Implementing Meditation in the Higher Education Classroom

Credit: iStock.com/Goodboy Picture Company
Credit: iStock.com/Goodboy Picture Company

The students in our college and universities classroom right now are more anxious and distracted than ever (Clabaugh et al., 2021). According to organizations such as the American Institute of Stress and American Psychological Association, rising stress and anxiety rates among higher education students are due to increased academic pressures, social media influence, less sleep, and concern over societal threats (e.g., mass violence, climate change); additionally, more students may be reporting mental health challenges because of decreased stigma around the subject. Students also appear more distracted than ever due to technological devices, namely cell phones. For example, McCoy (2016) found that college students check their cell phones on average for non-class related information at least 11 times during a typical school day (a number I suspect might be higher these days).

In light of this “new” generation of stressed-out, distracted students, the reality is professors need to expand their pedagogical toolbox to include strategies to help students to focus so they can learn content and calm the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with the fight-flight-freeze response. While these skills are incredibly important to higher education teaching, it’s not enough to be able to craft engaging lessons, weave technology into instruction and assessment, and hold interesting class discussions. So what tool can faculty use to ease anxiety without taking up too much instructional time?


To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
Recently, a student sent me a political news article with the comment “Things are falling apart.” I didn’t...
You’ve prepared a fabulous, interactive class. You’ve designed engaging activities, developed meaningful discussion questions, and cultivated an inviting...
AI has become a part of nearly all facets of teaching, from lesson development to exam creation to...
Navigating the gulf between the most and least prepared students in a course can seem like an insurmountable...
I’ve taught a course in statistics for psychological research for almost 40 years. No student becomes a psych...
My course is literally about teaching reading to young children, a challenge given that research suggests that college...

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to limited free articles, news alerts, and select newsletters

Login here

Get unlimited access to The Teaching Professor

Stay informed. Subscribe Now.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Teaching Professor

You only have  free article views remaining.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 a month thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Are you signed up for free weekly Teaching Professor updates?

You'll get notified of the newest articles.