About Mindfulness
Mindfulness is achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, not dwelling on past events or dreaming of the future, but being in the ‘now’. It has been proven to decrease levels of anxiety, social conflict & attention disorder among children. It can help both adults and children become more responsive & less reactive, more focused & less distracted, more calm & less stressed creating a more positive human being. It is an easy concept, but quite difficult to master and requires lots of practice through formal and informal meditations.
About Julieanne Reel
Julieanne has 25 years experience working with children of all
ages in school settings and out-of-school settings. Julieanne
is a trained Montessori teacher and ran her own pre-school and
after-school for many years. She is a qualified childcare tutor, and a trained
Paws.b Mindfulness Teacher. Julieanne trained in Paws.b with the Mindfulness in Schools Project in
The Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor
University, Wales and participated in the first ever Paws.b Teacher training course.
She travels around Ireland teaching the Paws.b mindfulness
programme in schools, out-of-school services, youth clubs,
sports clubs, camps etc as well as also providing private
sessions.
The growing interest in mindfulness is an indication that there is a need to slow down, create space and reduce stress. Perhaps the fact that this resonates with many teachers, parents, health care professionals, youth workers and students is also an indication that we are beginning to revisit our understanding of what really matters in learning in the 21st Century - wellbeing, resilience and self-awareness are increasingly recognised as being as important as academic success."
— The Mindfulness in Schools Project.
What I Teach
I teach the 12 Week Paws.b Mindfulness Programme to children aged 7 to 12 years old. I travel to Primary Schools all over Ireland, as well as youth groups and private one-to-one sessions. The programme runs during school hours formally as a series of SPHE lessons based on six themes, teaching one classroom at a time. Children learn valuable life skills to help them to cope effectively with life’s ups and downs.
Read what Enable Ireland said about Julieanne and the programme she put together for the children:
"The children allocated to the group have all been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These children are mostly surviving in schools with little or no extra supports or resources. This leads to high stress levels and anxiety in our children which can be hard to manage due to frequent outbursts and meltdowns. It has been extremely difficult to find a way for our children to manage their levels of stress independently. Julieanne has brought a whole new dimension to these children’s self-awareness and emotions. Her child friendly programme has allowed the children to explore themselves and their emotions each week. It has encouraged them to stop, take a minute and calm themselves down without the help of others. This is a significant step for some of these children which we have been working on for years! Julieanne has not only been patient and understanding to these children but also very passionate about her work and it has been fantastic working with her."
— Aisling Smith, Speech & Language Therapist, Enable Ireland.
Online Classes
As the whole world deals with this pandemic, we see the need for programmes that support good mental health, particularly for our children. I have spent some time making what I teach available online:
- (A) I can now offer the 12 week Mindfulness course as an online option for your school. The online course has 12 pre-recorded classes - each one is a combination of webcam (myself talking), powerpoint slides & video clips. The course contains all of the content that I usually teach when physically in school. As it is a 12 week course, there is one video class to watch per week. The videos are password protected so you will only have access to each one for the duration of the course. The course includes digital downloads of audio meditations to practise with which you can keep. The course also includes reflection sheets to print out for the children if you wish to use them to reinforce what is learned. You are not restricted to how many classrooms use this course - once you have the passwords, any classroom with children over 7 years old can participate.
- (B) I can offer one 30 minute online Well-Being Workshop. This is also a pre-recorded workshop containing webcam, powerpoint slides & video clip. This is password protected but has one digital download of an audio meditation for daily practise that you keep. Again, you are not restricted to how many classrooms use this.
Please email me @ [email protected] for more information. Many thanks. Julieanne
"The online classes felt more like live classes"
Donna, age 12
What is Paws.b?
Paws.b is a twelve session mindfulness course for primary schools, based on six themes, and ideally taught to 7 to 11 year olds. It is adapted from the .b mindfulness curriculum for secondary schools, as well as influenced by adult mindfulness courses such as MBSR & MBCT. It is currently being evaluated by the University of Bangor in the UK.
What makes Paws.b distinctive?
Paws.b was carefully crafted by classroom teachers and mindfulness experts to engage young children. It is taught with striking visuals, film clips and activities that bring mindfulness to life without losing the expertise and integrity of classic mindfulness teaching.
What are Paws.b's objectives?
Paws.b aims to give students mindfulness as a life-skill. Students use it...
- to feel happier, calmer and more fulfilled
- to get on better with others
- to help them concentrate and learn better
- to help cope with stress and anxiety
- to support performance such as music and sport
The Paws.b Curriculum
The curriculum consists of 12 sessions based on 6 themes:
- Brain Training – this is the neuro-scientific content where children learn about 4 main areas of the brain. These are the areas that we know can be developed using mindfulness.
- Puppy Training - teaches the children how our mind is similar to a puppy: puppies wander off, don’t stay still and bring back things you didn’t ask for. Our minds wander off, don’t stay focused, and bring us thoughts we didn’t ask for. Rather than being critical, we accept that this is simply the nature of the mind.
- Finding a Steady Place – is about how we sometimes ‘wobble’ emotionally and what we can do to help ourselves.
- Dealing with Difficulty – teaches the children about the part of the brain that is responsible for our fight, flight, and freeze reaction. It teaches how Mindfulness can help you in trigger moments, to pause and simply chose how you wish to respond, rather than reacting and regretting it later.
- Story-Telling Mind – teaches how it is our thoughts that actually control our mood and emotions, and how one thought can easily snowball into a big worry. The children learn to observe their thoughts and practice techniques to settle and calm the mind.
- Growing Happiness – is about how we are in control of our own happiness. It teaches the importance of being kind to ourselves as well as others, and how kindness and gratitude are the magic mix for a happy life.
"I was very worried about going to the dentist, so I practiced some 'Finger Breathing' and then I felt okay."
"I had to take a free kick and I was nervous, so I just took 3 deep breaths and I scored and we won the match"
"I love Mindfulness because it helps you to feel calm and to not worry so much"
Evidence
On completion of the Paws.b Mindfulness Programme with myself, I ask the participating children and teachers to fill out evaluation forms. This allows me to collect and analyse information about the programme's activities, characteristics, and outcomes. This is the combined results to-date.
3,069 Children's Evaluations
Has helped me
Helps to calm me down when upset
Helps me to avoid arguments
Helps me to fall asleep at night
Helps me to make better choices
Helps me to focus better
Helps me to be more happy
26 Teacher Evaluations
Overall score for the Paws.b Mindfulness Programme
Overall score for the facilitator, Julieanne
How many would book the programme again
Changes that teachers noted in the children
Relating better towards one another
In their concentration
In their ability to settle themselves
There is also some great published research papers about the effects of Mindfulness training. Click here to read an article by Charlotte E. Vickery from the School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, UK and Dusana Dorjee from the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
Clients
Mindful Kids Ireland began in September 2014 and has since worked in 50 schools - a lot of whom re-book yearly:
- Meigh Primary School, Newry, Co. Down
- St Catherine’s Primary School, Armagh
- St Patrick’s Primary School, Crossmaglen, South Armagh
- St Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen, South Armagh
- Shelagh Primary School, Hackballscross, Co. Louth
- Drumgossett Primary School, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan
- Scoil na gCailini, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan
- Scoil Mhuire na mBuchaillí, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan
- Killean Primary School, Newry, Co. Down
- St Patrick’s Primary School, Clara, Emyvale, Co. Monaghan
- Deravoy Primary School, Carrickroe, Emyvale, Co. Monaghan
- St Louis Girl’s Primary School, Monaghan Town, Co. Monaghan
- Scoil Bhride, Tyholland, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan
- Knockconan Primary School, Ballyocean, Emyvale, Co. Monaghan
- St Mary’s Boys Primary School, Monaghan Town, Co. Monaghan
- St Mary’s Primary School, Threemilehouse, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan
- Gaelscoil Ultain, Monaghan Town, Co. Monaghan
- Gransha Primary School, Clones, Co. Monaghan
- St Mary’s Primary School, Mullaghbawn, Co. Armagh
- St Oliver Plunkett’s Primary School, Forkhill, Co. Armagh
- Clonalig Primary School, Culloville, Co. Armagh
- St Eugene’s Primary School, Victoria Bridge, Strabane, Co. Tyrone
- St Patrick’s Primary School, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone
- Edward’s Primary School, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone
- St Columba’s Primary School, Clady, Strabane, Co. Tyrone
- St Brigid’s Primary School, Glassdrummond, Co. Armagh
- Anamar Primary School, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh
- St Patrick’s Primary School, Cullyhanna, Co. Armagh
- St Oliver’s Primary School, Carrickovaddy, Cullyhanna, Co. Armagh
- Urbleshanny Primary School, Scotstown, Co. Monaghan
- St Joseph’s Primary School, Knockatallon, Co. Monaghan
- St Dympna’s Primary School, Tydavnet, Co. Monaghan
- St Oliver’s Primary School, Carlingford, Co. Louth
- Dulargy Primary School, Ravensdale, Co. Louth
- Our Lady’s & St Mochua’s Primary School, Derrynoose, Co. Armagh
- St Joseph & St Jame’s Primary School, Poyntzpass, Newry, Co. Down
- Edenmore Primary School, Edenmore, Emyvale, Co. Monaghan
- Primate Dixon Primary School, Coalisland, Dungannon
- Killen Primary School, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone
- St Caireall’s Primary School, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone
- Erganagh Primary School, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone
- St Joseph’s Boys Primary School, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan
- Cloughoge Primary School, Newry, Co. Down
- St Patrick’s Primary School, Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone
- Cortamlet Primary School, Altnamackin, Co. Down
- Newtownhamilton Primary School, Co. Down
- Castlerahan Primary School, Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan
- St Mary's Primary School, Banbridge, Co. Down
- Scoil Naomh Brid, Ardaghy, Omeath, Co. Louth
Monaghan Mental Health Association, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan began sponsoring Mindful Kids Ireland into schools in North Monaghan in Novemeber 2015 and continues to do so.
The Gemma McHale Foundation, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone began sponsoring Mindful Kids Ireland into schools in Castlederg in September 2016 and continues to do so.
Enable Ireland, Rooskey, Co. Monaghan welcomed Mindful Kids Ireland into their Monaghan premises to work with a group of 10 five and six year olds over the summer of 2017.
"The children allocated to the group have all been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These children are mostly surviving in schools with little or no extra supports or resources. This leads to high stress levels and anxiety in our children which can be hard to manage due to frequent outbursts and meltdowns. It has been extremely difficult to find a way for our children to manage their levels of stress independently. Julieanne has brought a whole new dimension to these children’s self-awareness and emotions. Her child friendly programme has allowed the children to explore themselves and their emotions each week. It has encouraged them to stop, take a minute and calm themselves down without the help of others. This is a significant step for some of these children which we have been working on for years! Julieanne has not only been patient and understanding to these children but also very passionate about her work and it has been fantastic working with her."
— Aisling Smith, Speech & Language Therapist, Enable Ireland.