Right Start Blog

How One Teacher Uses Breathing Techniques to Calm Her Students

By: Michele Devine
Ms. Devine shares how she and her 5th grade science class use breathing techniques to switch gears and prepare for class.
The door opens and 5th graders flood into my classroom. Spirits and voices are high, faces are flushed, and breaths are short and shallow; the energy is palpable. The beads of sweat lingering on their foreheads remind me that they have just come from the gym. Book bags fly as students collapse into their chairs with the theatrics of an off-Broadway actor.
 
The first time I witnessed this, I looked around the room, eyes wide open, wondering how could I corral this seemingly boundless energy and excitement and focus it for a thoughtful science class. I took a deep breath and, in doing that, I knew just what to do. It could only be described as one of Oprah’s ah-ha moments: So began our daily mindful breathing practice.
 
Each day we meet, our 5th-grade environmental class starts with our mindful breathing practice. The students settle in and prepare for our breathing. For a few minutes before class, the voices in their heads can quiet, and there is no need to compete or keep up...they can simply breathe and be present. Legs hang down, shoulders begin to relax, and some students close their eyes.  
 
“Breathe in through the nose and exhale through your mouth,” I or a volunteer will say. “Inhale again, and as you exhale, release any worry or stress you are holding. Continue at your own pace and when you are ready, open your eyes.”
 
I wait for a minute or two until I see the last students open their eyes and become present, and then I welcome them to Environmental Science.
 
I love starting off my class with breathing because, in my world, each day—each period—is a brand new start with the students; you never know how they will be when they walk through that door. What was their last class? What happened at home last night? What did they just experience at recess? Every student brings a different story, narrative, emotion, and experience into our classroom. Breathing allows us all to participate in something together, but also at our own pace. It allows us to center and to release what we are bringing into the classroom, and turn our energy and our focus to the period ahead. 
 
There are so many benefits of mindful awareness practices:
 
•awakens a tired body
•calms a busy mind
•lowers anxiety
•shapes my classroom for positive behavior
•builds community in the classroom
•sets the tone for the class
•promotes mindfulness
•prepares students for learning (When students are present they can be engaged learners.)
•helps to smooth transitions
•teaches students to be present
•helps students to feel and then identify their emotions
•regulates emotions
•promotes a sense of belonging
•creates a friendly atmosphere
 
As a teacher, my goal is to meet my students where they are and to make sure they know that I see them. As a student, they deserve a consistent and excited teacher. With all of the different energies they collectively bring into a classroom, I try to balance that by making sure my class knows what to expect from me in our classroom. We have  established and maintained classroom routines that help with this sense of familiar and consistent expectation. 
 
While our breathing routine has become a ritual, we also have some routines that the students can call upon when needed. Once in a while, a student will ask if we can “do our emotions,” which means we will pause and each share one adjective to describe how he/she feels at present. This exercise allows me to assess the mood of the class in general and identifies any students who may need particular attention or care that class period. It also creates a sense of awareness of the different energies in the room, which allows all of us in our classroom space to work more empathetically with one another. 
 
Tips for using these mindful breathing techniques in your child’s daily life:
 
  • Create a routine that incorporates breathing or meditation to help prepare for bed. There are dozens of apps that provide soothing sounds, guided breathing, or meditations. 
  • Remind your child to breathe when they are upset or hurt. This may distract and calm them. 
  • Use this breathing technique to prepare for a sporting event or to clear their mind before for a test. 
  • Use it as a transition to help your child begin their homework.
 
In a world where we are more distracted than ever, routines such as these help children refocus and regulate their emotions. Author of Energy and Calm: Brain Breaks and Focused-Attention Practices Lori Desautels writes:
 
 “A focused-attention practice is a brain exercise for quieting the thousands of thoughts that distract and frustrate us each day. When the mind is quiet and focused, we can be present with a specific sound, sight, or taste. Research repeatedly shows that quieting our minds ignites our parasympathetic nervous system, reducing heart rate and blood pressure while enhancing our coping strategies to effectively handle the day-to-day challenges that keep coming. Our thinking improves and our emotions begin to regulate so that we can approach an experience with variable options.”
 
Most days, there is no discernible shift in energy in the room after our morning routine; other days, I witness a visible difference as students settle into the present moment, ready to focus. In either scenario, I believe our collective breathing exercise serves a purpose. An idea born out of necessity has evolved into one of my favorite classroom practices.
 
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