I was never a bad kid growing up. But the few times I was ever put in time-out or sent to detention in school, I could tell you that these methods of punishment don’t seem to be all that effective. The only reason they ever “worked” for me was because I’ve always had a strong guilty conscience and can be easily embarrassed. If it weren’t for those aspects of my personality, I don’t believe these forms of punishment would have made me a better child.
Fortunately, several schools today are opting for an alternative punishment for detention. Rather than sitting in a corner with their backs away from the class or being forced to sit in a silent room with other “delinquent” children while they think of the wrong that they’ve done, schools are having students take yoga or mindfulness classes.
Yellow Springs High School and McKinney Middle School in Yellow Springs, Ohio are two schools opting for alternative “punishments.”
Every Monday after classes end, students are instructed to sit down on a blanket in a classroom for a half-hour. The students are then asked to remain calm and quiet the remainder of the mindfulness session as they focus on the present moment and keep control over their thoughts and emotions.
This alternative detention method aligns perfectly with the state of Ohio’s recently-released initiative entitled “Each Child, Our Future.” Through this program, the state hopes to encourage mindfulness among students. In turn, the goal is to help these children blossom into well-rounded individuals. The state believes that this program may also help tackle the mental health crisis in the country.
But teaching mindfulness is just part of the goal for many schools in Ohio and beyond.
Yellow Springs High School holds yoga classes every Wednesday at their on-campus library. Donna Haller is the one who guides the students with each yoga session. She has been working for the school for the past nine years and is certified in both yoga and meditation.
Several students report that they thoroughly enjoy getting to engage in mindfulness and yoga at school.
“Someone I know said that mindfulness and yoga have helped them with their ADHD and with processing an event where they had lost someone who was dear to them,” said Freshman Isabella Beiring.
Besides potentially helping with the symptoms of ADHD, research shows that yoga and mindfulness can each help combat anger and anxiety, lower b***d pressure, and reduce pain and inflammation in the body. These are things that traditional detention may not be able to provide.
Check out the video below to find out more about alternative forms of detention. What do you think about alternatives like these?
