Whether you’re a teacher or a kid’s yoga teacher, or if the thought of bringing yoga to schools ever once crossed your mind, you’re going to want this book. A collaboration of over 20 experts in the children’s yoga world and the Yoga Service Council, Best Practices For Yoga In Schools is the first book of its kind tackling the very important and timely subject of yoga in the classroom. Acting as a guide, the book covers topics from how to get started, to building communication with schools, to creating curriculum and working with kids of different ages, to safety and legal issues that may arise.
Here’s more about the book:
Best Practices for Yoga in Schools is a guide for yoga teachers, classroom teachers, school administrators, social workers, and anyone else interested in bringing yoga to children safely, and in a just and inclusive way. By outlining suggestions and considerations across a wide variety of topics, this book will help you effectively and sustainably offer high-quality yoga programming for all children.
Also, be sure to check out the interview with editors Traci Childress (co-founder of the Children’s Community School in West Philadelphia and a Yoga Service Council advisor) and Jennifer Cohen Harper (founder of Little Flower Yoga, author and Vice President of the Yoga Service Council) — Part 1 and Part 2.
WIN: We’re giving away 3 copies of Best Practices For Yoga In Schools, edited by Traci Childress and Jennifer Cohen Harper courtesy of the Yoga Service Council.
TO ENTER: There may be the rare handful (shout out, San Francisco!), but a majority of us did not have yoga in our schools growing up. And there certainly wasn’t the amount of research being done to support the benefits of yoga and meditation for kids that there is today. Still, we turned out ok, right? Teachers are special people and we’d like to honor them with this giveaway. So maybe your favorite teacher didn’t teach you yoga (maybe they did!) but they’re your favorite for a reason. To enter in this giveaway, share in the comments a little shout out to your favorite teacher and include a little bit about what made them special.
Giveaway will remain open until 11:59pm Monday, February 22. Three winners will be chosen at random and announced soon after. Good luck!
UPDATE: Congrats to Angelica, Beckie and Audrey! Thanks to all who entered! May you never stop learning.
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More…
- Bringing Best Practices To Yoga In Schools — An Interview With Jennifer Cohen Harper and Traci Childress (Part 1)
- Bringing Best Practices To Yoga In Schools — An Interview With Jennifer Cohen Harper and Traci Childress (Part 2)
- Kindergarteners Teach Us A Thing Or Two About Mindfulness In ‘Just Breathe’ Short Film
- More Kids in U.S. Are Practicing Yoga
This is a shout out to my students- my 4th and 5th graders have a daily yoga practice with me. They love it and benefit greatly from it!
My favorite teacher was my Spanish teacher Señora Rivoldini. Besides teaching us the Spanish language she was willing to impart life lessons and she influenced my life for the better. She will always hold a special place in my heart.
My first yoga teacher was amazing, she introduced me to the world of organic movement. She anyways had the most beautiful transitions and made it feel like a dance.
My favorite teacher was Miss Moir who taught high school math. She was accessible and kind and she signed as she stood beside the blackboard because she also taught at a school for those with limited hearing. What an inspiration!
My favorite teachers believed in me when I didn’t quite believe in myself. Mrs. Story didn’t laugh when I said I wanted to President of the United States but instead helped me map out a plan. Although I have since revised my career goals, I have never forgotten her faith in my potential to realize my dreams!
Favorite teacher? Wow. I was lucky to have a handful of awesome teachers.
Tracy Sonafelt is the one who made me feel like I was worth the time and effort. I didn’t want to disappoint her, and when I did, it felt awful, but she always helped me. She taught me to teach with respect, and always encouraged me to be myself…no matter what.
My favorite teacher with Ms. Petric. She taught third grade and every kid wanted to be in her class. She wore flaming red lipstick and she would give out kisses on the hand or cheek at the end of the week to everyone (it wasn’t weird to do at the time!) She made us listen to Bob Denver records and she would have dance parties. Also, she taught me cursive and that’s when I knew I was grown up!
My favorite teacher was a high school history teacher who was HARD. The course could have been a college course. WhatI got from his coarse personality was that, he knew we could learn and that we could learn a lot. He treated us as able humans who were capable of everything.
Count me in among those with too many great teachers to count. There is a balance I find in teachers (yoga and academic) who speak to my heard and that is between pushing me to do more than I think I can and reminding me to respond to myself with grace when I just can’t do it that day. It’s something I wish I was better at myself!
My 3rd grade elementary school teacher was by far my favorite teacher ever. I was a socially awkward kid who never felt comfortable opening up in my classes, but she believed in me so much and made me feel so accepted and “cool” (for lack of a better word) that I ended up making good friends and having so much fun while learning. It felt like she took one look at me and realized exactly what I needed in order to thrive and then gave exactly that to me. I’ve always been thankful for her support and have tried to be that teacher to my students now that I work in academia.
My 11th grade teacher. She always there for me no matter what time of day or night and I’m still in contact with her 11 years later.
My favorite teacher was my English teacher in high school. She was considered a “hard” teacher and many people would transfer out of her regular English class into advanced English because it seemed easier, but she was great. She encouraged my love of writing and language by having us do writing assignments every week. She made things interesting and fun, encouraged creativity and allowed for different styles of learning. She let us write about whatever we were interested in without judging what it might be. Yea for teachers who encourage kids to learn however they learn and inspire them to be themselves.
Shout out to Mr. Maclin for: listening, laughing and encouraging greatness! I’ll always be grateful for this teacher during my days in high school when I was trying to grow up too fast.
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Haug in 6th grade. She was an amazing inspiration and support to me. She was always kind and encouraging and took a lot of time to listen and encourage me. One of the greatest things she taught me to do was to practice running, as a way to practice self care and empowerment. The wisdom she gave me and the lesson of self care is something I still practice today. So blessed that she was my teacher!
I loved school and had many favorite teachers. One of my most cherished educators was my honors English teacher in 10th grade who shared my love for novels about French historical fiction. She encouraged this passion by creating a discussion group where we discussed the novels over tea and pastries. I still love these books to this day and have kept in touch with this teacher.
My most inspirational teacher was Mr. Lang. He was my first introduction to being curious about myself and what I had to share with others. The class was A Search For Self my sophomore year in high school. I didn’t know at the time but he would influence what I do each morning. Checking in with myself and truly listening. Thank you Mr. Lang for being so yourself that it allowed me to explore who I was. I still continue the Search for Self 20 years latter and I am encouraging my students to do the same.
Ms. Vail, 10th and 12th grade English. That woman never let me do anything but my best. And even if I thought I was giving my best, she knew better and would push me further and higher than I could have dreamed possible. She died two years ago, and I still think of her on a regular basis and the impact she had on my life. She lived life vivaciously and inspired that in everyone around her.
My favorite teacher was Mr.Ishikawa. He was a marathon runner and martial artist who taught math and physics. He was kind, patient, open minded and creative, and demonstrated physics lessons with martial arts. He always had such a peaceful and accepting presence!
I’m containing this to middle school teachers, because I’m lucky to have a whole roster of amazing educators in my life! Ms. Mazis, who taught eighth grade English, was passionate about diagramming sentences and cooking in equal measure. She repeatedly told us that if we could read and follow directions, we could cook, and I wanted to be just like her, so I did. I had her first thing in the morning – 7:40 a.m., I think. Her sarcasm and tough love shaped my sense of humor and personality, and she also passed on her penchant for keeping a vast supply of simple black clothing, varied black footwear, and Diet Coke.
My favorite teacher was one of my son’s Resource teachers for students with learning disabilities. Her name was Carol O’Connell. She was the first teacher who saw abilities rather than only disabilities and helped her students she that in themselves.
My favorite teacher was my mother who was an artist. She taught me that coloring outside the lines was okay, looking at everything from different perspectives is an awesome way to see the world…upside down, sideways, down low, up high…just look and you can see the beauty everywhere in everything. I use that in my photography a lot and life. Yoga teaches you to look at life from different perspective…probably why I love it so much.
My mother was my greatest teacher…she was an artist and taught me that coloring outside the lines was creative and fun to do…she also taught me to look at life, art, people, situations from different perspectives. Upside down, inside out, down low, up high. I do that with my photography different angles, different views…it’s amazing what you can see. That is why I love yoga so much it teaches you to look at yourself and the outside world from different perspectives.
Mrs. Kennedy…grade 9 Eng teacher who helped decipher Shakespeare. The first lesson – believing that I could understand it! As a teacher myself (elementary and YTT) it is the lasting lesson I try to teach every student I have!
My high school band director, Mr. I. He challenged our group musically, more than any of us believed we could accomplish, leading to my love of music and to my desire to share that joy with students of my own. I wouldn’t have become the person I am today without those musical experiences.
My greatest teacher was and is my grandmother. She was a first grade teacher and still substitutes when possible. I knew I would also become an educator since the tender age of 3. I have been teaching Montessori for 15 years and I am also a yoga teacher for children 3 and up. Thank to all the teachers out there! It’s a hard job but so worth it! Every day is different and I can always laugh!
This is a shoutout to my college flute teacher who had a quote from the Upanishads on her wall – “what you do not understand in your body, you will not understand anywhere else.” She incorporated all kinds of movement and body awareness into her pedagogy. I feel so fortunate to have studied with her!
Mr Rose the guidance counselor saved my life. School was discouraging, I had eating disorders and a chip on my shoulder and was creative (not an attribute considered desirable in the 1990’s education system). I sucked at math. Rose was always on my side. R I. P. I NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT W/O You. NOW… I’m the teacher. Thanks.