Mindfulness (2020) 11:2860–2861

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01507-2

BOOK REVIEW

Patricia A. Jennings: The Mindful School: Transforming School

Culture Through Mindfulness and Compassion Guilford Press,
New York, NY, 2019, 271 pp.
Melissa L. Morton 1 & Joshua C. Felver 1

Accepted: 12 September 2020 / Published online: 5 October 2020

# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020

Today’s youth face well-documented challenges. There has perception built by mindfulness practice may be applied to sys-
been an increase in mental health concerns among K-12 stu- temic transformations in the entire educational system.
dents in recent years, including increased rates of depression The first section of the book provides an accessible intro-
and self-harm, and declines in measures of happiness and life duction that frames the rest of the book’s content. Chapter 1
satisfaction (Keyes et al. 2019; Twenge and Campbell 2018; highlights the call for an educational transformation of schools
Twenge et al. 2018). These mental health challenges have that includes mindfulness programming and offers an overview
been exacerbated by the additional stress that has resulted of each section and chapter’s content in order to orient the
from the COVID-19 pandemic. These troubling mental health reader to the material. Chapter 2 summarizes the current re-
trends in youth have prompted school personnel to seek strat- search on mindfulness-based programming for youth to support
egies to meet the needs of today’s struggling youth. One such well-being. The authors provide an overview of many of the
categorical approach has included the integration of evidence-based programs currently being implemented and
mindfulness-based practices into school settings to help stu- summarize the existing literature on the impact these programs
dents and school personnel manage stress and cultivate have on student’s mental health, self-regulation, physical
prosocial qualities to support mental health (Meiklejohn health, and academic functioning. This chapter closes with a
et al. 2012). The emerging evidence in support of the utility case study that describes the experience of integrating mindful-
of mindfulness-based programming for youth (Felver et al. ness into a secondary school, the perception of students receiv-
2016; Klingbeil et al. 2017) has elicited a surge of interest in ing the programming, and the required skills necessary to obtain
deploying these practices more widely and systematically in benefits from the program.
school settings. The second section of the book, which comprises the ma-
Jennings’ edited volume, The Mindful School: Transforming jority of the content, focuses on the roles and responsibilities
School Culture through Mindfulness and Compassion, provides of individuals in school transformation. This section considers
the reader with a compendium of research, strategies, case stud- a myriad of perspectives and voices concerning distinct ways
ies, and practical insights to guide schools in the implementation that mindfulness, both conceptually and programmatically,
of mindfulness-based programming. This collection of chapters can transform schools. Chapter 3 focuses on examining how
does not focus solely on how mindfulness may be directly taught mindfulness and compassion practices geared for adults in the
to students; rather, it includes a diverse array of contributions schools can create a culture of trust, positive relationships,
highlighting multiple different service providers (e.g., adminis- reflection, resilience, and renewal that allow all individuals
trators and school counselors) and school systems that may be to thrive. Chapter 4 details the key role school principals can
directly affected by mindfulness programming to indirectly ben- play in supporting mindfulness, and it includes a relevant case
efit students. The book introduces the reader to the idea that study detailing how one principal spearheaded an initiative to
mindfulness may be a catalyst through which the skills and implement programming schoolwide in an urban charter
school. In Chapter 5, the authors delve into research examin-
ing unnamed domains of teacher competency (e.g., teacher
* Melissa L. Morton presence, social-emotional competencies) and how these qual-
[email protected]
ities are important to embody as an effective teacher. The
authors propose a calm, clear, kind framework for the mindful
1
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
Mindfulness (2020) 11:2860–2861 2861

teacher and explain how these qualities can develop from compassion, support, and mindfulness. The book is filled with
contemplative practices. In Chapter 6, the authors provide strategies, wisdom, and knowledge to allow individuals to
three elementary school teacher case studies examining the apply the models and programs that are desperately needed
role of passion for mindfulness practice in implementing a in today’s schools. Here, school-based professionals will ben-
mindfulness-based social-emotional curriculum. They discuss efit from the decades of research and clinical experience from
the mechanisms (e.g., personal commitment, personal value of leading scholars and professionals in the field. Further, readers
the activity) and circumstances (e.g., teacher training) that will emerge with a comprehensive understanding of the pro-
may foster teacher buy-in and the development of passion that posed transformation while receiving concrete information
arises from independent choice instead of social pressure. about the next steps he or she can take regardless of their role
Chapter 7 approaches how school counselors can function as within the school system. This authentic collection of chapters
key agents of change within schools, including multiple case from leading educational mindfulness scholars should be con-
examples of a school counselor’s use of mindfulness interven- sidered required reading for any school-based personnel seek-
tions to assist students in handling stress, exposure to trauma, ing to implement mindfulness-based practices effectively into
and regulating attention and hyperactivity. Chapter 8 exam- the contemporary school system.
ines the role of parents as partners in developing mindful
schools and transforming the school culture via school-
family partnerships.
The third section of the book provides a prospective out- References
look on the future of mindfulness in school systems. In
Chapter 9, the authors discuss how teachers and students can Felver, J. C., Hoyos, C. E. C., Tezanos, K., & Singh, N. N. (2016). A
systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions for youth in
find peace amidst the chaos of the modern school system.
school settings. Mindfulness, 7(1), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/
They go on to describe the rationale and process of setting s12671-015-0389-4.
up a contemplative teacher licensure program by mixing con- Keyes, K. M., Gary, D., O’Malley, P. M., Hamilton, A., & Schulenberg,
templative studies with pedagogy skills that fit within state J. (2019). Recent increases in depressive symptoms among US ad-
standards. In Chapter 10, the author explores the historical olescents: trends from 1991 to 2018. Social Psychiatry and
Psychiatric Epidemiology, 54(8), 987–996. https://doi.org/10.
background to illuminate the current state of education and 1007/s00127-019-01697-8.
how harm has occurred over time among the most vulnerable Klingbeil, D. A., Renshaw, T. L., Willenbrink, J. B., Copek, R. A., Chan,
students, families, and communities as a result of educational K. T., Haddock, A., Yassine, J., & Clifton, J. (2017). Mindfulness-
policies. Given the educational context shared, mindfulness is based interventions with youth: a comprehensive meta-analysis of
group-design studies. Journal of School Psychology, 63, 77–103.
proposed as a tool that may meet the needs of students from an https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2017.03.006.
equitable lens. Meiklejohn, J., Phillips, C., Freedman, M. L., Griffin, M. L., Biegel, G.,
The Mindful School: Transforming School Culture through Roach, A., … Saltzman, A. (2012). Integrating mindfulness training
Mindfulness and Compassion is an excellent resource for into K-12 education: fostering the resilience of teachers and stu-
teachers, parents, administrators, policymakers, and any dents. Mindfulness, 3(4), 291–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-
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stakeholder invested in education. This book provides a mul- Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen
tifaceted view of how the many hands involved in education time and lower psychological well-being among children and ado-
can collaborate to create a school transformation by lescents: evidence from a population-based study. Preventive
employing mindfulness and compassion-based perspectives Medicine Reports, 12, 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.
2018.10.003.
and tools. This book marries current, evidence-based content
Twenge, J. M., Martin, G. N., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Decreases in
and models with highly practical information and case studies psychological well-being among American adolescents after 2012
that render this compendium useful for a variety of profes- and links to screen time during the rise of smartphone technology.
sionals and laypeople. The description of the various roles that Emotion, 18(6), 765–780. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000403.
different professions (e.g., school counselors) may hold while
integrating mindfulness into school systems provides a com- Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdic-
tional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
pelling vision for a school environment characterized by