This mixed-methods study aimed to assess teachers’ and students’ perceptions of their mindfulness. The concept of mindfulness involves three interrelated mental skills and dispositions: (a) concentrating attention intentionally on the here and now; (b) perceiving the present moment in a calm, clear, and receptive manner; and (c) experiencing each moment just as it is without bias or judgment (Kostanski & Hassed, 2008). This study analyzed the effects that the B.R.E.A.T.H.E. (Body, Reflection, Emotions, Attention, Tenderness, Healthy Habits, Empowerment) initiative had on teachers’ and students’ perceptions of mindfulness and their ability to apply these practices across the instructional day. It included 25 teacher participants who are kindergarten to Grade 5 elementary school staff members in the district. Additionally, the study included approximately 280 elementary school students.

In light of the potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited access to social-emotional competency development, mental health education has continued to gain leverage as a priority in schools. Interest has increased in the utility of mindfulness practices as one critical approach to addressing student well-being and social-emotional learning. Emerging evidence has suggested that these programs are beneficial for increasing children and adolescents’ attention, resilience, self-regulation, and social-emotional skills (Napoli et al., 2005). Therefore, it is essential to examine the impact on teacher and student participants when mindfulness, built on an educational neuroscience foundation, is included in daily instruction.

The data collected for this study came from Likert surveys and semi-structured interviews. Likert surveys were used to assess teachers’ and students’ capacity for mindfulness and mindful attention. At the culmination of the school-based mindfulness intervention, semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate the program’s effects on the teachers’ perception of their mindfulness and that of their students. Paired and independent sample t tests were performed to analyze Likert survey data, and systemic content analysis and applied thematic analysis were used to find common threads and themes for the study of the interviews. These data revealed a statistically significant change in teachers’ and students’ perceptions of mindfulness and their ability to apply these practices across the instructional day after participation in the B.R.E.A.T.H.E. initiative.