Big ideas beget new pedagogy. In this case the idea is mindfulness, and the course is Mindfulness in Children and Youth, taught by Rachel Razza, associate professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies.
In the course description, Razza offers this portrayal of mindfulness from Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of The Mindful Child: “Mindfulness is a refined process of attention that allows children to see the world through a lens of attention, balance and compassion. When children learn to look at the world with attention, balance and compassion, they soon learn to be in the world with attention, balance and compassion.”
The course aims to provide students with a foundation in mindfulness practice among children by focusing on its role in child and youth development. CFS 452/652 includes a review of current intervention studies in the school and community that target mindfulness, as well as information regarding mindful parenting.
The course includes experiential exercises; students keep a reflective journal. “This is integral to the course, as it allows students to experience and interpret the mindfulness practices that they are learning about,” she says. “One student said she now realized that to understand how these practices benefit children, she would have to first experience them for herself.”
Razza got involved in the subject through her research, which focuses on the development of self-regulation among children. “Given the benefits of early self-regulation for children’s later academic achievement and social competence, I have been interested in ways to promote these skills, particularly among disadvantaged children,” she says.
Several types of students can benefit from the course. “Early education teachers in particular have been increasingly interested in using mindfulness in their classes; this course would be an introduction to this topic for them,” Razza says. “The course could also be of interest to students in the child life specialist track in CFS, as well as other undergraduates in the health sciences.”
The discipline is crucial today. “The growing interest in the use of mindfulness with children and youth is backed by accumulating research documenting its benefits for selfregulation, socioemotional competence, attention and cognitive skills, and health and well-being,” she says. “These practices are increasingly popular with developmental scientists, educators, and practitioners.”
The course is required for the mindfulness and contemplative studies minor, which is coordinated by Razza. It ties in to the Contemplative Collaborative (Razza is associate director), a group of faculty, students, and staff involved in contemplative practices via their teaching, research, and/or personal lives. The course also fits with the Meditation Room in the Student Services suite and was a link with Falk’s sponsorship of Dacher Keltner (author of Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life) for the University Lecture series.
In short, mindfulness can affect, and benefit, everyone.
“Mindfulness and contemplative practice are experiential modes of learning and self-inquiry,” says Razza. “Contemplative practices are widely varied and include various forms of meditation, focused thought, writing, creative/performing arts, and yoga. Mindfulness and contemplative practices can foster greater empathy and communication skills, improve focus and attention, reduce stress, and enhance creativity and general well-being.”