Education Revolution: Julie Braumberger Of Mind
Body Align on Innovative Approaches That Are
Transforming Education
An interview with Eden Gold
Growth takes time. You may not see the results of your hard work at once, but it is there and shows up in diverse ways, not all of which is obvious. Celebrate small wins.
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Julie Braumberger.
Julie Braumberger is the Director of Education of Mind Body Align. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Notre Dame College and is an elementary school teacher for grades Kindergarten through eight, licensed by the Ohio Department of Education. Julie taught elementary age children for over 10 years before developing Labyrinth Adventures and teaching the missing piece in most social and emotional learning curriculums: practices that help students and teachers to pay focused attention, have more productive classroom lives, and manage and reduce all of life’s stressors.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
From my earliest memories, I always wanted to be a teacher. I spent many childhood days playing school with my three siblings and friends at home in Ohio. My mother was a teacher, and 30 years ago, I became one too. My life as a teacher is fulfilling, though there have been well-publicized challenges for teachers through COVID and other traumatic events. Even as my career evolves, and I am working in this highly creative way with Mind Body Align, the teacher’s determination of finding new ways to put students first is always at the forefront. It is an innate part of me as a human.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As my career evolved and I moved from teaching in the big city of Columbus, Ohio to a smaller town, I realize that children are children everywhere — and every day has its delights and funny moments with funny classroom antics and sometimes even mishaps, usually harmless. The lesson I learned is that those children taught to see joy in the everyday and who have better abilities to pause and self-regulate during moments of stress or irritation, which are normal in life, tend to perform better in school and with their relationships.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
I am a licensed teacher in Ohio, certified to teach primary grade students, and have worked in a variety of settings, from pre-K to middle grades and in both private and public schools. I work closely with administration, teachers, and students alike. I am experienced in working in the classroom and guiding teachers in all areas of education, including intervention and special education teachers.
These days, as Director of Education for Mind Body Align, I enjoy a wonderful blend of roles, modeling our mindful SEL curriculum to teachers and designing and teaching professional development for teachers at all levels. On any given week, I may also be hands on in the classroom or developing new curriculum, such as our new Labyrinth Adventures curriculum for grades 2–3, which is expanding to include more grades soon.
I find this work so rewarding because when you teach the teachers mindfulness, students learn from their teachers and you transform schools from the top-down.
Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?
The United States education is doing some things well. They are truly working to meet the mental health needs of staff and students. What is still a missing piece of the puzzle is the expanded integration of mindfulness education. This needs to start from the top down- teach the teachers first. When teachers are mindful in their classroom behavior, students will follow their model.
In rising frequency, schools are making commitments to provide teachers and students with social and emotional learning (SEL), and the practice of mindfulness is accepted as a legitimate part of SEL. Mind Body Align developed programs that are easily integrated into every school’s mental health programs. Mindfulness is proven to reduce depression, curb anxiety, alleviate stress, and make it easier for people to pay focused attention. We have the missing piece to the puzzle — for teachers and students.
Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
Some of the critical problems in education which must become priorities for improvement include financing education, teacher retention, and staffing issues for teachers and support staff.
Why these are so critical:
There is both a financial and geographic aspect to these priorities. Not having teachers who are well trained and prepared to guide their students in learning is a challenge in many regions. Sometimes the challenge is simply in finding quality educators who want to be there teaching. Some regions struggle with finding staff, which leaves holes in education. Sometimes finances (or the failure of school levies) lead to reductions in force, which has extreme negative impacts. They reduce morale, increase classroom sizes, and grow teacher workloads. The financial aspect of education is troublesome. The way funding currently occurs, there is disparate impact from one school district to another. If the government would resolve these issues, it would go a long way in improving education. Regardless of these, teaching every student the critical life skill of paying focused attention is also a key priority for improvement everywhere, and is proven to support us all in weathering life’s challenges.
Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?
Mind Body Align developed an educator professional development curriculum which is entirely on-line and trains the teachers to have a personal practice in mindfulness which will unlock many benefits in life, such as reduced anxiety, improved coping skills, and better overall health and well being.
We also created the Labyrinth Adventures curriculum, which meets curriculum standards for social and emotional learning. We are a highly creative company who is hands on, modeling the curriculum and techniques and tools for the teacher to the students. Our program includes three methods for teaching: the handbook has the whole lesson and scripts, a short video lesson played, or a book read to students. The characters in Labyrinth Adventures are a delightful butterfly named Tia and a grasshopper named Dwight. This curriculum is not just one more thing for the teachers, but it provides a break to teachers because it is all ready for them — and students both enjoy it and benefit from it. We are giving them a gift. It is a gift for both teachers and students!
In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?
If every teacher in every classroom starts their class with a mindfulness practice, this will transform lives. Teachers adding this one-minute practice creates a focus and sets the pace for the day. We observe this often in practice and had it reported in studies. We train hundreds of students and teachers each year. If every teacher, everywhere, embraced a one-minute mindfulness practice each morning, their classroom will operate differently — in a good way. Our studies show it yields each teacher up to 20 minutes more teaching time per day.
How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?
Mind Body Align’s innovative programs measure the impact on student’s learning and well-being. There are many recent comprehensive studies which report the positive impact of mindfulness education on student learning. We evaluate our programs and secure both qualitative and quantitative data from evaluations.
The qualitative data relates to the quality of the program and is shared with us through program evaluations in which we survey students, teachers, and administrators to measure enjoyment and what they learned. We are pleased that 100% of principals would have Mind Body Align back and almost 100% of teachers would want us to return to their classroom.
Quantitative data gives us data through pre-assessment and post-assessment testing of students and teachers. This measures emotional IQ.
What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?
Most school administrators need and want our mindfulness education for teachers and students. Mind Body Align has removed many of the barriers, making our professional development course fully accessible online and cost-effective, but administrators remain challenged by school funding. This includes funding challenges for both student mindful social and emotional learning and educator professional development training. Our team sometimes works with grant programs to secure funding for this education.
Another challenge to implementation involves teachers who feel like they cannot possibly do another thing. We can summarize this as teacher buy-in. We help administration and school leaders understand that the professional development program is an enjoyable experience and provides continuing education credits that allow teachers to retain their license. The school program is taught in the teacher’s own classroom, by our licensed teachers, giving them back that time and teaching important skills of how to pay attention to the students.
Mind Body Align at School is not just one more thing for teachers to do, and it is not some new thing on the bandwagon that will come and go. Our innovative programs are teaching permanent life skills that withstand time and follow throughout life.
Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?
There is really no drawback because it supports teachers, students, and communities equally.
What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?
- Mindfulness education. I wish I were trained in this area of SEL. I may still be teaching in a traditional classroom if I had those skills earlier.
- That differentiation and individualizing is key to student growth.
- Flexibility is essential, especially due to changes in students.
- Laugh and learn from mistakes.
- Growth takes time. You may not see the results of your hard work at once, but it is there and shows up in diverse ways, not all of which is obvious. Celebrate small wins.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“We are what we think, all that we are arises with our thoughts, with our thoughts we make the world.” This quote has been spoken over many generations and throughout many cultures. It is attributed to the philosopher, Buddha. My mother adapted it, saying often, “We live in our minds.” Her message was that by focusing our thoughts, we can have a happier and healthier life.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
The teachers behind Bored Teachers are hilarious and their content is spot on! They bring many teachers joy and poke fun at everyone equally. Laughter is medicine. Lunch with one of these creators would be delightful.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Follow us at http://www.mindbodyalign.com/
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold
Education Revolution: Julie Braumberger Of Mind
Body Align on Innovative Approaches That Are… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.