Positive Impact of the UCLA Cares Calm Classrooms Initiative

UCLA CARES
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Dr. Nancy Coogan, an accomplished Washington State educational administrator, recently concluded a four-year tenure as superintendent of the Tukwila School District. Over the course of her career in education, Dr. Nancy Coogan has performed extensive research into the positive impact of mindfulness, not only on administrators and educators, but young students.

Studies have shown that mindfulness techniques can provide positive value to students as young as three years old. At Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary in Watts, California, students from transitional kindergarten through the fifth grade have been introduced to Calm Classrooms, which are three-minute periods during which students are encouraged to focus on deep breathing and relaxation while practicing body awareness. The Calm Classrooms initiative at Florence Griffith Joyner has been spearheaded by the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES), a strong supporter of mindfulness and student resilience practices.

Early reports from the Calm Classrooms program demonstrated positive results, with Principal Akida Kissane-Long noting that discipline referrals dropped dramatically within just three weeks. UCLA CARES, in tandem with the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, has announced plans to train more teachers and faculties through the Calm Classrooms program. In 2016, Calm Classroom techniques were being used in more than 200 schools throughout the United States, reaching over 200,000 students and families. Today, the program has expanded to thousands of classrooms around the world.

Four Characteristics of Resilient Leaders

Resiliency
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Dr. Nancy Coogan is the former superintendent of Tukwila School District in Washington State. A scholar in leadership and professional development, Dr. Nancy Coogan wrote her dissertation on the resiliency and reliability of high school principals.

Resiliency plays a significant role in the success of an educational leader. Here are a few traits and characteristics of resilient leaders:

– Commitment. Resilient leaders commit to performing to the best of their ability and addressing challenges head-on, even when the leaders are faced with surprises or unusual situations. Resilient leaders work hard to bring their organization back to normal functioning after they deal with the occurrences that caused deviation from the standard operation.

– Introspection. Resilient leaders possess the self-awareness to understand their faults and biases and take the time to develop the skills necessary for improvement. In addition, resilient leaders do not take setbacks personally and recognize that growth requires time and patience.

– Positive thinking. Negativity and pessimism have no place in the mind of resilient leaders, who focus on the positive and use unfortunate events as learning experiences. While resilient leaders may not always present their optimistic side, they do turn their attention to what they can control and consider their choices in how they can respond.

– Coping skills. The ability to cope allows resilient leaders to overcome challenges and handle stress effectively. Moreover, the ability to cope enables resilient leaders to identify their emotions and prevent their personal opinions from interfering with their professional work.

How Mindfulness Applies in the Educational Setting

 

Dr. Nancy Coogan

Dr. Nancy Coogan is an education administrator in Washington State. Also a dedicated educational researcher, Dr. Nancy Coogan maintains an interest in mindfulness in the school setting and has published multiple articles on the subject.

Mindfulness is an introspective state wherein individuals remain focused on the present and observe feelings without labeling them as either good or bad. Mindfulness promotes living in the moment, as opposed to dwelling on past misfortunes or anxieties about the future.

From an educational perspective, mindfulness enables school administrators to navigate leadership challenges and balance responsibilities effectively. Mindful administrators learn the importance of authenticity, self-acceptance, and full engagement in the present to prevent complacency.

In the classroom, teachers and educators use mindfulness to cultivate awareness and keep students engaged. Mindfulness meditations help students improve their ability to concentrate by rooting them in the present and teaching them to regulate their emotions. Mindfulness also benefits students with mental or behavioral challenges that hinder their performance.

Becoming a Mindful Superintendent in a “Turnaround” District – A Study

Dr. Nancy Coogan

An education administrator with over two decades of experience, Dr. Nancy Coogan has held leadership positions at several Washington school districts and conducts extensive research on mindfulness in the educational sector. Dr. Nancy Coogan’s findings on the subject have appeared in various academic publications, and in 2015, she co-authored “Becoming a Mindful Superintendent in a ‘Turnaround’ District” for the Open Journal of Leadership.

The paper explored the challenges and turbulence experienced by superintendents due to the implementation of turnaround policies that trigger employee turnover. Dr. Coogan and her associates specifically focused on the role of mindfulness in helping leaders improve instructional services, increase student achievement, and balance multiple responsibilities. In addition, they examined how mindfulness gives them the tools to balance problems that are associated with decreased satisfaction of school faculty and heighted instability.

A new superintendent for a small, urban school district served as the central figure of the study described in the paper. Dr. Coogan and her associates spent two years observing, conducting interviews, and gathering artifacts on the superintendent’s experiences in leading a turnaround process and balancing accompanying demands. The research team concluded that while high stakes accountability can promote change, mindfulness practices more efficiently build resilience.