Using MindUP in the classroom, it doesn’t take long to see the benefits first hand. In addition, teachers who used MindUP felt better about teaching as a profession and their jobs. Children who participated in MindUP exhibited improved optimism and self-confidence, learned to focus their attention, developed a more positive outlook on school, and decreased levels of aggression and anti-social behaviour. Meant to be integrated into classroom life, research has shown that the MindUP program has had an integral part in developing the overall social and emotional competencies of children. The MindUP program is a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum structured around 15 lessons that focus the mind, sharpen the senses, and introduce concepts such as perspective taking, choosing optimism, expressing gratitude, and performing acts of kindness. Armed with my chime, and my MindUP manual, I dove into the world of MindUP and never looked back. Knowing little about mindfulness education, I wondered what the impact of taking a few moments a day could have on a child’s social, emotional, and academic well-being. When I was asked to pilot the MindUP program four years ago, I did so with some reservation.

Mindup brain poster