By Russell Long
Inner city schools across the nation are in serious trouble. In many cities, about half of high school students drop out, and a similar percentage of teachers leave after just five years in the profession.
ROOM TO BREATHE explores one promising solution that has been tested in several dozen public schools ¨C a self-regulatory technique called mindfulness that increases kids' focus and concentration, self-awareness and impulse control.
The film presents a hopeful story of transformation, following a young mindfulness teacher, Megan Cowan, as she spends several months attempting to teach the technique to troubled kids in a San Francisco public middle school that tops the district in disciplinary suspensions.
Confronted by defiance and contempt, Cowan at first runs into substantial difficulties in the classroom. But under her guidance, the students begin to learn the technique and eventually use it to take greater control over their lives, decrease stress, and better focus in class and at home.
Based on the experiences depicted in the film, as well as results at other schools and independent academic studies, the mindfulness technique appears to have broad potential to significantly improve kids' social interactions with peers and adults, to reduce bullying and violence, and to improve academic performance and graduation rates.
Reviews
~ "Room to Breathe tells the story of a special school community that has the courage to try something positive, enriching and innovative to support their students. The principles learned through the Mindfulness sessions - focus, respect, calmness, introspection - will be of great lifelong value to the students, and, to the teachers and parents who support them." - Mary Jane Burke, Superintendent of Schools, Marin County
~ "Room To Breathe is a beautifully crafted documentary and a must-see for anyone who cares about educating kids to be caring and responsible citizens in the 21st Century. More importantly, the practice of mindfulness in schools is truly the next frontier in education reform. We will never close the relentless achievement gap without this kind of intervention. It's contemporary, relevant, evidence based, and it is working!" - Lisa Villareal, Program Officer, Education, The San Francisco Foundation
~ "This is a meaningful, moving, and gutsy film that gives hope in the face of adversity. This film provides a powerful glimpse of what is possible when mindfulness is offered in a skillful manner to our youth in their schools." - Philippe Goldin, PhD, Department of Psychology, Stanford University
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