By Tyler Boyle
Let’s talk behavioural health. Mental and physical health are often top of mind, but now more than ever, we need to be speaking about behavioural health too.
Let’s face it, something about the classroom has changed. We can speculate all day about the causes. It could be any number of factors: technology, mental health crises, ripple effects from the pandemic, or all of them compounded together. No matter the reason, teachers have had to adapt to this change more quickly than ever, and the transition has not been easy.
The term “behavioural health” is one that I came up with when I founded Dreamwalkers Meditations—an organization that brings child-friendly guided meditations and curriculum-aligned SEL activities into schools. Behavioural health describes the interplay of our behaviours (conscious and subconscious) and how they contribute to our character, social skills, and overall well-being. In a classroom context, the term acknowledges that students’ actions have outcomes that can be unhealthy for their goals, relationships, and even their mental and physical health.
Key elements of behavioural health include: self-regulation, resilience, empathy, body awareness, and an understanding of how their actions affect themselves and others. Poor behavioural health stems from when a child’s inner world feels chaotic. In this state, emotions are hard to manage, actions often feel out of control, and meaningful connection with others becomes difficult.
Signs of poor behavioural health can include impulsivity, emotional outbursts, defiance, apathy, avoiding tasks, or disturbing others. These behaviours often mask deeper struggles with self-awareness, emotional regulation, and unmet needs for connection and calm.
Mindful Minutes
After 20 years as an elementary teacher, I know first-hand how overwhelming it can be to tackle behavioural health in the classroom. Building on my experience as an educator, I’ve come up with a solution that may seem counterintuitive or even trite at first, but that actually works: slow down and take a deep breath. It’s where the real change begins.
I designed a program for my own classroom called Mindful Minutes, which is now being accessed by teachers all over the world. This child-centred program is based around six-minute guided practices that align with Social Emotional Learning competencies, learning skills, character development and, of course, behavioural health goals. Teachers can use it with their students to start the day grounded, to calm the storm after recess, to ease nerves before tests, and to enrich curriculum.
The Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, enhance mood, and much more. It is a proactive behavioural health strategy, a responsive remedy, and an incredible tool for wellness maintenance—a powerful trifecta! An ever-growing number of scientific studies validate that meditation and mindfulness in schools have a deeply significant impact on students individually, and on the classroom as a whole.
The data asserts that meditation leads to notable improvements in behavioural health: increased test scores, resilience, self-regulation, concentration, empathy, compassion, and pro-social behaviours, as well as decreased emotional outbursts, anxiety, and bullying. When students are calm, focused, and regulated, the classroom becomes a more productive and peaceful space for learning.
Of course, the most powerful endorsements of meditation come from educators themselves:
I have been working with a sweet and lively student with non-verbal autism since kindergarten. Our school began a Mindful Minute break midday where Tyler’s meditations would play over the PA system. My student looked forward to them every day. After a few weeks, he began speaking by parroting Tyler’s voice. This was a huge breakthrough in his development! It became a catalyst to better inform our approaches toward his education and engagement.
—Steph S., Educational Assistant
Stories like these show that meditation is not just a nice idea. It is a game-changer for many students.
The 5 S’s of Meditation
Here’s the best part: you don’t need to be an expert to lead meditation. It’s easy using what I like to call “The 5 S’s of Meditation”:
- Silence: Classroom lights off and voices off. Do not begin until there is complete silence.
- Space: Students can meditate anywhere of your choosing, away from friends and distractions.
- Stillness: Encourage comfortable, relaxed postures to help bodies and minds settle. Students can be seated or lying down. If they are seated, have them lean on something for back support or they will fidget.
- S-Breathe: This is a silly little way to remind students to take a few deep breaths to settle before beginning the meditation. In through the nose and out through the mouth. All it takes is three to five breaths.
- Share: Take a moment to come together and share about the experience post-meditation. This is important, especially in the beginning! Share time validates the experience and it is what ties the practice to curriculum and learning skills.
Practice these skills and post them on chart paper in your classroom. Adhere to them firmly and if they are not respected, calmly end your meditation session and try again tomorrow. Your crew needs to know that you’re serious about these expectations.
Celebrating World Meditation Day
There’s no better time than the present to try incorporating meditation in your classroom. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and May 21 is World Meditation Day!
Last year, I encouraged educators and their students to join me in celebrating World Meditation Day via livestream. I had a goal of getting 10,000 students to participate, which was far surpassed by the 23,415 teachers and students who joined in! This year, my goal is 50,000 meditators!
Go to the Dreamwalkers Meditations website to register your class, school, or district for this event. It’s completely free to participate and you will receive a PDF with live and pre-recorded meditation options, SEL resources, assessments, reflection questions, curriculum connections, a parent newsletter, and a certificate of participation for students. This is a chance for your students to be part of something global. Schools can play a guided meditation over their PA system, gather students for a whole-school sit, or simply encourage teachers to press play at a time that suits their class.
World Meditation Day is more than just a date on the calendar. It’s an invitation for teachers and students to come together and experience the transformative power of meditation. As we continue to navigate the challenges of behavioural health in the classroom, taking a moment to pause and breathe can make all the difference.
Through meditation, we not only address immediate classroom disruptions but also foster long-term growth in self-regulation, resilience, and empathy. As we work to build classrooms that nurture both academic and emotional success, meditation serves as a simple yet powerful tool with scientifically proven results. On May 21, join the global movement and let’s cultivate calmer, more focused classrooms, one mindful minute at a time.
Tyler Boyle is a national and provincial award-winning educator with over 20 years in education. A TEDx presenter, author, and founder of Dreamwalkers Meditations, he transforms behavioural health in classrooms through the power of meditation.
