Mindful Educators: Compassion, Community, and Adaptability Are Key

Abstract

K-12 teachers encounter numerous stressors in their profession, placing them at risk of job-related stress and burnout. While the concept of mindfulness has made inroads in teacher professional development, there are few qualitative studies of teachers’ experiences in this area. This study examined a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) known as Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE). Employing a qualitative case study methodology, this study investigated three teachers’ experiences, perceptions, and utilization of MBI with a five-month follow-up. This examination was guided by the collection of data from participant interviews, observations, and document analysis, and data were analyzed using inductive analysis. Findings revealed that participants experienced both short- and long-term benefits of compassion, community, and adaptability. Specifically, compassion directed towards others proved most powerful to the participants from the initial retreat. Moreover, the ability to sustain a mindfulness practice required two components: community support and the ability to adapt mindfulness protocols to one’s specific circumstances. This research also highlights two additional questions for further consideration: whether mindfulness impacts a teacher’s actual teaching efficacy and to what extend is mindfulness a precursor to relational trust. The study concludes with recommendations on strengthening the use of MBIs as an element of professional development. It also identifies future research on how MBIs might further influence teacher performance in the classroom and beyond.