Your Name: Brock Martin- Your Role: Mindful Movement Teacher
- Name/Type of Educational Setting: National Child Research Center (NCRC) / Preschool
- Location/s: Washington, D.C.
- Age range of students/young people: 2 – 5 years old
- No. students: 170 students
- Any other relevant contextual data: Students are divided by age group into 12 classes. Classes have up to 18 children and I meet with each class twice a week for 25 minutes. I have a 200-hr. Yoga teacher training certificate and a 95-hr. Kids yoga teacher training certificate.
- No. of staff trained to teach mindfulness: One (ME)
What goals/challenges/opportunities were you/your organization facing? My goal is to make mindfulness a way of life for all and to make practices available and accessible to all children, faculty/ staff, parents, and the larger school community.
What led you to mindfulness?
I came to mindfulness as a way to make sense of my own understanding of present moment awareness and I came to MiSP as a way to share it with others.
I am fortunate to work in a preschool that places great value in responding to the evolving needs and interests of the children. NCRC is a play-based, emergent curriculum based school where teachers are observers – noticing not just what children are playing and doing, but also how they are playing and what they are saying. My goal is to help the children become more of an observer – noticing not just what they are doing, but also how they are doing it and what it feels like to do it.
NCRC also has a commitment to the inclusion of children who benefit from additional support and adaptations. Although teaching mindfulness practices to children that benefit from additional support can be challenging at times, it provides a wonderful opportunity to respond in the moment and learn together. There is also a lot of power in maintaining space where everyone can practice together and feel included.
What led you to MiSP? I was searching for a way to learn more about mindfulness and how to teach it to children. In my search for a program, it became clear that MiSP sets the standard for how mindfulness can look in a school setting and I was determined to learn as much as I could.
I have taken the 8-week .begin course, dots, and SML training with MiSP.
.begin and dots were both online and were equally amazing. I really appreciated starting on the ground floor with .begin and it helped set the tone for the courses to come. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a student vs. a teacher and the training really put into perspective how important it is to experience mindfulness before embodying mindfulness.
dots was another great opportunity to learn with MiSP and I was amazed, and continue to be amazed about how thorough, intentional, and fun the dots curriculum is. The children truly love the practices. Once again I was thankful for the opportunity to be a student – in this case a preschooler – as our masterful guides (Faiy & Elinor) led us through each lesson. It was nice to experience each lesson before teaching it and by going through all 30 lessons, I was able to really see the big picture of “why” this curriculum is so important for preschoolers. After taking the dots course, I once again felt more confident and excited than ever to share what I had just learned with the children.
From the very start my goal was to take the SML and after 3 years of learning/ teaching, I can finally check that off my list. I was fortunate enough to be able to take the SML course in person and I can say without a doubt that it was a life changing experience. I found it so beautiful how the .begin, dots, and SML were so inter-connected and everything felt so full-circle. The material is well crafted and the instruction was thorough and I left the course feeling hopeful and optimistic.
I can say without a doubt that learning with MiSP has changed the trajectory of my life and has given me the confidence to share mindfulness with all.
What ongoing support have you taken advantage of? I have taken advantage of the Hub, teacher surgeries, and teacher skills workshops. I have found them to be a great way to stay connected with other mindfulness teachers around the world and serve as a reminder that I am not alone in this effort.
What MiSP courses have you introduced in your school? I have introduced the dots curriculum at my school. It felt really good to sit down, get out of my initial comfort zone, and just teach. I won’t lie, at times it can be challenging to connect the learning to every single child, and it has taken me some time to find my voice within the curriculum. With that said, it has shown me that there is no one-size fits all way to teach mindfulness and I have learned to be flexible and patient above all else. I have also learned that the challenges of teaching are greatly outweighed by the joy witnessing and experiencing the “aha” moments with the children when a practice resonates.
dots fits in the timetable of making mindfulness a way of life for all because at the heart of the matter, the children are learning and experiencing mindfulness. They are the seeds that will soon blossom, spreading peace, love, and kindness into this world.
What benefits/impact has that had?
Teaching dots alongside mindful movement has given me a foundation for teaching mindfulness to the children. The dots curriculum is structured so beautifully and each lesson masterfully builds off the previous learning. The dots curriculum takes away a lot of the guesswork and wheel spinning around how to best teach mindfulness to children.
dots introduces children to the world of mindfulness and this introduction alone forever changes how a child interacts with themselves and the world around them.
What are your top feedback quotes?
“Your dedication to helping Robert develop a love for mindfulness has been truly remarkable. Robert often comes home excitedly sharing all the new things he’s learned from you, whether it’s a new pose, a breathing exercise, or simply how to be present in the moment. Beyond the skills you’ve taught him, you’ve also helped foster his confidence and self-expression. He now carries himself with a sense of calm and assurance that wasn’t there before, and for that, we are incredibly grateful.”
From the parents of Robert (age 4).
What are your top stories of the impact on students and/or colleagues?
I am always moved when a parent approaches me letting me know about a practice their child showed or taught them. Some of the children that are the most quiet end up being the ones that are most eager to share at home. This alone reminds me of just how powerful these practices are – when they’re willing to be shared with those they love.
How does mindfulness sit within and complement your wider wellbeing offering?
NCRC nurtures the whole child – socially, emotionally, and intellectually – toward a lifelong love of learning. Mindfulness practices effectively address all three categories while inherently highlighting the tools children will use to continue learning about themselves and their surroundings.
What action would you recommend to other educational settings? I recommend finding a staff member or group of teachers that have a mindfulness practice of their own or are interested in developing one. I would encourage an educational setting to support their growth and development with mindfulness through ongoing training with the goal of having them bring their understanding into the classrooms.
What plans do you have to develop this for the future? I plan on creating space for our community to learn about mindfulness, practice mindfulness, and learn ways to stay connected with their children through mindfulness. My hope is that we can create a culture of mindfulness in our school beyond taught mindfulness sessions where the children’s learning and understanding of mindfulness is enhanced and reinforced by the adults in their lives also practicing and embodying mindfulness.
Read Brock’s ‘A Day in the Life of . . .’ here
For Hub members, sign into the Hub and get inspiration from Brock’s Teacher Tips for our Community here