Mindfulness for Educator Introspection
Long hours and a multitude of stressors make teaching one of the most demanding jobs out there. A hectic schedule and long workdays can lead to decreased effectiveness. Mindfulness can help educators reduce stress and prevent burnout.
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, mindfulness is “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.”
Mindfulness can boost mental health and resilience:
- Build awareness of thoughts and emotions: Daily, educators are faced with negative behaviors. Mindfulness can help a person to become less reactive and better able to think about the desired outcome in a stressful situation.
- Increase self-compassion: Educators are often very hard on themselves for many reasons—a failed lesson, the inability to reach a challenging student, saying the wrong thing to a student or parent—the list goes on. Mindfulness teaches how to reflect on thoughts without judging them as “good” or “bad.” Reflection without judgment helps a person have more compassion for herself.
- Improve classroom environment: When educators can minimize stress, they are able to more effectively carry out lesson plans, manage classroom behaviors and build relationships with students. In return, on-task behavior and students’ academic performance improve.
Mindfulness can boost staff morale and establish a less stressful learning environment in your after school program! For more ideas, check out 3 Tiny Habits to Enhance Your Mindfulness Practice.