Can a simple, five minute mindfulness practice help create a classroom where students feel supported to thrive? In a world where students face increasing stress and systemic barriers, mindfulness micro-interventions provide a practical, research-backed way for instructors to support resilience, foster inclusion and belonging, and enhance well-being. In this session, we will delve into the potential of these brief yet impactful practices to support student success, resilience, and overall educational outcomes. Mindfulness micro-interventions play an increasingly prominent role in higher education in supporting students’ adaptive responses in the face of acute and chronic stressors (Brewer et al., 2019). Evidence suggests that micro-interventions, brief and targeted practices including mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral approaches, are associated with increased resilience and psychological capital across diverse student populations (Umeda, Mach & Browning, 2018). Such practices can be especially useful in tandem with institutional-level diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, since curricular resilience interventions in particular can maximize access for underrepresented populations who experience barriers to co-curricular programs due to time and resource constraints (Quaye et al., 2019). We will discuss strategies for implementing curricular micro-interventions, broader considerations for applying such approaches (i.e. personal practice, using unbiased language), and evaluation of student outcomes. We will also discuss the benefits of embedding mindfulness principles into curricular design. This approach helps students move beyond rote memorization and regurgitation to transformative learning (Kuechler & Stedham, 2018) . The overall aim is to facilitate a dynamic dialogue, allowing participants to share their personal insights, experiences and challenges with bringing mindfulness practices to the classroom.
This session is part of the Teaching and Learning Conference (TLC@AOM). Space is limited; separate complimentary TLC@AOM pre-registration on a first-come, first-served basis is required. The TLC@AOM registration deadline is 27 July 2025, unless sold out. Register for TLC@AOM.
