How Meditation Instead Of Detention Changed This School For The Better

Aug 14, 2018 by apost team

Detention is a school tradition, but is it really effective? While students know when their behavior is disruptive or harmful, punishing them by forcing them to sit in silence doesn't seem particularly effective in the long run. If anything, it might just teach them to become angry at themselves and the people around them. One school seems to agree. At Robert W. Coleman Elementary School, meditation has been used in place of detention, to much greater effect.

Meditation is a practice with numerous benefits. It brings the practitioner into the moment and forces them to consider their thoughts. Negative thinking patterns can take over our minds without us realizing it. When we take part in meditation, we gain a much better perspective.

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Children can be highly emotional, especially at a young age. They'll do things without considering the consequences and retaliate when they feel they've been wrong. While many learn more self-control as they get older, meditation gives them a chance to show just how mature they can be at a young age. The self-awareness that comes with meditation cannot be faked or forced. It builds inside someone after extensive practice.

Robert W. Coleman Elementary School is already showing the benefits of meditation in lieu of detention. In the Mindful Moment Room, students sit down to embrace the moment instead of letting anger and frustration get the best of them. As a result, students have become much more mindful of how their actions can affect others. Since implementing the program, there have been no suspensions issued. This greatly indicates that students at this school are gaining a much better perspective on how to control their behavior affects those around.

The beauty of meditation is that anyone can learn and benefit from it. Even if a school can't afford to add a room specifically for meditation, they can still teach the benefits to their students. There could be ten minutes put aside for classroom meditation every morning. This can help students bring themselves into a more peaceful state of mind.

Teaching meditation at a young age means that children will have a much better sense of empathy for their fellow humans. As they learn more about what it means to be mindful, they can learn to consider their thoughts and actions more properly. As the teachings of meditation spread, the next generation can lead the world with a much clearer focus.

The progress that Robert W. Coleman Elementary School has made since replacing detention with meditation is certainly impressive. If you practice meditation or have taught it to children, please let us know about what kind of results it had. You should show this article to anyone who is wanting to teach meditation to children.