Dr. Elizabeth Erwin to Present: “What We Can Learn from Children About Mindfulness to Transform Our Learning Environments”

Dr. Elizabeth Erwin, Professor in the Teaching and Learning Department, will present “What We Can Learn from Children About Mindfulness to Transform Our Learning Environments” on October 14, 2020, at 2:00 pm. The virtual webinar is free and specifically aimed at educators.

Additionally, a recording of the event will be posted for teachers and others who are not able to make it to the live session. There is also an opportunity to receive a CE Certificate for this edWebinar.

Imagine feeling a sense of calm and focus, and transmitting that positive energy to children regardless of what is happening in the external world. The purpose of this edWebinar is to critically examine the joy and power of presence in education. Dr. Elizabeth Joy Erwin, Professor of Education at Montclair State University, will discuss:

• Why we have so much to learn from children, especially the youngest ones
• How to develop a culture of mindfulness and how to maintain it over time
• Simple mindfulness practices to engage in starting now

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to practice mindfulness together with young children. By discovering how to integrate simple ideas and practical strategies to calm the body and quiet the mind, educators can select the exact tools they want to ensure all children learn and thrive.

Additional benefits of attending this edWebinar include thinking more expansively about the connections between social justice and mindfulness and exploring why reflective inquiry can transform our own learning and teaching. Through a variety of diverse educator, family, and child voices, participants will gain knowledge and tools for a wide menu of classroom-based and individualized mindfulness practices (i.e., breathing, meditation, yoga, guided imagery).

This edWebinar will be of interest to preK-5 teachers, librarians, therapists, and school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Dr. Erwin prepares current and future teachers to think critically, reflect deeply and teach inclusively. Over the past 25 years, the commitment to educational equity for young children with disabilities has been at the heart of her teaching and research with a focus on mindfulness, families, and inclusive education. In pursuit of social action—locally and globally—Dr. Erwin has published widely in prestigious academic journals, authored multiple books and chapters, and accepted invitations to teach about inclusive early childhood worldwide. Dr. Erwin currently lives in New York City where she practices yoga and meditation every day.