'Put 'stillness' sessions on school timetable
based on an
article in the Telegraph by Graeme Paton, via Espresso News)
The head of a well-known boarding school has said that
children need more time during the day to be quiet and think about their lives.
According to Dr Seldon, the master of Wellington College
in Berkshire, a couple of minutes spent away from all distractions – especially
mobile phones and the internet – can help pupils to be happier and improve concentration.
In his view the disappearance of old-fashioned religious assemblies, which
provided time for quiet prayer, has taken away an opportunity for children to
think about issues affecting themselves or the world around them.
Dr Seldon's answer has been to introduce daily two-minute
'stillness' sessions into his school's timetable.
During those two minutes, children
can think in silence without being disturbed.
They are not allowed to work or communicate with others.
'Stillness' sessions are something Dr Seldon would like
to see in all schools. He believes
today's children need daily 'quiet time' more than ever before because of the
problems and interruptions created by modern
technology, as well as the pressure to do well at
school.
f these things are allowed to overwhelm children, he fears they could become ill and unhappy.
This could have an effect on their families and friends,
as well as their schoolwork. '
I look forward to reading your entries (on paper or online) by Wednesday 26th March!
Mrs Messa
I think that what we do with the xylophone is kind of what Dr.Seldon is talking about we do stay quiet when you bang the xylophone.I also think that it does help our lessons and learning because it rerefreshes our minds ready for learning.It helps us because it refreshes us for example if you are feeling sad that could help you forget about the bad things and remeber all the good things.(if you scored a football goal and won a trophy)
ReplyDeleteI love it.
DeleteIn my opinion what Dr Seldon is saying is correct because it does help just to remain quiet for a minute or two.This helps you to calm yourselves down and to concentrate better.
ReplyDeleteI also think you can get a better result by using our way on the Xylophone.It's also more fun than being quiet.I prefer using our way on the Xylophone because hearing music makes me relax and focus at the same time.
I think the mindfull lessons and the moment of silence with the bang of the xylophone is quite the same thing about what Dr Seldon was talking about. Dr Seldon is talking about a similar thing but not exactly the same thing that we do in our class because we use an instrument to say that its time and Dr Seldon's class has an exact time when to do it.
ReplyDeleteIn my point if view,for me the lessons and the moment of peace,they help me to consantraint, calm down and learn. It was a very good idea to do the xylophone thing in our class (off corse for me). It helps because It calms me down befor lessons and sertain things. The best time to use a xylophone is when we come back from break and lunch, before school and at the end of the day.The mind up system is very clever. :)
I also like the idea of the calm and stress chart.
I think that we do in class with the xylophone is kind of what Doctor Sheldon is talking about we do keep very quiet and still when the teacher bangs a note on the xylophone.I think that it does help us with are learning because it keeps us calm and quiet so we can work peacefully and make your brain clear of sad feelings.
ReplyDeleteOur moments of silence is similar to Dr Seldons 'stillness' sessions because they both give children opportunities to relax and calm themselves after stressed times. It helps us when we're annoyed then we ca forget about our worries and just feel free.
ReplyDeleteBasically, every school needs some mindful sessions of peace and quiet. Dr Seldon isn't just telling us, he is sharing his comment to the whole entire world!
ReplyDeleteFor example, I and my class, use an instrument called a xylophone to calm us down. (It is a technique, which our PSHE, mindful and science teacher made, Mrs Langley).
Back to the basics, the technique is to hit the xylophone with the xylophone stick; then the sound of the xylophone, hits other people's ear drums, and then soothes them down. (Finally).
In my opinion, Dr Seldon 'stillness' sessions shall be taken, because people do not find their temper under their pillows. (That's a phrase or an idiom or a proverb).
Once again, repeatively, That also goes for primary schools, secondary schools, grammer schools, colleges and universities.
Furthermore, I would like to introduce one of my instances to calm or sooth me down, I would just count to ten slowly, and then sit down and relax.
When I say relax, I do not really mean relax, like sleep. I mean to let your anger out of your brain, or mind, to relax it.
I think stillness sessions are a good idea because it gives you a chance to think about what is happening in your every day life and you hopes for the future. it also gives you the opportunity to reflect on what kind of person you are, and what things you could change about yourself, to make you a better person. Dr. Seldons idea is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Tarek stillness sessions are a good idea and a chance to think about what is happening in your every day life
DeleteI think it is a good idea to use the xylophone in class because it helps us to concentrate do our lessons with no fuss.
ReplyDeletein my point of view,I think Dr Seldons has almost the same ideas as us using the xylophone. Also it is a good idea to have a drink of water ,close your eyes and focus on your breathing,if you make a bottle and shake it will help you concentrate.
What we do in class is very similar to what Dr Seldon is talking about, it has the same effect.
ReplyDeleteThe quiet time for me is good for me, because it clears thoughts racing through my mind .It then prepares me for the next lesson so I can focus and concentrate.
Another way to calm down is to focus on something or count to 10.
I agree with you Jack because what we do every day is very similar to what he is taking all about
DeleteA dictionary definition of mindful is:
ReplyDelete‘conscious or aware of something’
A simpler way of explaining this would be how somebody is aware of their surroundings.
Therefore, this is what Dr Seldon is talking about, because to be mindful you must concentrate about everything you are doing and this is what Dr Seldon wants to encourage into learning. He wants everyone to have peace for two minutes, so they can be mindful about their learning. As well as this, he wants everyone to be fresh for learning.
The two minutes silence is very useful for my learning, as we use it at the beginning and the end of a lesson. It is a great refresher, because I can think about the questions I might get asked by the teacher at the beginning of a lesson so I can try to visualise how to work them out. (Especially in Maths)
In addition the silence helps everyone refresh their minds as this allows you to think about your breathing and think about your ambitions for the future. This can be helpful because school can be very hectic and we don’t always have time to reflect on our learning.
However, does this help everybody in being mindful or is this just another gimmick?
Yes,I do think Dr.Seldon is talking about are mindful lessons at school.
ReplyDeleteI agree this will help us with our learning because it will help to relax and be calm. As a result we will feel less stressed and sad about eveyday events.
It can help us with our learning by making us not think about silly things like whats happening at the weekend and whats for lunch. It will help us to relax our minds and help us to focus properly.
I think are 2 minute mindful break is exactly what Dr Seldon is taking about. Dr Seldon mention 2 minutes of silence, Dr Mesa asks us to cover are eyes and think about your behaviour for 2 minutes.
ReplyDeleteYes I do think it helps with our learning because it is peaceful which gives us time and space to think and recharge are batteries, so we are fresh for the next lesson.
by Tanraj
I think stillness does help you with your learning.I think he is right to.I think if every the class does 2 minutes of mindful breathing then they will have fun in there in there work and learn better.Also he is right because when the teachers give the grade sheet they might have full grades.If you were in a exam you might even be happy that you are doing the exam because you took some gentle breathing to.
ReplyDeleteWhen Dr. Seldon is talking about stillness it is just like when we are being mindful. The reason I think this because we are still and should not work or talk to other people.
ReplyDeleteAt school when we do our mindful sessions it will only help me when my learning when I need it because it calms me down and then I can concentrate. But when I don't need to do a mindful session because I am already calm it will disturb my learning by stopping me from what I was doing.
Concentrating helps me learn because I can improve my work, and I can make things clear. Children need to concentrate so they are able to listen and work as well as they can. I don't really always need a mindful session because I am on modern electrical things a lot . When I am at home and I need a mindful time, I read.
According to Dr Seldon stillness is a bit of quiet time taken in the day to calm down and to refresh the mind. There are many benefits of practicing stillness. It helps create a quiet atmosphere and gives you a chance to relax.
ReplyDeleteI think introducing stillness sessions on the school timetable is a brilliant idea for everyone. A stillness session is a time we get to reflect and refresh.
In our class we spend a minute or two closing our eyes with our heads resting on our tables or sitting up straight. After doing this I am better able to concentrate on my work. It also helps me to take a break from the busy life of school.
Yes.Children in our class are given some time to stop all work and close our eyes when the class is noisy. Dr seldon says that children need two minutes of silence every day.
ReplyDeleteYes the two minutes of silence will help because it will help to improve our concentration.
Lirane
Well, when we are in class, no matter what we are doing, you just play a little note on the xylophone. We have a quick break, but it is not necessarily two minutes. It will stop all the talking, and after you play another note on the xylophone, there might be some more silence for at least a minute or so. Doing this helps us forget everything, get all of those bad things out of our mind to help us concentrate better, and thats what I think Dr.Seldon is talking about. Take quick break, no talking and just have a few deep breaths to calm you down.
ReplyDeleteHaving read Dr Seldon's article, I agree with his thoughts. I think the 'mindful' technique that we use in class helps us especially when we come back from break time and lunch, because we will then be tired and hot and the 'mindful' technique helps you to calm and cool down. I am able to concentrate and learn more with this technique. We need to do this on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI also agree on Dr Seldon's article. I think one tap of a note from a instrument is a really mindful thing especially when things are crazy like after break or lunch time. I think that we could do the xylophone more often when things are exciting . I think the stillness sessions are a good idea, as it is like meditating, and allowing your mind to be free. Like when you first come back from break, it is like in your mind there is a piece of paper that is full of words, and when you tap the note suddenly a blank piece of paper appears, which mean that every one can be calm.
ReplyDelete