An elementary school in Baltimore has completely done away with conventional detention. While most kids would have time taken away at recess or have to stay at after-school detention, Baltimore’s Robert W. Coleman Elementary has turned the traditional punishment into a time for meditation.
Here’s what detention looks like at this elementary school: pillows, mats on the floor, dim lighting, and children sitting cross-legged on the floor with their eyes closed in silent meditation.
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The school calls it the Mindful Moment Room, which is not a classic detention room that most people experienced growing up. The room is to provide space for misbehaving kids to calm and recenter themselves through meditation and breathing exercises.
Baltimore-based nonprofit, the Holistic Life Foundation, helped create the Mindful Moment Room as the organization is commited to “nurturing the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities.” The company’s website explains, “Through a comprehensive approach which helps children develop their inner lives through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care. HLF demonstrates deep commitment to learning, community, and stewardship of the environment.”
The most interesting part of the experiment is that it actually seems to be working. On the Holistic Life Foundation’s testimonial page, one 5th grader explained about using the breathing exercises before a test: “I took deep breaths to stay calm and just finish the test. When everybody around you is making a lot of noises just trying to tune them out…and be yourself, do your breathing.”
Not only is the meditation working for the individual kids, but collectively it has had a huge impact on the school. For example, Robert W. Coleman Elementary did not give out a single suspension last year, according to Uproxx.
Do you think a mindful moment for reflection would prove more beneficial than traditional detention?
[H/T Bored Panda, Uproxx]
