Mindfulness Training for Teachers: A Pilot Program

Abstract

This article discusses the results of three elementary school teachers' feedback from a mindfulness-training program. Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to what's happening now without judgment. The training consisted of breathwork, bodyscan, movement, and sensorimotor activities. Results of interviews with the teachers revealed that teachers used the mindfulness skills to (a) aid in curriculum development and implementation, (b) deal with conflict and anxiety, (c) improve the quality of their personal lives, and (d) facilitate positive changes in the classroom.The role of a teacher has changed over the decades. Historically, teachers focused primarily on the cognitive development of children, more specifically, the "three Rs" of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Today's society has set new norms for family life, therefore, restructuring the role of the teacher. Mobility of families, the dwindling extended family, twoworking-parent families, and single-parent families have created new and added demands for the school and teacher.Teachers are now expected to be aware of the emotional challenges children face and are required to have the tools to deal with them. The increase in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stress, depression, and anxiety in students places more demands on teachers' knowledge and skills. The consistent increase in the number of students entering higher education has placed added pressure on teachers to develop appropriate curriculums. When we are mindful, we are able to increase our ability to pay attention. Developing the practice of mindfulness can help teachers meet the stressful challenges that confront them today.This article discusses the incidence of stress and attention problems experienced by children and ultimately their teachers. Results of interviews with 1 fourth-grade and 2 thirdgrade teachers regarding their mindfulness-training experience are reported. It is hypothesized that with the increase in stress and overload of incoming information, children and teachers will benefit from mindfulness training by dealing with stress more effectively and by increasing their ability to focus. The purpose of the program was to see how the practice of 31

Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies

“…While the data is overall preliminary and requires further validation, the results are promising. Researchers have also begun to investigate the application of mindfulness techniques within specific populations and settings, such as children (Bogels, Hoogstad, van Dun, de Schutter, & Restifo, 2008; Lee, Semple, Rosa, & Miller, 2008; Napoli, Krech, & Holley, 2005), adolescent psychiatric outpatients (Biegel, Brown, Shapiro, & Schubert, 2009), parents (Altmaier & Maloney, 2007; Bögels et al, 2008; Singh et al, 2006), school teachers (Napoli, 2004), elderly and their caregivers (Epstein-Lubow, McBee, Darling, Armey, & Miller, in press; McBee, 2008; Smith, 2004), prison inmates (Bowen et al, 2006; Samuelson, Carmody, Kabat-Zinn, & Bratt, 2007), and socio-economically disadvantaged individuals (Hick & Furlotte, 2010). …”

Toward a Sustainable Sense of Self in Teaching and Teacher Education: Sustainable Happiness and Well-Being Through Mindfulness

“…This practice, even for as few as 15 minutes a day, has shown to change sense of self and sense of self in relation to other, promoting a happier, healthier environment. Napoli (2004) studied mindfulness with teachers and noted that these individuals experienced change that was positive in all aspects of their educational practice. The transfer of the practice from the personal to the school community engages generalized well-being and positive aftereffects for not only the participating teacher but also those who interact with the teacher.…”

The Psychometric Properties of the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale in a Turkish Sample

“…Several studies revealed that educators' awareness is negatively correlated with burnout [14] and stress levels [15]. Napoli [16], based on the result of his interviews with teachers, suggested that teachers use their awareness skills (a) to help in curriculum development and implementation, (b) to deal with conflict and anxiety, (c) to improve the quality of their personal lives, and (d) to facilitate positive changes in the classroom. While mindfulness-based stress reduction programs for educators provide a reduction in burnout, stress and various psychological symptoms of educators; the increase in personal qualities such as self-compassion and attention has been observed [17,18,19].…”