In our test-obsessed school culture, there is often a strong bias toward using broad, relatively shallow assessments to quickly judge students’ academic performance and potential. These tests do not consider environmental, emotional, or clinical factors that may have marked effects on how a child gets along in school.

Happily, more and more schools now have student support teams, comprised of the classroom teacher(s), specialists, counselors, and advisers, each of whom brings a perspective that can deepen the way the school understands and responds to a child.

However, more than 21% public school children in the U.S. now live below the poverty line*. Schools now deliver much more than the Three Rs to their students; they routinely provide free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch, clothing, supplies, and support for those needing shelter.

Many schools are doing remarkable work to meet the needs of every child. But one intractable factor looms large in the lives of everyone in a school community: STRESS.

Mindfulness can help.

Simply put, mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our physical and emotional state from moment to moment, without judging them. This practice, now being implemented in thousands of schools worldwide, helps children and adults learn to respond, rather than react, to stimuli that can derail learning and present obstacles to social and emotional growth.

Numerous studies show that mindfulness supports greater attention, emotional regulation, compassion, and calm in schools where it is practiced.

I’ve found that teachers benefit as much as the students, as they sit in on mindfulness sessions! If you’d like to learn more about bringing Mindfulness to your school, click here.

*http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-soc-060116-053252