Reduce Student Stress through Stillness

One by one, they enter my office. They sit, head hung as I speak with them about their behavior. Most of the their offenses call for in school suspension or ISS.  For bigger offenses like calling a teacher a “bitch”, which happens more often than one would like to think, out of school suspension or OSS is assigned.

I’ve processed thousands of behavior referrals as an assistant principal and discovered these kids are not bad; they’re stressed.  Their anxiety, tension and exhaustion are brought on by their home lives, bad grades and low tests scores, their inevitable failures, and lack of money.

It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to know, stress manifests itself in students through bad behavior and acting out.  And stress is the number one killer of productivity and creativity.

Our children are stressed out and in desperate need for something different, something life changing.

Educational leaders may want to consider rolling out some yoga mats and allowing stillness and awareness to float through the hallways and classrooms in our schools.

The David Lynch Foundation has started a program called Quiet Time and has seen major success in at-risk teens who participate in the program.  In schools using Quiet Time, students, teachers and principals practice Transcendental Meditation – a simple meditation technique that does not involve any type of religion, philosophy or change in lifestyle.  Although, a healthy life style change is usually a result of meditation.

The Quiet Time program provides two 15 min periods of the day where they sit in silence and tap into their pure consciousness and experience the most quiet and peaceful level of awareness.

Research conducted on the Quiet Time Program in schools has found success.  And since school administrators are obsessed with test scores, perhaps they would find meditation something worth pursuing.  In fact, through the Quiet Time Program educational leaders found:

• 10% improvement in test scores—and a narrowing of the achievement gap.
• Highly effective for increasing creativity.
• Improved teacher retention and reduced teacher burnout.
• Greater happiness, focus and self-confidence.
• Reduced ADHD symptoms and symptoms of other learning disorders.
• 86% reduction in suspensions over two years.
• 40% reduction in psychological distress, including stress, anxiety and depression.
• 65% decrease in violent conflict over two years

So why aren’t more schools using this technique? I can only speculate it is because most administrators are focused on outcomes of test scores and are constantly saying, “we don’t have time ” for 30 minutes of meditation.  Really?

Perhaps our time would be better spent if we sought the truth in what is ailing our students. In reality, low-test scores and bad behavior are just symptoms of the larger problem, stress.  If increased tests scores is the goal, why not try meditation?

I suspect if we did implement a program such as Quiet Time, at first there would be a lot of giggling and silliness.  I felt the same way as I sat quietly for the first time to meditate.  I thought what am I doing? But as I continue the practice of meditation, stress evaporates from my mind, at least temporarily, and awareness slowly seeps into the spaces where discomfort and uncertainty normally reside.

I have learned that closing my eyes and sitting for just a few minutes in silence can completely transform my perspective and change my whole day.  After meditation I am super productive, finishing more tasks and producing better work.

I believe students deserve this same peace.  Rather than just focusing on increasing proficiency levels we should also be focused on reducing stress levels.  If we desire a more peaceful and aware society, we must teach students how, through stillness they can tap into their inner peace and awareness.