Heidi Demars began her career as an occupational therapist working in schools. However, her career path changed one day when she recognized a boy who was struggling in class. Demars said she knew something had happened to him and could see he wasn’t willing to share about it. She decided to use a calming practice with him — and he opened up. She says that moment she realized teachers are at the forefront of dealing with social and emotional issues daily.
Demars now works with teachers and schools across the state as part of her Mindful You, Mindful Me practice. In this episode, Demars explains how mindfulness can positively impact social and emotional health and shares tips and resources for implementing mindfulness in the classroom.
Mindful You, Mindful Me regularly co-hosts mindfulness training courses with North Dakota United Professional Development. You can see a list of upcoming events at the NDU events page by clicking here.
Resources:
“Growing Up Mindful” by Christopher Willard
“Mindfulness for Teachers” by Patricia A. Jennings
“Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom” by Jeanie M. Iberlin
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