I was fortunate enough to choose my own electives at Everest Value School, one for each trimester. I taught film appreciation, study hall, and mindfulness, consecutively.
The mindfulness class was a really great way to bring my personal interests into the curriculum. I immediately found lessons and units from some great SEL websites. My personal favorite is this Calming Technique Tournament.
I researched different breathing techniques and filled in this chart to start the trimester. For every pair of techniques, students voted on which they liked better. We then narrowed these down with subsequent votes.
The winner? For this particular class, it was Five Finger Breathing. Learn to use the technique below!
Watch the same YouTube video we used in class here!
Natalay G. Maria 