Sixth Grade Meditation
Background
Through my role as Teaching Artist at the Bridge Boston Charter School, I support the lead teacher in string orchestra via mini pull-out lessons and classroom assistance. As a part of the daily curriculum, our orchestras meet daily, for 45 minutes, from third through eighth grade. In one of two sixth grade classes, twice a week, I pull out the violinists for a sectional. During these sessions my main goals are to introduce students to self-regulation of their (many) emotions, and to learn how to improve challenging repertoire through focused practice. My subsequent but equally important goal is to allow them to feel empowered and enjoy making music together in this unique public school setting, at this crucial time in their adolescent lives.
Goals
When I began the school year, I observed that this particular class of sixth graders was like any other group of twelve year olds; chatty, opinionated, sharp, to name a few qualities. Two of the four students have no siblings in school and therefore they are likely the only people in their families and communities to play an instrument. The other two students have younger brothers who play. Initially, having me as a new teacher, the students seemed to be open to the idea of freshness and they wanted to see how much they could socialize during our sectionals. Instead of doing this, I wanted to harness their creativity and let them show me what they are capable of.
Method
In order to nudge them forward, I organize our time into sections and give them a way to track their progress and hold themselves accountable. Each student gets a worksheet to chart their feelings in the beginning of class, and generally they like to verbally share. I then lead them in a guided meditation, which is voluntary. Their sheet also has three practice objectives and a place for logging their feelings at the end of class. During the guided meditation, I tell them that their options are to close their eyes and listen, close their eyes and focus on their breath, or open their music and silently scan the practice objectives.
Duration
We meditated in our sectionals from March through May, twice, sometimes three times a week. I used guided meditations as a way to keep students focused, but as time went by and they adjusted to the pace and expectations (it’s tricky to get kids to simultaneously slow down and stay on task), I began to give them less verbal guidance and more quiet, self-guided calm time. I tried as best as possible to adjust to what they needed as a group in the moment and long term.
Data Collection
Sorting through the worksheets, there is a general pattern of improved mood during class. One student’s sheets, from March 16th to April 11th, transitioned from “tired, sleepy, bored, negative, and angry” at the beginning of class, to “calm, happy, and joy” at the end*.
*It should be noted that every class I emphasize that the goal is not to ignore negative feelings and become happy. The goal is simply to identify their feelings. Thus, having positive feelings isn’t the goal, and it’s okay to feel negatively.
One student, a particularly quiet individual, shared much more on the sheets than she would have verbally. Her sheets revealed her exact thoughts, such as thinking about what was happening outside. Another student shared that she was thinking about the future, about how her friends would enjoy an upcoming field trip.
From March to May we practiced a total of five orchestral pieces and one technical exercise to support a difficult passage in the repertoire. By building short meditation into our sectional expectations, there were very clear yet creative guidelines. I believe the students gained an enjoyment of music through this practice. My students were able to see that their feelings are valid and that even in the midst of varied emotions, they were capable of focused creativity. By acknowledging their emotional state and putting it aside in order to learn, they were able to then reflect on the process and how it serves them. The outcome was almost always beautiful music and a heightened sense of belonging.
Advice
Keep it voluntary. Some children will participate and some will not. Over time they may experiment and join in.
Names on worksheets are optional.
Sharing is optional and not judged. Discussion should be kept to a minimum and guided in such a manner that students are neither right nor wrong.
The focus should purely be on identifying specific feelings; “Can you identify your feelings” versus “Are your thoughts good or bad”.
I found this book to be a helpful resource. Please check out my resource page.
