Mindfulness in Schools: Why It Matters for Students (and Why Chime Time Isn’t Enough) Part 1 of 2

In many schools, mindfulness looks something like this:

A chime rings.
 Students sit quietly.
 Eyes close.
 Three minutes pass.

Then the class moves on.

Mindfulness is everywhere in education, but students are often left wondering what it is for, how it helps, and what they are supposed to do with it once the quiet moment ends. Over time, mindfulness can start to feel like something to tolerate rather than a skill to use.

That usually is not because mindfulness lacks value. It is because it is often taught without a clear purpose or framework.

Why Mindfulness Is an Important Skill for Students

Mindfulness is commonly defined as paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and without judgment. In schools, mindfulness has been shown to support students’ ability to regulate emotions, manage stress, and respond more flexibly to challenges.

Zolkoski and Lewis-Chiu (2019) describe mindfulness as a positive, proactive classroom approach that can help students regulate behavior from the inside out rather than relying on punishment, compliance, or external control.

Research highlights several benefits of mindfulness for students, including improved emotional regulation, reduced impulsive or reactive behavior, increased self-awareness, and improved classroom climate and relationships.

Importantly, mindfulness has shown promise not just for students who appear calm, but also for students experiencing anxiety, anger, attention difficulties, and behavioral challenges when taught intentionally and consistently.

How Mindfulness Is Often Misunderstood in Schools

Despite its popularity, mindfulness is frequently misunderstood.

Students may believe mindfulness means clearing your mind, not thinking, calming down, or feeling better.

From an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) lens, mindfulness is not about stopping thoughts or eliminating emotions. It is about present-moment awareness — noticing what is happening internally and externally so students can respond with intention rather than react automatically.

When mindfulness is taught as a standalone activity rather than connected to a broader framework, students may disengage, comply without understanding, or assume they are doing it wrong when thoughts and emotions show up.

Mindfulness is also not a quick fix. Like any skill, it requires consistency, context, and purpose to be effective.

RAD’s Approach to Mindfulness: Awareness With a Purpose

In RAD, mindfulness is more than three minutes of silence or a strategy to calm students down. Instead, mindfulness is taught as a skill that is connected to the broader program.

In RAD, mindfulness helps students recognize thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. It supports accepting discomfort instead of avoiding or suppressing it. It creates space for doing what is important, even when things feel hard.

Mindfulness is not the only goal.
 It is the skill that makes doing what is important possible.

Using Mindfulness Throughout the School Day (Not Just During Quiet Time)

In RAD, mindfulness is not something students do once and forget.

It is a skill practiced throughout the day, especially in moments that matter: during frustration with a task, before speaking in front of others, in conflict with peers, or when the urge to avoid, shut down, or lash out shows up.

RAD recognizes that mindfulness can occur even when thoughts are loud and emotions are intense. Students do not need to wait until they feel calm to be mindful. They can notice what is happening as it is happening and still choose to accept what is there and do what is important.

Why Mindfulness Works Best Inside a Values-Based Framework

Mindfulness alone may offer benefits. But when mindfulness is taught within a broader framework, it becomes far more powerful.

Mindfulness supports acceptance.


Acceptance supports choice.


Choice supports doing what is important.

This aligns with research emphasizing mindfulness as a proactive, skill-based approach that supports self-regulation and intentional behavior rather than control or punishment (Zolkoski and Lewis-Chiu, 2019).

Key Takeaway: Mindfulness Is a Skill, Not a Moment

Mindfulness is not magic.


It is not silence.


And it is not about feeling calm all the time.

Mindfulness is about noticing what is already here so students can choose how to move forward, even when thoughts are loud and emotions are strong.

When mindfulness is embedded within a clear, values-guided framework like RAD, it stops being a routine and starts becoming a life skill.

Ready to teach mindfulness the RAD way?

Join RAD for 10 dollars per year and access full video lessons, worksheets, and teacher guides. Mindfulness is taught in Lessons 8 and 9.


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Read the second post- Mindfulness Made Simple: How RAD Teaches Students to Take Notice and Do What Matters- Turning Mindfulness Into Usable SEL Skills for Real Life- coming soon!

Reference

Zolkoski, S. M., and Lewis-Chiu, C. (2019). Alternative approaches: Implementing mindfulness practices in the classroom to improve challenging behaviors. Beyond Behavior, 28(1), 46–54.