A strong base of research, along with a growing body of supporters, has fueled the adoption of mindfulness techniques to bolster student well, being in schools, reports Laura Cassani Davis in August 2015 in The Atlantic. A dozen grassroots initiatives have arisen in the U.S., programs that train teachers in mindfulness and generate their own curricula, the two largest being MindUp and Mindful Schools. Since its founding in 2010, for instance, Mindful Schools has trained thousands of teachers through its online programs, mostly in California, New York, and Washington, D.C., but with an estimated reach of 300,000 students. Reformers have long argued a fundamental connection between emotional imbalance and poor life prospects. Yet the U.S. system's focus on cognitive intelligence -- IQ scores and academic skills -- undermines the development of vital forms of non-cognitive intelligence, the foundations to good character, resilience, and long-term life fulfillment. These are what mindfulness seeks to address. That said, parents and administrators have challenged its use in schools based on its religious roots -- and in one instance managed to shut a program down. And the lack of evidence demonstrating long-term academic impacts of mindfulness raises concerns about it as an educational tool. Given the inherent nebulousness of mindfulness as a concept, and the grassroots status of the movement, these concerns are understandable. More  Related:

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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