2018

Katrina Szumlas
MindUP Curriculum:
Mind Full vs. Mindful

This document provides an introduction to the MindUP curriculum, an overview of the

scientific rationale for teaching mindfulness to children, a review of the professional benefits of
practicing mindfulness and specific suggestions for how to implement the MindUP curriculum
into inclusive classrooms.
While there are many definitions of mindfulness, The Hawn Foundation, creators of the
MindUP curriculum, define mindfulness as “a state of being in touch with and aware of the
present moment in a non-judgemental way” (The Hawn Foundation, 2011). In child-friendly
language, mindfulness is: 1. Noticing the little things happening right now, 2. Being friendly to
your thoughts and feelings and 3. Watching your thoughts and feelings come and go.

What is MindUP?

MindUP is a teaching curriculum designed for educators which consists of 15 lessons that
foster social and emotional awareness, enhance mental health and promote academic
achievement.
The MindUP curriculum and framework seeks to establish a hopeful classroom that
promotes and develops mindful attention to oneself and others, tolerance of differences and a
community where each member can grow as a human being and learner. The success of the
MindUP curriculum is largely dependent on the implementation of daily routine practices that
take place throughout the school year. Over the course of the MindUP journey, students will
learn about the brain and how it functions, in the process acquiring insight into their own minds
and behaviours as well as those of the people around them. The Hawn Foundation believes that
“the child who learns to monitor his or her senses and feelings becomes more aware and better
understands how to respond to the world reflectively instead of reflexively” (The Hawn
Foundation, 2011). Development of this awareness will help students acquire the skills to
thoughtfully manage social relationships.
The Hawn Foundation has designed three MindUP curriculums: Pre-K-2, Grades 3-5 and
Grades 6-8, each which is made up of a 15-lesson program, brought to life by teachers. For
example, the Pre-K-2 program has arranged it’s 15 lessons into four units: Unit 1: Getting
Focused (Lessons 1-3), Unit 2: Sharpening Your Senses (Lessons 4-9), Unit 3: It’s All About
Attitude (Lessons 10-12) and Unit 4: Taking Action Mindfully (Lessons 13-15). Each lesson has
the same structure: Introduction to the Lesson Topic (provides resources to help make the brain
research more understandable for children), Getting Ready (students know what to expect from
the lesson through doing a warm-up activity), Leading the Lesson (core activity: engage, explore,
reflect) and Connecting to the Curriculum (e.g., writing prompts in response to the lesson). A
recommendation is that a lesson be approximately 10-15 minutes per day and be taught over the
course of 2 weeks. Some teachers may find it difficult to administer these lessons on a daily basis
as a typical school day will be filled with activities from curricular oriented lessons to lunch-time
clubs to discipline. In order for the MindUP program to work at its best efficiency, teachers will
need to be diligent in their administration of the lessons as the outcomes of the program will help
to alleviate the daily interruptions from children not being able to effectively navigate social
situations.
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Katrina Szumlas
The MindUP curriculum emerged from vast amounts of neuroscience research. The
underlying theoretical principles suggest that by beginning each lesson with background
information on a specific area of the brain, followed by an activity that provides children with
concreate examples of how their brain functions, will naturally make students more observant of
their own learning process. By enabling students to pay more attention to their own thoughts and
feelings in the present moment, it allows them to make better decisions rather than be ruled by
emotions. Take lesson 2: Mindful Awareness for example. In this lesson, students learn about the
Amygdala and its role, which is to determine emotional responses as either pleasurable or
threatening. If an experience is deemed pleasurable it goes on to the prefrontal cortex, where it is
analyzed before it is responded to. However, when an experience is deemed threatening, it
becomes blocked by the amygdala and instead causes a reflexive reaction: fight, flight or freeze.
If students can learn the skills to consciously process sensory input, then it will allow more time
between the input and response. This gives the prefrontal cortex time to mindfully analyze
information, thus allowing the student to choose a positive course of action. An example, is
teaching students to use the acronym S.T.O.P. when they are angry. S- Stop what you are doing,
T-Take a few deep breaths, O-Observe your thoughts and emotions and P-Proceed in a positive
way (Goldstein, 2013).

(The Hawn Foundation, 2011, p. 35)

When a student is given the tools to connect to the present moment, they are more likely to
recognize and be accepting of internal experiences. The MindUP curriculum gives children the
tools to defuse from antecedents and instead choose an intentional behaviour, ultimately
decreasing challenging behaviours.

How is it used within inclusive classrooms?

Today’s schools are increasingly multicultural, with students from diverse cultural, social
and economic backgrounds. The MindUP curriculum recognizes that children are often coping
with many problems at once, resulting in chronic stress. For some, stress is caused by bullying,
commitment to extra-curricular activities or pressure to succeed academically; for others, it is
caused by economic hardship, poor nutrition or limited access to health care. Regardless of the
circumstance, anyone of these stressors can hinder a child’s ability to learn. The MindUP
curriculum addresses these obstacles by providing teachers simple self-regulating exercises that
is easily accessible by all children, regardless of diverse learning needs. Exercises can be
implemented with the whole class, small groups or individually. An example of an exercise often
used with Pre-K-2 is “5-Finger Breathing” (HeartMindKids, 2018). In this exercise, students
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Katrina Szumlas
make a starfish with one hand, using their pointer finger from their other hand to slowly and
gently trace the starfish. On the breath in, students trace up the outside of their pinky finger. On
the breath out, students trace down the other side. Repeating for the next four fingers. The
focussed concentration on the hand, combined with the soothing touch will have immediate
calming effects. The MindUP curriculum makes mindful activities easily attainable by all
students.
A primary way MindUP is utilized within inclusive classrooms is through routinely use
of the Core Practice. The Core Practice is a short listening and breathing exercise which helps
children quiet their busy minds and get ready to learn. During the Core Practice, an individual
will strike a gentle but resonant instrument (e.g., triangle) which creates a distinctive tone for 10-
20 seconds. When the sound can no longer be heard, students will focus on their breathe. Once
students have practiced this exercise with the same resonant sound various times, their brains
will begin to associate the sound with mindful attention to the present moment. This practice is
designed to be used several times a day – especially during transition periods such as, entering
the classroom in the morning, settling down after recess, moving from one subject to the next
and to “regroup” for the end of the day. Classroom transition times are arguably some of the
most important routines of the day; and too often these numerous transitions result in a great deal
of off-task behaviours (Geffers, 2007). Consequently, time is spent re-directing and discipling
students, and less time is spent on instruction. In an effort to minimize the amount of time spent
on transitions and maximize instruction time, the core practice can be implemented to help
students get settled and ready to learn faster.
The Alberta Teaching Quality Standards document states that “a teacher establishes,
promotes and sustains inclusive learning environments where diversity is embraced, and every
student is welcomed, cared for, respected and safe” (Alberta Education, 2018). By incorporating
MindUP into classrooms, teachers will be attending to competency 4. (d) “being aware of and
facilitating responses to the emotional and mental health needs of students” (Alberta Education,
2018). Students are being diagnosed with depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, cutting,
addictions and other self-harming behaviours at increasing rates. Cruelty, bullying and violence
are on the rise. Many children could benefit from learning to focus their attention, to become less
reactive, and to be more compassionate. When a child feels a sense of belonging, it encourages
them to stay in school to learn and create a positive sense of self.

What is the efficacy of the MindUP Curriculum?

MindUP is a classroom tested, evidence-based curriculum, with over 10 years of research

conducted on the programs efficacy (The Hawn Foundation, 2011). If implemented correctly and
effectively, MindUP will help to improve self-regulation and academic achievement. Studies
conducted by The Hawn Foundation, suggests that teachers who were dedicated to using
MindUP in their classrooms, noticed that: 90% of children improved their pro-social behaviour,
75% of children improved their executive functioning skills (planning and organizing) and that
82% of children became more optimistic. Research also showed that there were fewer absences,
less suspensions, reduced bullying, better self-control, fewer fights and lower teacher turnover
(The Hawn Foundation, 2011).

Benefits for Teachers:

▪ Helps students achieve and maintain focus faster
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Katrina Szumlas
▪ Allows them to respond more thoughtfully when under pressure
▪ Improves communication with students, parents, staff and school community
▪ Develops a positive classroom where students are enthusiastic learners
▪ Builds classroom community
▪ Enhances teacher effectiveness
▪ Reduction of time spent on behaviour management

Benefits for Students:

▪ Promotes academic performance
▪ Strengthens attention and concentration
▪ Reduces psychological distress
▪ Increases personal well-being
▪ Reduces disruptive and aggressive behaviours
▪ Promotes self-reflection and self-calming
▪ Enhances social and emotional learning
▪ Develops executive functioning skills

In order to ensure successful implementation of the MindUP curriculum, teachers should

consider the following potential misunderstandings: MindUP is not a set of strategies to teach in
isolation; The curriculum is meant to be connected with the current material across core subject
areas. The MindUP lessons depend on both whole-group and small-group discussion; Consider
creating a comfortable and safe place for learners to gather. MindUP lessons draw on children’s
life experiences and invite children to examine their behaviours closely; Give children the option
to consider their responses privately. MindUP may take 10-15 minutes out of the average school
day; The long-term benefits outweigh the short-term classroom instruction interruption. Lastly,
MindUP is not a cure; Implementing MindUP may reduce challenges, but it does not mean that
children no longer need the support of a caring adult.
MindUP has the potential to bring students together to do incredible things within the
community. After doing some research, I discovered that Father Scollen School, in the Calgary
Catholic School District, implemented the MindUP curriculum in 2016. The students in Mr.
Drew’s grade 4/5 class and Ms. Ferisse’s grade 5/6 class learned how an act of kindness, no
matter how small, can make the world a better place. They actually extended their learning by
teaming up with Kindness in Action, an organization which travels to remote areas in developing
countries to promote oral health. The students created Izzy Dolls, which are handmade dolls, that
fill up boxes instead of using styrofoam. The dolls bring joy to children within developing
countries, many are often a child’s first toy. In this particular example, MindUP, along with
passionate schools, teachers and students, were able to bring a lot of joy to children who don’t
have as many opportunities.

Overall, the MindUP curriculum is an effective, positive behaviour support intervention,

which is designed to enhance students social and emotional awareness, mental health and
academic achievement. By proving student’s opportunities to master the techniques practiced in
this program, students will be better equipped to face stressful situations and feel confident doing
so.
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Katrina Szumlas
References

Alberta Government. Alberta Education. (2018). Teaching Quality Standards. Retrieved from:
https://education.alberta.ca/media/3739620/standardsdoc-tqs-_fa-web-2018-01-17.pdf

Calgary Catholic School District. (2016). Father Scollen School: Catholic Community of Caring.
Retrieved from: https://www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/fatherscollen/About/Catholic-
Community-of-Caring/Pages/Default.aspx

Geffers, A. (2007). Increasing Time-On-Task Behaviour Through the Implementation of

Classroom Transition Strategies. Retrieved from:
http://www.uwosh.edu/coehs/departments/teaching-learning/MSE/electronic-
journals/documents/amy-geffers.pdf

Goldstein, E. (2013, May 23). Stressing Out? S.T.O.P. Retrieved from:

https://www.mindful.org/stressing-out-stop/

The Hawn Foundation. (2011). The MindUP Curriculum Grades Pre-K-2: Brain-Focused
Strategies for Learning – and Living. USA: Scholastic.

5 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids That You Can Do With Just Your Hands. (2016).
HeartMindKids. Retrieved from: https://heartmindkids.com/5-mindfulness-exercises-just-
hands/