Teacher Toolbox
Mental and emotional wellbeing advice and resources; for you, your children and your classroom.
Mindful Classroom – Display ideas
Mindfulness isn't a subject to be taught. It's a subject to practice. Like swimming or riding a bike, there's only so much observing and knowing you can do before you actually just have to have a go. And to get good at it (or rather to notice transformation in...
Using the weather in our mindful practice
Everyone's attention is drawn when the rain pelts! Whether you're sat at your desk or in the middle of doing something, you can't help but notice the sound and the sight of heavy rain. This downpour happened today, so I recorded it as a mini-mindful awareness...
Mindfulness for when children encounter frightening, upsetting and traumatic experiences.
Two events this week have led me to write this article. The first was a question from a parent about how mindfulness ‘works’ with ‘damaged’ children and the other was an enquiry from a school about my mindfulness services. I felt it important to share my thoughts....
Is work taking over your weekends?
I got to a point in my teaching career where I struggled to enjoy weekends. No matter what I had planned, much of my time was spent THINKING about work or DOING work. There was always so much work to do to keep my head above water. I lived with the discomfort that the...
Use your breath to help with panic
Your breathing changes when you panic. Shoulders are high, breaths are short, fast and shallow in the body. This is useful knowledge to have because it allows us to work with the breath and manipulate the breath to help us. We take our breathing lower, deeper and make...
Why asking children to concentrate isn’t enough
Do you ever find yourself reading something then having to re-read it again because it’s not ‘gone in’? Where are you when you’re reading the words but they’re going nowhere? You’re lost in thoughts. You’ve jumped on a thought train. Your arms and hands are holding...
Teacher Toolbox: Emotionally Overlooked Teachers
Are you a school leader or teacher that cares more for others than you care for yourself? Remember, it’s not all about the kids, YOU MATTER. Without you, the kids suffer more. Please take some minutes to reconnect each day. Many emotionally overlooked teachers and...
Teacher Toolbox: What’s going well?
As teachers, it's our job to help children. But so often we forget to help ourselves. Asking children to focus on the positives and what's going well, applies for teachers and leaders too. We need to hear it and we need to feel it. If no-one is telling you, then tell...
The heavy burden of a SATs attitude and how it impacts a Year 6 child’s performance
The heavy burden of a SATs attitude What attitudes are your Year 6 pupils carrying around with them about SATs? Here are some common negative attitudes: SATs are difficult. SATs are too hard for me. I’m not clever enough to do well at SATs. SATs are...
How to lead a mindful sound meditation in your classroom
It can be a bit daunting when faced with the idea of meditating with your class. If you're new to the practise of meditation and mindfulness, then take a light-hearted approach and enjoy it. You and your class have many opportunities to practise and to learn from each...