Mindfulness Training for Educators

August 4 - 10, 2019

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Open to adults in the field of education

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Hosted at the Eileen Rockefeller House (RockE House). RockE House & Basecamp is an extension of North Country School and Camp Treetops

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A large body of research has shown the value of bringing mindfulness and other meditative practices into the educational arena, both for the student as well as the teacher. Being an educator requires a high degree of social and emotional competence, especially in dealing with students who may have additional challenges due to high stress levels and need guidance with the emotional regulation necessary to work through complex issues. Neuroscience has revealed that learning is compromised when stress and anxiety levels are high.

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In addition, there is growing evidence that teaching mindfulness to educators adds to their job satisfaction and well-being. In working directly with students every day, it can be beneficial to not only understand mindfulness principles in order to integrate these into our own lives but also to model these behaviors for others. 

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This weeklong program set in the idyllic environment of a lakeside retreat in the Adirondacks, explores teaching for the 21st century. Participants will learn mindfulness practices, meditation, the neuroscience of learning, the nature of mind, and how to cultivate their inner resources. Each day will include experiential learning, as well as a cognitive element – and afternoons will be free to enjoy the many outdoor activities available to us, or to simply relax and read a book. Learn how mindfulness might benefit you in your role as an educator, and re-connect with the ideals that brought you into this field from the start!

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Program Facilitator Susanna Williams, PhD is a multi-disciplinary faculty member and researcher at the University of Virginia. Her courses include Mindful Writing, which uses contemplative practices to access the rich inner landscape available beyond linear thinking; Mindfulness and the Brain which explores the neuroscience behind meditation and wellbeing; and Mindfulness for Educators in which participants learn mindfulness practices that improve both their own teaching experience as well as the learning environment for their students. She also teaches mindfulness in corporate settings such as the Brookings Institute and the Federal Executive Institute.

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DAILY WORKSHOPS: 

In addition to the workshops listed below, participants will conclude each day with a focused practice in yoga, meditation, or mindful arts. There will also be time each afternoon to participate in an optional outdoor hike or canoe trip with a local guide. 

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Sunday 

• 4pm - 5:30pm: Arrive, check in, get oriented. Welcome dinner. 

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Monday

• Welcome and introduction: guidelines and logistics

• Pathway towards mindfulness: What is mindfulness? Why mindfulness for educators? What is different about teachers? Why are we bringing mindfulness into schools?

• Neuroscience of learning

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Tuesday

• Cultivating balance and emotional competence

• How do we learn self regulation? 

• Neuroscience of emotion – anatomy of the brain, the physiology of stress, learning their own stress signature, the mind-body connection

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Wednesday

• Obstacles and work-arounds about in meditation 

• Bringing mindfulness into movement

• Learning about and noticing the nature of the mind

• Practice: getting out of auto-pilot

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Thursday

• Day-long retreat in silence. We will practice all the practices we’ve done so far and learn some new ones. Body scan, sitting meditation, yoga, walking meditation, mindful eating.

• Silent canoe trip or hike in the afternoon 

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Friday

• De-briefing about the retreat

• Learning to see stress as a friend – the biochemistry of courage

• Re-connecting with the initial impulse to be an educator

• How have you gotten off track and how will you stay back on?

• Develop individual plans - classroom application 

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Saturday 

• Last day - share your individual plan with the group.

• Setting an intention for yourself. Plan for re-connection

• Compassion meditation

 

PROGRAM TUITION: 

Overnight Tuition - $1,200 full package. Reserve your space with a $25 deposit. 

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Includes:

• 6 nights' accommodations: shared bed & bath in 19th-century farmhouse 

• Family-style farm-to-table dinner and drinks 

• Buffet style breakfast and lunch 

• Interactive educational workshops 

• Guided hiking and canoeing trips

• Guided yoga and meditation practice 

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Program scholarships are available. Please contact outreach@roundlakecampus.com for more information. 

Local residents, please contact us to inquire about day-only program rates