5 Tips for Teaching Yoga in Schools From A Superintendent of The Year from Erik Ofgang and Tech & Learning

Thank you to @erikofgang and Tech & Learning for this original article, which you can find here.

Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Barbara Malkas is leading a rejuvination in North Adams, MA, and focusing on self-care for herself,her faculty, and her students after the challenges of the pandemic, by introducing a yoga program in her district.

Recognizing the need for social-emotional learning opportunities, Malkas became interested in an organization called Breath for Change, which trains educators in yoga, mindfulness, and other wellness practices. She became a certified yoga instructor and began offering classes to teachers and students.

Malkas says “I have to be very honest and say that my bringing forward this as an initiative in the district came from a purely selfish self-care need. This was back in 2021. We were just coming out of the pandemic. Stress levels were really high for both the adults in the district as well as for the children.”

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Today, more than 30 educators in the district, including the football coach for Drury High School, are leading yoga sessions for students, staff, and community members.

“In the beginning, you get some wigglers and squirmers and kids who don’t really think this is serious or for them.” says Malkas. “As time goes by, they start to recognize that, ‘Wait a minute. I see what my neighbor on the mat next to me is doing and they seem to be in a good place. They’re smiling afterward. They’re enjoying themselves. Well, I want to do that too.'”

The district has seen a decrease in behavioral incidents and discipline referrals since the program’s implementation. Teachers report that students are better able to manage stress and focus in class after practicing mindfulness techniques.

But Malkas emphasizes that participation is voluntary. “Our goal is to ‘offer.’ We’re going to offer and figure out innovative ways to offer, but we’re never going to force. We’re never going to say, ‘This is what you’re going to do.'”

But here are 5 tips she shares to help get things moving, should you want to try this in your district- You can read more about these at Tech & Learning

1. Get creative with ways to recruit students and staff. Offer classes during the day and after school, and find innovative incentives like allowing yoga as an alternative to detention.
2. Track data on behavioral incidents, discipline referrals, and survey teacher feedback to gauge the program’s impact.
3. Remember yoga isn’t for everyone, so make it available but never force participation. Provide alternative opportunities for those not interested in yoga/mindfulness.
4. Collaborate with teachers and be patient. Don’t just prescribe a program, but get input from staff and allow time for capacity building.
5. Don’t make assumptions about who will or won’t embrace yoga. Even those you might not expect could get a lot of value from the practices.

Dr. Malkas encourages other districts to be patient and collaborative when implementing similar programs, and to resist making assumptions about who might embrace these practices.

“Don’t make assumptions,” Malkas concludes, “because the assumption could have been, ‘Oh, my teachers are never going to go for this. This is not going to work in my district.'”