TEACHING MULTINATIONAL STUDENT
GROUPS USING MINDFULNESS AND
COMMUNICATION EXERCISES
PROBLEM: FROM THE AIRPORT TO MY CLASSROOM
• 30 students, a few from the UK, the rest comes from all over the world
• Signs of distress: no concentration, asking the same questions repeatedly, sitting in the
room with their coats and hat on, not really present
• Pointless to teach them anything as ineffective
• Experiment: 3 minute silence before each session starts
• Not just silence; I give instructions how to sit silent
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS
• Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present
moment and nonjudgmentally. (Jon Kabat-Zinn)
• Mindfulness is the act of being aware and awake to the present moment. (Thich Nhat
Hanh)
• Mindfulness is about being present with and to your own experiences as well as your
outer environment, including other people. (Mindfulness for Teachers)
• Mindfulness is defined as paying attention to our moment by moment experience in a
way that is non-judgmental and kind. (Mindfulness Training Website)
3 MINUTE SILENCE
• Sit straight, with both legs on the floor
• Chin slightly tucked under
• Eyes closed or half open
• Breath in and out through the nose
• Feel the abdomen rise and fall
• Think: in – out
EVALUATION, STUDENT COMMENTS
• It calms me down
• Makes me open
• It relaxes me
• Nice to do nothing
• I arrive here
• You forget the rest of your life
• You have to get used to it, but is actually quite nice
• Good to know, we start our session like this
GROUP PROCESS AND COMMUNICATION
• Communication exercises:
• In pairs:
• How do you say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in your culture?
• Can you say ‘no’ when you would like to say ‘no’?
• What is your experience in group work or working in a team?
CONFLICTS IN SMALL GROUPS
• Every one wants a voice, but who is actually listening
• Listening is difficult
• Learning to respond and not react
• Process:
• Each students gets 5 minutes to share his or her experiences uninterrupted
• Followed by a period of silence or a break
• After the break we come together and each student reflects on the events.
• Subsequently we try to find a solution, which is satisfactory for all parties.
ASSESSMENT:
CRITICAL REFLECTION ON WORKING IN A TEAM
(500 WORDS)
• As part of this module you are required to reflect on the working methods and style of your
production team, including your own contribution to the production process of your
multimedia project.
• You may want to consider the following issues:
• Where you a reliable team member?. Did you perform tasks as agreed? Where you on
time on location and did you attend all production meetings?
• In how far has different cultural backgrounds influenced your work as team. Did gender or
age difference play a role?
• Did language barriers influence your teamwork?
• What were the strengths and weaknesses of your team?
• What have you learned from working in this team and what would you do differently next
time?
EVALUATION
• Creative in finding solutions to problematic teamwork
• For instance: time management issues. Solution: planning meetings direct after teaching
sessions.
• Cultural differences: learning to ask questions and learning to listen
• After working 4 or 5 weeks together, you see ‘trust’ emerging and therefore openness
• Gender issues : difficult to address
LITERATURE
• Where ever you go, there you are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Mindful teaching and teaching mindfulness: a guide for anyone who teaches by Deborah
Schoeberlein and Suki Shet
• You are here: discovering the magic of the present moment by Thich Naht Han