In this 8-week live on-line course, you will join a group of teachers via ZOOM once a week. During each 1-hour session, you will become familiar with mindfulness and emotional health exercises and will explore ways to reconnect with the heart of teaching. Follow-up materials will help you stay connected throughout the week.
Time: MONDAYS 5-6pm, UK
Dates: 21 Sept, 28 Sept, 5 Oct, 12 Oct, 19 Oct, 2 Nov, 9 Nov, 16 Nov
Mini retreat: 10am-1pm Saturday 24 Oct
Fees: £150 per person. Contact us to find out more.
Well-being starts from within.
Experiential and interactive, this course will explore evidence-based tools for well-being, including mindfulness, empathy and compassion exercises. We will also look at the scientific research; the importance of self-care; communicating with emotional intelligence. And will experiment with workable ways to share these well-being tools with our class.
What topics will I cover?
Investigating stress, wellbeing and their causes
Recent research
Changing our relationship to troublesome thoughts and emotions
Building stability amidst chaos
Staying relaxed and improving performance
Cultivating self-care and emotional health
Empathy and Healthy Relationships
Mindfulness in the classroom
What will I achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...
Identify the causes of stress and wellness in your experience
Experiment with mindfulness and connection exercises
Establish a ‘go-to’ practice that is effective in your life
Access tools for finding calm and communicating with emotional intelligence
Reflect on your role as a teacher and how you wish to engage your students
Embody a more mindful and connected presence in the classroom
Who is the course for?
This course is for any teacher at any level, because everyone can benefit from these exercises. No previous experience of mindfulness is required. We will define what mindfulness and compassion are, but primarily this is an experiential course designed to give you practical tools for personal flourishing. We will ask you to reflect on, and share, your experience; these contributions enrich the course for everyone.
What do other teachers say about this course?
“magical – heart and mind fully engaged, a valuable experience both personally and professionally”
“enriching, joyful and informative … absolutely recommend it”
“… a rich, strong and safe pathway to the hearts of young people and adults”
“I was impressed by the lightness with which we confronted such deeply profound topics”
“I really appreciated the gentle way we were involved in the course contents”
"It gave me a sense of openness, freshness and acceptance”
“… a nourishing and stimulating experience”
“By training myself to be calm and thoughtful I can help others to be also”
“I can see how kindness and compassion improves our well-being”
“100% worth spending the time participating – it will benefit your health and relationships”
Who will my instructor be?
David Rycroft
David Rycroft is a senior trainer at Mind With Heart. He has been teaching mindfulness and connection exercises nationally and internationally for over 15 years. He taught art in a London secondary school for ten years before dedicating his time to developing and running programmes for young people’s emotional health.
Week by week
Week 1: Taking Care of Myself
Exploring wellbeing: what are the causes of stress and wellbeing?
Introducing mindfulness; analogies for the mind
Qualities of mind: Relaxation, Presence, Awareness, Kindness
Week 2: Connecting with my body
Connecting with the body: deepening discovering of physical sensations
Mindful mandarin
Two types of happiness
Week 3: Noticing reactions
Mindful speaking; mindful listening
Connecting with feelings
The brain: three brains in one and neuroplasticity
Exercise: ‘Imagining flourishing’
Week 4: Recognising thoughts
Identifying thoughts
Mindfulness using thoughts; changing our relationship to thoughts
Compassion exercise: remembering kindness
Week 5: Developing emotional health
Recognising emotions [in ourselves and others]; the work of Paul Ekman
Mindfulness using emotions [R-A-I-N]
Abstract art and states of mind
Mini Retreat: Being a friend to myself
Finding a compassionate voice
Exploring nourishing and depleting activities
Compassion exercise: loving kindness
Week 6: Connecting with others
Guiding a mindfulness exercise for others
‘Educating’ our connection with others, including models from Tania Singer and John Gottman
Compassion exercise: ‘Just like me’
Week 7: Becoming a role-model
Mindfulness exercise: ‘Simply being’
Deep listening: Communicating in tough situations
Week 8: Strenghtening school culture
Guiding students
How to continue