The start of a new school year offers an ideal opportunity to prioritise students' wellbeing and instil good habits through practices such as mindfulnessThe activity encourages attention to the present and frees from the distractions of the past and the future. A study in the European Journal of Educational Psychology highlights its positive impact on students' concentration, attention and emotional intelligence.
Macmillan Educationcommitted to the quality of education and the wellbeing of students, promotes the mindfulness from the start of the new school year for primary school pupils, creating an environment conducive to learning and mental health through material developed by mindfulness experts. These benefits can improve academic performance and generate general well-being. According to research by the University of Valladolid (UVA), incorporating mindfulness in classrooms as early as the 2nd cycle of infant education offers multiple benefits for students.
Empowering student wellbeing
A successful start to the school year lies in establishing routines that promote the emotional and mental well-being of students and that become a habit during the school year. Starting the school year with mindfulness techniques from day one allows educators to create an environment where students feel balanced and focused.
Macmillan Education's "Lead The Way" and "Way to Go!" educational programmes provide practical tools such as activity cards, classroom posters and guided video practices that are easy to integrate into the school dynamic. There are also training videos for teachers by the creator of these materials, Emma Reynolds, a certified mindfulness instructor. These not only improve concentration and focus, but also promote emotional self-regulation and the overall well-being of students.
Preventing mental health problems
The early introduction of mindfulness approaches provides students with tools to manage stress, strengthen emotional self-regulation and improve their concentration - skills that, if internalised from a young age, will serve them throughout their lives. Macmillan Education's "Lead The Way" and "Way to Go!" English methods provide concrete resources for teachers, enabling them to support their students' mental health from the start of the course. Emma Reynolds, mindfulness teacher and author of the Macmillan Education materials, comments: "By implementing mindfulness in teaching, teachers can cultivate an atmosphere in which students are emotionally stable, focused and balanced."This will not only help the teacher to manage the class, but also the students to self-manage, interact with their peers and advance academically.
In a context where more than 20% of adolescents in Spain face mental health problems, according to a Unicef study, the integration of regular mindfulness practice in education from an early age takes on even greater relevance. As a leader in educational content, Macmillan Education is committed to providing effective tools to strengthen student wellbeing.
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