Kids—like rest of us—want shortcuts. They love games. They remember things that make them laugh. They pay attention to processes that allow them to be their natural creative selves. Kids see oddball connections and they are extremely resourceful when it comes to playing with even most mundane objects and concepts.

So, let’s let them play. Something tells me they’d approach this differently if it were up to them.

I encourage teachers to include mindfulness training in classroom, but I urge them to release their attachment to notion that it has to be done so SERIOUSLY.

Lighten up. Mindfulness is about noticing new things, drawing distinctions, shifting perspectives, and staying fully present. It is very essence of having fun.

The truth is that it’s impossible to have fun UNLESS you’re fully present. So, it seems to me that kids already have an innate tendency to be mindful.

With a little guidance, plenty of humor, and a blast of creativity, good teachers can become great mindfulness trainers.

As long as they’re having FUN.

Professor Chris Marco is also always glad to share “war stories” he’s accumulated during his time as a U.S. Parole Officer in San Diego. “I’m always impressed by my students in these classes,” he says. “Having gone to school and worked full time myself, I understand how difficult it can be, but these students are truly excited and want to learn. They make teaching just as interesting as working as a parole officer.”

The curriculum is designed to keep students’ interest piqued. The criminal justice program involves more than simply sitting through a lecture, taking notes. “My students practice doing things I’ve already done and that they will be called upon to do in their real-life criminal justice careers,” says Drew.

And out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind. Students have plenty of interaction with their teachers, even though they may never meet face-to-face. Students participate in a variety of interactive activities, such as online chats and discussion boards.

“Having had both traditional and now online learning experience, I can say online students don’t miss out on anything,” says Colorado Tech Online criminal justice student Gail Chapman. “I interact more and stay in touch more with my online classmates than I ever did with students I sat next to in [community college] classrooms day after day. And I can’t even begin to compare professors. At community college, never once did a professor hand out her home telephone number. At Colorado Tech Online, home numbers are norm. The professors are there for you and let you know it. They really care.”

Upon completion of program, Colorado Tech Online graduates are well-prepared to explore career opportunites in their chosen field. In addition to their bachelor’s degree, graduates earn four professional certificates that build résumé and are attractive to potential employers: Corrections Technician, Crime Scene Investigation, Law Enforcement Skills, and Legal Studies and Court Process.

With online classes at Colorado Tech Online, you can earn a criminal justice degree no matter how busy your schedule is. Colorado Tech Online can help you climb to peak of your profession. Isn’t it time to stop watching those reruns of Law & Order: SVU and start working toward a career you’ll love?