From Performance Target to Practice: A Mindfulness Journey in Year 2

When Helen, a Year 2 teacher, was given a performance target to engage in action research, she turned it into a powerful inquiry into mindfulness and emotional regulation in the classroom. Over the course of two terms, Helen embedded breathing exercises, brain breaks, and child-led strategies into daily routines — and saw her students flourish.

But this wasn’t just about introducing mindfulness. It was about critically exploring what really works, for whom, and why. Drawing on contemporary research, Helen’s project reminds us that while mindfulness can be transformative, it must be contextual, inclusive, and responsive to each child’s background, needs, and lived experience.

This blog shares the journey of a teacher–researcher partnership with Beyond Bridges Education that turned a professional goal into meaningful change — and offers a framework for others to do the same.