Mindfulness as a pedagogical tool has benefits that extend beyond the learning environment says Associate Professor Anna High.
Associate Professor Anna High has been awarded an Otago Excellence in Teaching Award for leadership in mindfulness pedagogy and student-centered legal education.
A member of Te Kaupeka Tātai Ture Faculty of Law, Associate Professor High says keeping rigour and accessibility in mind as equally important tenets in all her teaching has led her to incorporate mindfulness as a teaching tool.
“My students need to learn about the intricacies of complex doctrinal points, but they also need support in learning how to learn, and in building up a toolkit of techniques that will serve them in law school and in practice. For that reason, I incorporate mindfulness as a key pedagogical tool in my lectures,” says Associate Professor High.
Associate Professor High first encountered mindfulness as a learning technique when she was teaching in the United States. She says her longstanding personal practice of meditation and reflection has been really grounding in her own studies and academic career.
She has also used mindfulness to create a learning environment in which pressure and self-doubt can be acknowledged and students are given a tool to work through the impact of those factors on their learning, identity, and personal wellbeing.
“In my experience, mindfulness can offer, for many students, a path to wellbeing, improved focus, resilience, and empathy.”
Associate Professor High has impressive academic credentials. She studied Chinese and Law at the University of Queensland, and went on to do a Bachelor of Civil Law, and a Masters' and Doctorate of Philosophy in Chinese Law as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. From there, she went to Marquette University Law School as Visiting Assistant Professor for two years, and to Loyola University Chicago School of Law as Distinguished Scholar in Residence.
“I find academia challenging but when things click, it's incredibly rewarding, and seeing that happen for students in their own studies is also really wonderful.”
She now teaches Evidence Law, Jurisprudence, Chinese Law, and Gender and the Law.
“Teaching is a true joy for me. I hope this is infectious – even subjects with as dry a reputation as evidence law and jurisprudence can be incredibly engaging, and I find it very rewarding to see students learn to appreciate nuances and complexities, and to succeed in reaching for the 'high-hanging fruit', of a particular area of law.”
Associate Professor High is co-chair of the New Zealand chapter of the Mindfulness in Law Society. She recommends teachers and learners in law wanting to engage more with mindfulness connect with the Society, which offers free weekly “virtual sits” for people in law all around the world. There are more resources and links on the Mindfulness in Law Society website.
She also advises that, more generally, there are some wonderful apps such as HeadSpace and Calm available for people looking to learn more about mindfulness.
“Mindfulness is not just about meditation – it can also be cultivated through other contemplative practices, such as yoga and Tai Chi, both of which are easily accessed in Ōtepoti. And there are plenty of written resources on contemplative pedagogy, across all areas of education, available online.”