Educational Leadership student creates mindfulness room for students at BISD elementary

Lamar University Educational Leadership – Doctoral Studies student and Homer Drive Elementary PE teacher, Nicholas Monette, emphasizes innovative technology with hopes of becoming a professor and working in professional development. Monette envisioned a space for students to embrace mindfulness during their school day, and he brought his vision to life with the Every Moment Matters Zone Mindfulness Room.

“I wanted to accomplish various things with our school and community business partners. One of our pillars that serve as a lifestyle tool for our campus is social-emotional learning, which any individual can benefit from students to adults,” said Monette. “This mindfulness room is designed to help students’ and teachers’ emotional intelligence through a program to develop healthy relationships, work through challenging situations, reduce stress and motivate each other to succeed. It was also an accomplishment to build positive relationships with our business partners to meet the needs of the students, faculty and staff.”

A shared vision between the students, faculty and staff, and community business partners sparked Monette’s idea of creating the room. “I was joyful when I received the call from our community business partner, Praise Church, saying that they fully funded our project and our plan had a perfect vision to fit their purpose,” said Monette. “The mindfulness room was designed and built by student leaders and teacher input representing their school culture. Their innovativeness and creative ideas with the program design prioritize all students, faculty, staff and business partners as valuable members of the Homer Drive Community.”

“Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surroundings through a nurturing, nonjudgmental lens,” said Monette. “When we practice mindfulness, we tune our thoughts to our present moment rather than rehashing the past or worrying about the future. The room is a designated space on campus to promote a sense of acceptance of feelings, thoughts, and belonging in our school community. Students and teachers have a scheduled time to enjoy activities and various stations for relaxation, creating arts and crafts, computer time and time to bond with others as a class.”

Monette’s goal was to develop a program that provides students with school-wide incentives, supports teachers and staff's social-emotional health and well-being, and acknowledges all business partners as valuable school community members. 

“A shared vision of success is understanding and acknowledging everyone as valuable members towards a common goal,” said Monette. “The common picture shared between the students, teachers, and community showed signs of a positive future that members designed with their personal vision. In times of turbulence and dealing with issues affecting the school culture and climate, the mindfulness room is just one innovative program created to meet the school's needs and serve as a legacy. Beaumont is built on an educational system from K-12 up to college institutions and supportive business partners around the area. Therefore, we must bond as an educational system and community to provide students the essential support regardless of the situation.”

From innovation programs in the education system and summer sports teams to ensuring students can solidify jobs after graduation or continue to pursue higher education, Monette believes Beaumont has the potential to ensure children are limitless by bonding together and recognizing it takes a village to raise a child.