MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION, ICELAND

Experience activities that can help you and your students to increase concentration, inner peace, self-esteem and empathy. 

Just like there are different ways to train your body, there are also different ways to train your brain.

On this 7 day course we will show you how mindfulness and meditation training should be an essential part of our daily routine just like eating, sleeping and moving.  By implementing it into your life and teaching, you will feel the enormous benefits for both yourself and your students.  In a short time, you will start to feel better in your own skin, have more positive relationships with others and improve your concentration and work efficacy.

The activities include different kinds of meditation and quiet activities that can easily be implemented into our busy day.

THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

• Mindful meditation
• Mindful walking
• Body scans
• Formal and informal meditations
• Breathing and relaxation exercises
• Positivity and gratitude practices
• Now minutes
• Quiet Play to Learn More games
• Active listening

“Now minutes” is a special approach that is being used in Icelandic schools to implement mindfulness and meditation as a part of everyday school activities involving both teachers and students.

“Quiet Play To Learn More” games are calm activities where academic objectives are taught or reviewed through simple games.

Through “Active listening” tasks, participants learn techniques to “actively listen” to other people’s feelings and thoughts without judgement while showing them respect and full attention.  These tasks are practiced throughout the course. 

The sessions are highly practical and teachers experience the activities first-hand. The course also allows teams of teachers to have fun together and is great for team building.

Throughout the course, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the sessions and adapt activities to suit their specific settings.  All the activities can be adapted for children, adolescents and adults.

COURSE AIMS:

• To introduce the ideology behind Smart Teachers Play More and observe first-hand how the project is working in local schools in Iceland.
• To give teachers a close-up and personal insight into the Icelandic school system.
• To give teachers first-hand experience and the tools needed to implement mindfulness and meditation practice as a part of the daily school routine.
• To practice a range mindfulness and meditation techniques.
• To explore positive communication and active listening exercises as part of mindfulness and meditation training.
• To experience positivity and gratitude practices.
• To observe the power of quiet activities to teach and review academic objectives.
• To give teachers the opportunity to share successful activities they use in their own school/country so we can learn from each other.
• To help teachers plan the vision for their open and supportive well-being classroom culture with time to reflect on their individual schools and plan realistic steps for implementation and success.
• To have fun, share experiences and learn from like-minded teachers from different countries.
• To continue growing our network of teachers and schools from all over Europe and beyond.

OUTSTANDING TRAINERS:

The course is run by Kristín Einarsdóttir and her team.  Kristín is a qualified P.E., yoga and mindfulness teacher from Iceland.  She is also the founder and author of the acclaimed teaching method Play to Learn More where academic subjects are combined with play, movement and mindfulness activities to optimise learning.  Her passion is to train as many teachers as possible in the method in order to ensure that students everywhere can benefit from the powerful experience of physical and mindful learning activities. Kristin works with over 30 schools in Iceland and has organised educational courses and conferences for more than 5,000 teachers in Iceland, Norway, Spain, Croatia and Poland.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE EDUCATION SECTOR:

This course offers learning opportunities for teachers and school staff across the education sector including: Preschool; Primary; Secondary; Adult education; Special Needs; Teaching assistants; School management; Vocational education; Higher education; and Student teachers.

VISIT ICELANDIC SCHOOLS:

As part of the course and with your Icelandic hosts, you will have the opportunity to visit Icelandic schools at each educational stage. You will witness, first-hand, how Iceland, with only 330,000 inhabitants, produces so many well-known athletes and artists. You will see how outdoors, sport and practical subjects, such as home economics, woodwork and art, are given the same priority as academic subjects at all stages of education.

SHARING GOOD PRACTICE AND NETWORKING:

We also provide the opportunity to share good practice during the course so we can learn from each other and find partners for future projects: KA1 projects, job shadowing opportunities and/or KA229 projects.

TEACHER WELL-BEING:

One of our priorities while you spend your valuable time with us in Iceland is your well-being. Every teacher is important to us and we want you to feel valued and comfortable throughout your stay. As well as the extra activities we provide as part of the course fee (see below), we work hard to ensure you have a really good time. We ensure lots of team-building and “get to know you” activities from day one and our courses are dynamic and fun-packed. We are genuine Icelandic hosts so you will get the real Icelandic experience and we are renowned to look after our teachers really well.

AS PART OF THE COURSE WE ALSO PROVIDE:

• Morning refreshments
• Cultural evening
• Visit to the local swimming pool and hot tubs
• Course material
• Certificate of attendance

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND SIGHTSEEING:

Join us on our own tailor-made local tour of amazing Iceland with our SMART TEACHERS PLAY MORE TOUR PACKAGE for both participants and their families! A great way to enjoy the wonders of Iceland, network and get to know your new European friends.

ACCOMMODATION:

Don’t miss out on our EXCLUSIVE PARTICIPANT DISCOUNT VOUCHERS for a brand new trendy hotel we work with close to our course centre!

COURSE DATES:

COURSE PRICE: 595€ per participant

COURSE I.D. for Erasmus +: 217654