Mindful Rhythms – trauma informed education
………………………………….WHEN KIDS ENGAGE THE MIND AND THE BODY THEY CAN LEARN
Dreams deferred….
Posted by on July 29, 2013
If you are not able to reach for your dreams,
If you are not able to dream,
If you can’t acquire the basic skills to realize your dream,
Where might you find yourself one day?
Mindful Rhythms – trauma informed teaching – in schools is designed to support all learners to realize their dreams….
Dream Deferred: Are We Leaving Black Students Behind?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/27/black-students-teacher-quality_n_3661248.html
Mindful Rhythms back in the SF Jails bringing Trauma Informed Movement to the Veterans
Posted by on July 25, 2013
Mindful Rhythms has just launched a pilot project bringing in Trauma Informed Movement to the male inmates in the Veterans Pod in the San Francisco San Bruno Jail.
This program builds on the innovative restorative justice work begun in February ’13 when Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi brought embodied dance and movement to the incarcerated men and women in the San Francisco Jails in collaboration with Eve Ensler’s One Billion Rising global restorative justice dance event created to raise awareness of violence and oppression of women and children world wide. I am excited to bring trauma informed movement and dance to the veterans through the Mindful Rhythms Program, continuing the transformative healing, peace building, and restorative justice process set in motion that day, five months ago, when we danced in solidarity with with the Sheriff, Captain Paulson, incarcerated men and women, jail staff, and our Dancers Without Borders team.
Mindful Rhythms integrates principles of Restorative Justice, creative expression and embodied movement. These practices have been proven effective releasing deeply held, unresolved trauma and have a positive impact alleviating the symptoms that lead to reactive behaviors, addictions and stress related disorders.
“The memory of trauma is imprinted on the human organism. I don’t think you can overcome it unless you get a friendly relationship to your body” Bessel van der Kolk M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, founder of the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, and pioneer researcher in the field of Trauma
Our first classes have been rich, transformative and healing for all involved.
Mindful Rhythm Movements featured in Conscious Teaching’s online teacher training program
Posted by on July 25, 2013
Mindful Rhythm Movements for Science is featured in Rick Smith’s newest book, “Picture This:Visuals and Rubrics to Teach Procedures, Save Your Voice, and Love Your Students”. Clips of the program in action are featured in the DVD and the online teacher training program.
http://www.consciousteaching.com/book-picture-this/
A little about Rick’s book:
“Whenever we share strategies involving the use of rubrics and visuals for teaching procedures, the level of excitement in the room skyrockets. Participants can suddenly see a clear road map for teaching procedures, and simple ways to save their voices, stop confronting their students, and do what needs to be done in a fun and efficient way. For years we’ve been asked to put these strategies into one handy tool. And here it is!”
Thank You Rick!
Teaching Science Through Hip Hop
Posted by on March 20, 2013
A Columbia University professor and a Harvard Physicist who loves rap team up to teach students in Harlem science using rap music !
Very cool! More evidence on the power of teaching with Mindful Rhythms!
Teaching Science Through Hip Hop
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
RAPT Students in Harlem took turns delivering raps in class. Christopher Emdin, left, a professor at Columbia, joined them.
Harper High School – from NPR’s This American Life
Posted by on March 20, 2013
This American Life captures and portrays the challenges inner city high school students face daily in the series on Harper High School. Students deal with violence and trauma directly and indirectly on a daily basis, bringing it with them to school. This trauma must be addressed in the classroom to help kids stay present, embodied, open and able to learn. Mindful Rhythms, a trauma-informed education resource, builds community, creates safe space, promotes mindfulness and individual presence, opening the possibility for a deeper learning experience.
Follows is the link to this great report…Harper High School – This American Life
487: Harper High School, Part One
FEB 15, 2013
We spent five months at Harper High School in Chicago, where last year alone 29 current and recent students were shot. 29. We went to get a sense of what it means to live in the midst of all this gun violence, how teens and adults navigate a world of funerals and Homecoming dances. We found so many incredible and surprising stories, this show is a two-parter; Part One airs this week, Part Two is next week.
Mindful Rhythms used in group process for Break the Chain rehearsal at Moreau High School
Posted by on March 20, 2013
Mindful Rhythms used in group process for Break the Chain rehearsal at Moreau High SchoolBorders to bring rehearsals to Moreau High School and a campus flash mob dance on March 8th, International Women’s Day, to teach the power of restorative justice, art in action, healing through rhythm and dance, and to bring an awareness to the need to stop violence against women and children. The March 8th flash mob dance was a continuation of the global dance event, One Billion Rising, which occurred on February 14th, with over 200 countries around the world dancing to break the chain of violence.
Over 25 students and staff members participated in the flash mob dance, performed at the end of classes Friday afternoon to a surprised standing room only crowd. Signs stating facts about domestic violence and abuse had been created by the dancers and were held by students through the dance. It was a powerful experience for all!
Watch a promotional clip of the dance Break the Chain…
Mindful Rhythms in the San Francisco Jails
Posted by on March 18, 2013
On February 13, 2013, Mindful Rhythms joined Dancers without Borders and The Men’s Story Project in collaboration with the One Billion Rising call to Dance to bring rehearsals into the San Francisco jail for the male inmates of County Jail #5 to teach the choreographed dance for the song “Break the Chain”. The following day, on February 14th, inmates performed the dance in the men’s and women’s jails, in solidarity with a flash mob of over 1,000 dancers at City Hall and dancers in over 200 countries around the world. The dance in the jail was part of the One Billion Rising global dance event, aimed at raising awareness for the issue of domestic violence.
Sheriff Mirkarami and his family happened upon Dancing Without Border’s first flash mob performance on January 26th at Justin Herman Plaza. He watched us weave together a message of reconcillation and healing between men and women. Through this courageous creative message he was moved to bring the One Billion Rising “Break the Chain” choreography to the population he serves and clear the way forproduction of the Inmate Rising Video, truly “Art in Action”, and the power of image to transform trauma and practice peace.
Here is a clip of the February 13th rehearsals in CJ #2 and CJ #5.
We were in CJ 5 for four hours. Mindful Rhythms was used in the restorative justice group process held before the rehearsal. The group included the 30 male inmates, guards, and our team. Mindful Rhythms was included as a group process to ground and center the participants, create community and a safe container for the rehearsal. The rehearsal was transformational.
The message that Eve Ensler provided reached into the hearts and souls of the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals within our immediate community. The call to RISE created a momentum that is unprecedented within our jail systems. The inmates, through creative facilitation were led through a process that created the context of healing. All felt that a shift has taken place. Perhaps a message of restoration can happen at all levels of our society. No one shall be left behind.