"This is a book clearly written by an educator who knows mindfulness in schools from the inside. The strongest evidence for this is that Hawkins never gets carried away. He recognises that mindfulness is not a panacea, that to implement it successfully in schools is a slow and steady process, and that above all it must begin with the teachers themselves., But Hawkins also recognises how transformative mindfulness can be, having experienced it so profoundly himself as an educator in many different contexts. His anecdotes give it plenty of colour (my favourite is `Billy and the Mosquito'), whilst the practical guidance - Chapter 7 on implementation for example - makes it of tremendous practical value." - Richard Burnett, Co-founder and Director, Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP)Former school teacher turned mindfulness consultant Kevin Hawkins truly understands the joys of teaching and the desire to make a real difference in the lives of students, as well as the challenges and risks of burnout that most teachers experience on a daily basis. With this guide to mindful practice, teachers new and experienced can learn how to use mindfulness in their own professional and personal lives as well as how to incorporate it in their teaching to support student wellbeing., Combining theory with practice and illustrated with real life stories, this guide will show readers: what mindfulness isthe research and scientific evidence behind ithow changing the way you approach situations can transform the way you feelhow to manage stress, and look after yourselfhow teaching mindfully can help your studentswhat mindfulness can do for the culture in your school Packed full of DIY exercises, activities to use in the classroom and links to resources and further reading, this inspiring book will support experienced and new teachers to maintain a healthy work-life balance and thrive as a teaching professional. FOR EVEN MORE FROM KEVIN:Take a look at A Little Guide to Mindfulness - a free
This book has a great deal to offer anyone with even the slightest curiosity as to what mindfulness entails and what it can offer. (Dr Amy Burns
Education Canada 2017-09-01)
If there is hope for deep societal change, it surely must rest on rethinking and recreating our industrial-age education system. It is within this context that we need to view the growing interest in mindfulness in schools, which could, potentially, help guide us toward a system of education truly oriented toward human development. But it could also end up as just another in a long line of educational fads. Work like that of Kevin Hawkins – based on the science and practice of cultivating mindfulness and grounded in extensive practical experience in schools - could tell the difference.
(Peter M. Senge 2017-03-01)
This book is a journey we need to go on in order to grow, learn and flourish as educators and learners. [...] Hawkins has filled my empty tank back up with hope and optimism for the future of our schools.
(Hannah Smith
Schools Week 2017-10-22)
This book is written for teachers, by a teacher. Kevin truly understands the joys of teaching and the desire to make a real difference to students’ lives, as well as the challenges and risks of burnout that most teachers experience on a daily basis. It provides teachers with the essential skills for self-care that will allow them to thrive in their professional and personal lives. It also offers a straightforward, natural progression: from being mindful, to teaching mindfully and engaging students, to teaching students mindfulness, and finally developing and sustaining a mindful school culture. Mindful Teacher, Mindful School is an excellent resource for those who want to begin, or to deepen, their own personal mindfulness practice, and to share their practice with students and the wider school community.
(Amy Saltzman)
Kevin has managed something I haven’t seen before in a book aimed at educators – he has combined theory with practice and real life stories and with a credibility borne out of experience. Without doubt, mindfulness will play a huge part in supporting the wellbeing of students and teachers. One of the best ways to incorporate mindfulness in a school is for teachers to experience and model it, before they teach it. Crucially, this book shows how to do exactly that... (Malcolm Nicolson 2017-03-01)
In Mindful Teacher, Mindful School, Kevin Hawkins presents a rich developmental approach to educating the whole child. This book illustrates how mindfulness can enrich teaching and the lives of teachers and students. But Hawkins also is appropriately cautious in suggesting that teachers take time to develop their own practice and awareness. The book is full of practices that can help teachers and all educators embody mindfulness in their daily life. This is quite a gift! (Mark T. Greenberg Ph.D 2017-03-01)
Mindful Teacher, Mindful School, contains real depth of understanding about this important new mindfulness-based approach to education. Radiating from a central theme of teacher self-care, Kevin Hawkins invites the reader to explore the richness of truly international perspectives on mindful awareness and social emotional learning. In an easily readable and common sense fashion he skillfully weaves together research, practice exercises, educational applications, plus the author’s and other teachers’ own experiences. A rich and compelling tapestry, Mindful Teacher, Mindful School, is an essential text. (Richard C. Brown 2017-03-01)
This is an elegant and practical guide to cultivating mindfulness in school. With great clarity, wisdom, and warmth, Kevin Hawkins illuminates the paths for being mindful, teaching mindfully and teaching mindfulness. This book explains both the science and practice of mindfulness in school context. It offers teachers not only helpful resources but also accessible steps towards transforming themselves, their students, and their schools. (Shui-fong Lam, Ph.D. 2017-03-01)
The Mindful Teacher is an invaluable resource for educators. Through his own experience as a school leader and classroom teacher, Kevin Hawkins offers a comprehensive, inspiring, and practical approach that makes mindfulness accessible to anyone working in school based settings. Each chapter beautifully builds on each other and helps us see how mindfulness can be a vehicle for not only transforming education but making the world a better place. (Meena Srinivasan, M.A., N.B.C.T 2017-03-01)
What really matters in education? This book argues that it is educating the mind and heart, equipping the next generation not only with knowledge, but also with how to think, with qualities of curiosity, compassion, playfulness and resilience. Drawing on his immense repository of teaching experience and with deep humility Kevin Hawkins offers an invaluable toolkit for teachers and schools. Anyone using this toolkit will be standing on the shoulders of a a very skilful teacher who embodies what he teaches. (Willem Kuyken 2017-03-01)
