Dorman 2015

Source:   Chapter – RESEARCH ARTICLE

APA Citation:

Dorman, E. (2015). Building teachers’ social-emotional competence through mindfulness practices. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 17(1 & 2), 103-119.

Author bio:

Elizabeth Dorman – Assoc. Professor of Teacher Education, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO

Thesis/Argument:

 Argument: mindfulness practice at the start of teacher education courses helps build social-emotional learning skills, as well as self-care practices that can reduce stress for preservice and inservice teachers. (not a quote)

Integrating mindful centering and silence in teacher education courses appears to have helped prospective and current teachers develop aspects of social-emotional competence that will equip them to respond to the stressors and challenges of teaching in the 21^st century. 115

From the lens of SEL: it appears that three aspects are particularly well-nurtured by the silence and centering mindfulness practices: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness. 115

From the lens of Cultivating the Five Dimensions of Engaged Teaching: engaging the self-observer, and developing an open heart appears to have contributed to the teacher participants’ developing social-emotional competence. 115

Research questions:

1.      What are my students’ perceptions and attitudes about the integration of mindfulness practices into our teacher education courses?

2.      What evidence exists, if any, that the mindfulness practices contribute to teacher education students’ social-emotional competence?

3.      How has my facilitation and implementation of this process evolved over time?

Discussion/Conclusion:

This article reports on a longitudinal research study of integrating mindfulness practices into my teacher education course; discusses key themes in student perceptions of the practice 103

21^st century teachers and teacher-leaders need a steady supply of passion, heart, and inner resilience to resist burnout and effectively respond to the curricular, societal, and institutional conditions of teaching. 104

Colleges (and teacher education programs) as institutions have been criticized for focusing too much on knowledge development and not enough on personal reflection of one’s self and larger purpose and how to seek meaning in one’s life 104

Methods of teaching and working with students that are grounded in contemplative modes such as mindfulness training “provide the opportunity for students to develop creativity and insight, hone their concentration skills, and deeply inquire about what means the most to them. These practices naturally deepen understanding while increasing connection and community within higher education” (Barbezat & Bush, 2014, p. 8). 105

These five elements (SEL) also overlap with the “Engaged Teaching” framework (Weaver & Wilding, 2013), which helps teachers understand the importance of cultivating an open heart, engaging the self-observer, being present, establishing respectful boundaries, and developing emotional capacity 106

According to a recent national survey of 605 educators, only about half of teachers receive some form of SEL training (23% of them in-service) while “four in five teachers (82%) report wanting further training in SEL” (citation). 106

Most programs and state requirements include little emphasis on social-emotional competence 107

Few publications describe the extent to which preservice teacher are being taught within their professional education programs to develop skills such as mindfulness to increase their social-emotional competence. Reports from the inside of actual teacher education classrooms where forms of social-emotional learning, including mindfulness, are integrated as part of the pedagogy are scant 107

[p. 107]

To make the purpose and intention clear to students, and to develop buy-in, I frame the whole experience with the importance of teachers developing social-emotional competence to manage the stress and intensity of teaching and to find and maintain life balance 108

I emphasize that students are never required to participate in any of the practices I teach … I have learned over the years through analyzing and reflecting on data … to establish clear expectations around the importance of absolute silence and stillness in the room and to hold that container very deliberately. 108

The majority of students embrace the silence and centering period and looked forward to it 110

Students appear to be building their social-emotional competence by cultivating self-awareness and self-management through being present and engaging the self-observer. 111

I need to make the purpose and intention of silence and centering crystal clear to students, at the beginning of and throughout the term, so they understand why we are devoting time to these practices. 111

Teachers and teacher candidates in college settings are constantly under pressure to meet the high expectations placed on them for their own performance and that of their students, especially in the current climate of high-stakes teacher evaluations processes. 111

The practice specifically helps with making a transition from one context to another 112

Increasing the ability to concentrate, focus, and purposefully direct one’s attention is among the most commonly cited benefits of mindfulness practice and contributes to social-emotional competence, most specifically through building self-awareness skills 112

4-7-8 breathing exercise: (Weil, 2011)

1.      Exhale completely

2.      Inhale to the count of 4

3.      Hold for count of 7

4.      Exhale to the count of 8

Since a major goal of mine in introducing this practice is to help preservice and in-service teachers learn strategies that they will actually use in their personal and professional lives to reduce stress and increase wellbeing 113

20% of total participants surveyed mentioned difficulty with sitting quietly and silently, even for just 4 minutes 113

Teacher candidates and practicing teachers have so few opportunities in their lives for stillness, silence, and simplicity, that it is perhaps not surprising how difficult they found it to just stop. 114

The fact that participants even noticed how restless their minds and bodies were when faced with an opportunity for stillness and silence is an example itself of self-awareness, a central piece of social-emotional competence, fostered by being present and engaging the self-observer 114