Overview
Minding Me Curriculum
Welcome to the Minding Me Curriculum for Elementary School Students! This manual is designed to help you deliver 12 engaging, age-appropriate mindfulness lessons tailored for even the most energetic learners. The curriculum is structured in 12 steps, thoughtfully introducing mindfulness practices in a way that feels fun and natural for children.
MINDING ME MEDITATION
Students Breathe Instead of Throwing Tantrums
Students Count Backwards Instead of Pushing
Students Meditate Instead of Arguing
Students Pause for 3 Seconds Instead of Reacting Out of Anger
Students Express How They Feel Instead of Shutting Down
Students Walk Away Instead of Belittling Other Students
Our Founder
Philosophy of Our
Founder Niema Golphin
As a Black woman raised in the inner city public school system, my journey has been shaped by childhood trauma, resilience, and the absence of the language and tools to understand or regulate my emotions. Looking back, I often reflect on how different my experience might have been if I had access to social-emotional learning and mindfulness practices at a young age. It is from this place of passion and lived experience that I created my mindfulness-based SEL curriculum—specifically for Black and Brown children who, like me, are navigating life’s challenges without a roadmap for emotional wellness.
With over 17 years in education, I have witnessed the silent struggles our children carry with them into the classroom. I’ve seen students come to school burdened with trauma, poverty, loss, and instability—yet they are still expected to sit still, follow directions, and meet academic expectations as if none of that exists. It is both unrealistic and unjust to expect academic success without also teaching the skills to manage emotional and psychological stress.
I believe that children want to do well—and they can, when they are given the tools. Mindfulness and social-emotional learning are not luxuries—they are necessities, especially for students whose lives are shaped by systemic inequity and generational trauma. My curriculum integrates mindfulness meditation with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)’s core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. These are not just competencies—they are survival skills, growth tools, and pathways to healing.
As Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” My mission is to help our children know better—by teaching them to breathe, to name their emotions, to pause before reacting, and to choose peace in a world that often denies them that option.
This curriculum is a love letter to my younger self and a lifeline to the students I serve today. It is my belief that healing begins with awareness—and that awareness, when nurtured through mindfulness, can transform not only individual lives but entire communities.
The program consists of 12 modules that can be taught in two 30 minute increments or 1 full hour.
99$ for the trainer manual with 12 week lesson plans. For schools or non-profits that would like multiple users contact us for rates and discounts.
We provide professional development workshops for the whole school to train staff in best practices in implementing the curriculum. We also provide trainers of our program to come to your school to run mindfulness programming for students K-2nd for 1 year minimum up to 3 years. Contact us to learning more about this offering
To help students recognize and understand different emotions by acting them out and observing others.
1. Introduction (3-5 minutes):
Begin by explaining what empathy means in simple terms: "Empathy is when we understand how someone else is feeling and try to imagine what it’s like to be in their shoes."
Ask: "How do you think someone looks when they feel happy? Sad? Excited?"
2. Charades Activity (10-15 minutes):
3. Debrief (3-5 minutes):
Discuss how it felt to act out and guess emotions. Highlight how noticing someone’s feelings can help us understand and support them better.
