schools in Brazil, India and California. Throughout this experience, my viewpoint in the classroom has been shaped and complemented by my work on inclusive education at UNESCO's International Bureau of Education in Geneva, Switzerland and background in Understanding by Design, mindfulness training, and peace education. I am also a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in Adolescent and Young Adult Social Studies. While based in India I’ve organized numerous mindfulness programs for children and worked with many educators.
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My intention to promote peace, compassion and sustainability through education is not only sincere, but truly from the depths of my heart. During my fifth year in India I engaged in, A Year of Mindfulness in the Classroom, in attempt to document my personal, spiritual practice as it relates to my career as an educator committed to bringing an ethical, ecological, spiritual approach to teaching grounded in mindfulness. This blog has become a tool for mindful educators worldwide and contains a wealth of resources for teachers and mindfulness practitioners.
Blog Categories Include:
Mindfulness in the Classroom/At School
Mindfulness in the Slum
Mindfulness in Education in India
Student Voices on Mindfulness
Mindfulness Lessons
Educator Sangha
Reflections from Teachings/Talks/Travel (Aug 2010-June 2011)
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At first I wasn’t exactly sure why we were to put so much thought into just an orange. Plainly there were the orange pickers, the sellers, and the market owners in line of the process of selling the oranges. However, when reminded of the poem that we read in class about how in order for this paper to have been made, a rainfall would have had to happen for the tree to grow and etc. I was then able to concentrate on the deeper meaning of the activity which was to get out of the trance of thinking that the orange is a simple matter, and should have been in my hands without the efforts and the natural process of a thousand events. Before the orange pickers, or even the farmers who planted the orange tree, the Earth had to exist. It may sound like an exaggeration to think about the pre-historic times just for an orange to have happened. But like all humans, and the current existence of you, me, and us, an orange took just as much amount of process. In conclusion, I learned that we shouldn’t take everything for granted but actually think about how it came to be and how much effort or time was put into just one simple existence and be thankful, thoughtful, and simply more aware of my surroundings.
– Yeon Ju, Grade 9
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