Deep breaths: NYC to roll out breathing exercises for all students, Banks says
As schools across the city grapple with the mental health fallout of the pandemic, Chancellor David Banks indicated last week that the education department is in the process of introducing breathing exercises for all students.
“We are looking at rolling out two to three minutes of breathing technique[s] for every student in New York City schools as we go into next school year,” Banks said during a panel discussion this week hosted by Educators for Excellence, a teacher advocacy group.
“The pandemic was not the first challenge that a lot of our kids are gonna face and it won’t be the last,” Banks added, responding to a teacher’s question about his vision for social-emotional learning. “We have to teach them the life skills that they need, to know that in the face of trauma and challenge, how to center yourself.”