Austin ISD Mindfulness Newsletter
October 2019--#mindfulAISD
Featured This Month...
- Personal Practice -- Gratitude Journaling
- Professional Learning -- Mindful Education Summit & AISD Staff Mindfulness Retreat
- Staff/Campus Mindfulness -- Mindful Attention Awareness Scale
- Classroom Implementation -- 5 4 3 2 1 Grounding Practices
- Mindful Happenings in AISD -- Shouts to Lively, Houston & Norman Sims
- Related Newsletters & Blog -- CP&I and SEL
Reminder: For more regular mindfulness updates, please follow me on Twitter, @mrbutler629. I post regularly, providing tips and highlighting mindfulness happening across the district. Also, feel free to use #mindfulAISD when posting about mindfulness.
Photo: Austin City Limits Music Festival
PERSONAL PRACTICE
Gratitude Journaling
I learned about this cool research from my SEL colleague Katie O'Neil, and have been implementing gratitude journaling into my daily mindfulness routine. I've found it very helpful. Check out the article that talks about the research. "New research is starting to explore how gratitude works to improve our mental health." -Joel Wong & Joshua Brown
Reminder: Headspace , Calm and Stop Breathe Think offer FREE subscription services for educators.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Mindful Education Summit--FREE Online Event from Awake Network & Mindful.org: Oct. 16th-20th
Fall AISD Staff Mindfulness Retreat--Register Before It Fills Up
Limited space available. Register below...
Huge shout out to Brooke Elementary for hosting our 1st edition of the Fall AISD Staff Mindfulness Retreat. I'm so excited that award-winning hip-hop duo/overall incredible people, Riders Against the Storm will be our keynote and also teach some classes during the Retreat! Below is the tentative schedule. There is more information on HCP. Unfortunately, due to liability, no childcare will be offered.
9:00 -- Registration & Welcome
9:15 -- Keynote from Riders Against the Storm
10:00 -- Session 1 (participants will choose from a selection of classes)
11:00 -- Session 2 (participants will choose from a selection of classes)
12:00 -- Session 3 (participants will choose from a selection of classes)
12:45 -- Closing
Big thanks to Amala Foundation for putting this amazing free event together for AISD staff.
Mindfulness 101/201 & 301
Register below...
- 101/201 (#93191)--November 7th 8:30-3:30 @ Blanton Museum of Art
- 301 (#93193)--November 20th 8:30-3:30 @ Amala Foundation
- 101/201 (#93192)--November 21st 8:30-3:30 @ Blanton Museum of Art
- 301 (#93194)--December 4th 8:30-3:30 @ Amala Foundation
More sections & varieties will be offered in the Spring and Summer. Remember, Isolating Race is a prerequisite for Mindfulness 101, 201 & 301. More Isolating Race will be available next semester as well. See the August newsletter for details behind the "why."
STAFF/CAMPUS MINDFULNESS
Mindful Attention Awareness Scale
How mindful are you? And what exactly does it mean to be mindful? This Mindful Attention Awareness Scale from Positive Psychology provides some interesting insight and an actual self-assessment. Remember to show yourself compassion and just use it as an awareness tool. There is no prize for being most mindful. :) This could be a great activity during PLCs, Faculty Meeting, etc.
**Additionally, is your campus interested in a regular mindfulness practice opportunity for staff members? The SEL Department has partnered with the Amala Foundation to provide this opportunity to a select number of campuses. The service is free of charge to campuses. Fill out the form below or click here to apply. Application deadline extended to October 15th
CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION
Elementary Resource
Secondary Resource
Books of the Month
From Amazon: "For the first time, and in his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career."
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing by Nick Ortner
“Polizzi’s airy watercolors nicely harmonize with the interactive aspect of the text, giving the book potential as either a resource for anxious readers or as a choice for group readalouds.” (Publishers Weekly)
MINDFUL HAPPENINGS IN AISD
Additional Resources
CP&I and SEL Newsletters & Blog
Compilation of Mindfulness Resources for Educators
Mindful AISD Newsletters from 2016-2019
Sign Up for Mindfulness Support
James Butler, M.Ed.
Austin ISD SEL Mindfulness Specialist
2014 Austin ISD Teacher of the Year
Author of Mindful Classrooms: Daily 5-Minute Practices to Support Social-Emotional Learning
Email: james.butler@austinisd.org
Twitter: @mrbutler629