Paws b: Classroom mindfulness for primary school age children
Taught by a Trained Paws b Teacher
Xanda Monteiro
Weekly classroom lessons are led by Xanda Monteiro — local author, meditator, and Trained Paws b Teacher.
This programme needs a trained teacher. That is why it sits on its own page — simple, colourful, and focused on children’s skills.
By arrangement — please enquire.
The Programme
What Paws b gives your pupils
Through Paws b, I offer children a gentle, practical taste of mindfulness, and I'd love to bring it to your school. Alongside short practices, like resting their focus on each breath or feeling their feet planted firmly under the desk, the children become brain explorers for a while. They find out how their own brain and body work, and why big feelings sometimes take over.
We meet the amygdala, a small alarm system deep in the brain that is always watching out for danger. It's brilliant at keeping us safe, but it acts first and asks questions later, so it can set off a fight, flight or freeze reaction over everyday things like a hard maths question, a falling-out with a friend or a big match. Pupils learn to recognise the signals their body sends: a thumping heart, quick breathing, tight shoulders, the urge to lash out or run. Then we practise the calming half of the story: how pausing, and slowing the breath (especially a long breath out), gives the body a chance to settle and gives the thinking part of the brain, at the front, room to help us make a wiser choice.
We also explore other areas of the brain involved in focusing, remembering and sensing how we feel, and the children discover that the brain keeps changing as we practise, the same way practice makes us better at hurling or the tin whistle. It's education, not therapy. Everything is offered as an invitation, and each child takes from it what they can.
Getting ready for secondary school
I work with primary school age children, because the earlier children start, the better. Spreading Paws b across up to three years means the children get a chance to return to the ideas, try the practices again, and build on what they learned the year before. In a larger school, we may focus on 5th and 6th class, and that still gives two good years together. My hope is that they leave primary with a solid base: some real understanding of what's going on in their heads and bodies when things feel big, and a few simple practices they can take with them into secondary school and beyond.
Why I teach in the classroom, not the hall
Mindfulness is a personal practice. It's something each child tries out quietly for themselves, and that happens best in a familiar room with a group they know, rather than in a big assembly. So I visit each class in its own room, and I ask that the class teacher stays with us for the lesson. The teacher knows the children best, and I love that they get to share the experience with their class and can pick up the language and practices afterwards. It becomes something the class does together.
Lessons last about 45 minutes and fit neatly into the school day.
I'm a Trained Paws b Teacher.
By arrangement — please enquire.
The Purpose
As a Montessori-trained teacher, I've always believed that:
“Education is not what the teacher gives: education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual. It is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences upon the environment.”
“Wellbeing supports children’s social, emotional, and physical development now and into the future. It enables children to develop self-awareness and knowledge, build life skills, and develop a strong sense of connectedness to their school, their community, and wider society.”
“Wellbeing is present when a person realises their potential, is resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their life, takes care of their physical wellbeing and has a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to a wider community. It is a fluid way of being and needs nurturing throughout life.”
Paws b journey
Lessons follow the Paws b journey: brain and attention, choices, wobbles and steadying, responding with care — in the programme’s own child-friendly language. Teachers stay present. It is practical for busy Irish primary days.
Children learn to notice when the mind is busy (a bit like a puppy), to train attention with kindness and patience, to steady themselves when they wobble, and to respond rather than react — with practices they can use in class, in the playground, and at home.
The learning themes, paraphrased from the Paws b letter for schools and senior leaders:
- areas of the brain that help us focus, make good choices, and recognise when we need to steady ourselves when body or mind is busy;
- ways mindfulness can support day-to-day activities — concentration, memory, self-management, and relationships;
- ways to respond rather than react, so children can take better care of themselves and others.
By arrangement — please enquire.
What schools get
A gentle, weekly taste of mindfulness for your pupils, taught in their own classroom by a Trained Paws b Teacher.
Mindfulness as education, not therapy, for primary school age children, with every child invited to take part in their own way.
Choosing your programme
You can choose 8 lessons or the full programme of 12. Given the nature of the experience, the full 12 is best, so the children have time to let it settle. Every lesson is about 45 minutes, and I can see up to three classes a day at your school.
The more classes you book, the less each one costs:
| Classes | 8 lessons | 12 lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 class (€185 a lesson) | €1,480 | €2,220 |
| 2 classes (20% off the whole booking) | €2,368 | €3,552 |
| 3 classes (€100 per class, per lesson) | €2,400 | €3,600 |
Prices are for the complete programme, for all classes booked.
From €100 per class, per lesson
Questions schools ask
Short answers about the classroom programme.
What is Paws b?
Paws b is a classroom-based mindfulness curriculum for 7–11 year olds. I teach it as classroom mindfulness for primary school age children, as a Trained Paws b Teacher.
Which classes can take part?
Any primary school class can take part. In a larger school we may focus on 5th and 6th, and if you have several classes in the same year, such as three 6th classes, each can have its own programme. I can see up to three classes a day at your school.
What do children learn?
To notice when the mind is busy (a bit like a puppy), to train attention with kindness and patience, to steady themselves when they wobble, and to respond rather than react.
How many lessons are there, and how long is each?
You can choose 8 weekly lessons or the full 12, though the full 12 is best. Each lesson is about 45 minutes, with about 15 minutes between classes, and I can see up to three classes a day at your school.
Who teaches the lessons?
Xanda Monteiro, a Trained Paws b Teacher. This programme needs a trained teacher. Class teachers stay present.
Is this endorsed by the Department of Education or the NCCA?
No. This programme can support schools’ work under Ireland’s wellbeing policy and the primary curriculum’s wellbeing area. It is not an official Department of Education or NCCA endorsement of Paws b.
Can we start with a short presentation?
Yes. An optional first step is a short presentation for principals or staff.
How much does it cost?
For one class, it's €185 a lesson: €1,480 for 8 lessons or €2,220 for the full 12. Two classes get 20% off the whole booking, so €2,368 for 8 lessons or €3,552 for 12. Three classes are €100 per class per lesson, so €2,400 for 8 lessons or €3,600 for 12. All prices are for the whole booking.
How do we book?
Use the buttons on this page to enquire. Bookings and calls are Monday to Wednesday only.