What is MindUP?
MindUP is a comprehensive, classroom-tested, evidence-based curriculum framed around 15 lessons that foster social and emotional awareness, enhance psychological well-being and promote academic success. We, at Caningeraba, believe that social and emotional skills, such as the ability to manage one's emotions and get along with others, play an integral role in academic and life success.
Through the MindUP curriculum we explicitly teach lessons that promote and develop mindful attention to oneself and others, tolerance of differences and the capacity of each member of the community to grow as a human being and be a learner.
Unit 1 Getting Focussed
Students learn about their brains and how they work. By learning how their brains respond to stress and by practising strategies for quieting their minds, children become better at self-regulation, increase their capacity for absorbing information, and improve their relationship skills.
There are 3 main lessons
- How our Brains Work
- Mindful Awareness
- Focussed Awareness
How our Brains work
Introducing the different parts of the brain.
Mindful Awareness
Students compare two types of behaviour: mindful (reflective and purposeful) and unmindful (reflexive and unaware). They identify the parts of the brain responsible for controlling each type.
Focussed Awareness – The Core Practice
Introducing daily strategies for calming down the paying attention. Children begin to learn new ways to help their brain work more mindfully
.Term 2
Unit 2 Sharpening our Senses
By mindfully observing their senses, students will become adept at sharpening their attention and using sensory experiences to enhance memory, problem solving, relationships, creativity and physical performance.
Sharpening our senses also can help us with “grounding". Grounding techniques include 5-4-3-2-1. 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste. Getting back into our bodies and out of our minds can help with anxiety, stress, panic attacks, trauma ( Big T and little t), negative/intrusive or racing thoughts/memories and impulsive behaviours
Wk 1-2
Mindful Listening
Wk 3-4
Mindful Seeing
Wk 5-6
Mindful Smelling
Wk 7-8
Mindful Tasting
Wk 9-10
Mindful Movement1 Mindful Movement 2
Term 3
Unit 3 It's All About the Attitude
As students learn new ways to cultivate a positive mind-set, they prime their brain for learning and for building healthy relationships
There are 3 main lessons
- Perspective Taking
- Choosing optimism
- Appreciating Happy Experiences
Perspective Taking Wk1- Wk 3
By looking at an event from different perspectives students learn to mindfully consider viewpoints other than their own.
Choosing Optimism Wk 4 –W6
Students explore the meaning of optimism and pessimism and discover how these two attitudes affect our relationships and ability to learn.
Appreciating Happy Experiences W7-10
This lesson demonstrates how recalling happy memories can help students regulate their emotions and maintain a positive mind-set.
Term 4
Unit 4 Taking Action Mindfully
Learning to express gratitude and perform acts of kindness helps children build the awareness, cognitive skills, compassion and confidence to contribute in a meaningful way to the classroom and the world.
There are 3 main lessons
- Expressing Gratitude
- Performing Acts of Kindness
- Taking Meaningful Action in the World
Expressing Gratitude Wk1- Wk 3
Children gain an appreciation for special people and things in their lives and discover the social, emotional and cognitive benefits of showing gratitude
Performing Acts of Kindness Wk 4 –W6
As children perform small acts of kindness for friends, classmates, teachers and family they learn how these positive actions can increase their optimism and brain power.
Taking Meaningful Action in the World W7-10
Children collaboratively plan and perform a group act of kindness and reflect on the way combined efforts can make important difference in the world and connect them to their peers and the larger community.
https://www.mindup.org/our-research
MindUp is part of the Australian Curriculum in the form of the General Capabilities : Personal and Social capability.