COMPLETE Mindful Mondays Curriculum: 28 short, once-weekly mindfulness lessons

Welcome to the Mindful Mondays curriculum! Inside you’ll find 28 short and simple, scripted, once-weekly mindfulness lessons to last the school year. The lessons range from 10 -15 minutes long, but can be tailored to be longer or shorter, depending on how much time is allowed for discussion or expansion.

Some lessons included in the curriculum cover:

• What is Mindfulness? 
• Giving Gratitude
• Cultivating Curiosity
• The Mind/Body Connection
• The Negativity Bias
• Positive Self-Talk
• Positive Communication
• Evoking Empathy
• Emotion Naming
• Practicing Non-Judgment
• ....and so much

The experiential portion of this curriculum is led by you, the teacher, by integrating the weekly assignments as often as possible. The weekly assignments can be found at the top right-hand side of each lesson. There is also a separate weekly assignment page provided after each lesson that can be printed and hung somewhere in the classroom on Monday. Making the assignment visible will help remind teachers and students to revisit each practice several times throughout the week. Mindfulness skills are not acquired in a single lesson, but through repeated practice.

This is not a meditation program calling for long pauses in the day for silent reflection. Instead, most mindfulness practices require gentle, momentary reminders from teachers, classmates and the self. The best way teachers can support students in their mindfulness practice is through role modeling several times throughout each day.

This curriculum is intended for elementary students K-5, however teachers may need to make word substitutions or other small changes based on their grade level. While the curriculum is scripted, much of what is included is meant to inspire teachers to share their knowledge or put their own spin on each topic or practice.

Research suggests that sustained mindfulness practice can improve student attention, working memory, social skills, emotional regulation and self-esteem. Elementary students have noted improvements in mood as well as decreases in anxiety, stress and fatigue. But the positive impacts of mindfulness aren’t just felt inside the classroom; Parents report reductions in behavioral and anger management problems at home as well.

Please reach out with any questions, comments or suggestions you may have. Finally, thank you for giving your students the gift of mindfulness, and for giving yourself this gift as well! Teachers who work to integrate these practices into their daily lives report calmer responses to the day-to-day pressures that teaching brings. May both you and your students feel the impact of this transformative learning for years to come.