Class
Article
College
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Department
English Department
Faculty Mentor
Amanda Deliman
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Studies have shown that teachers who implement social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness practices have improved attitudes, show more engagement with students, families and colleagues, and demonstrate increased educational efficacy. The challenge teachers often face is that they are required to do so much that their own wellness practices may take a back seat. Additionally, since the start of the global pandemic, teachers and students have had to learn to repeatedly shift on the fly for health and safety reasons. This draws even more attention to the importance of promoting self-care as a form of community care. Previous literature reveals that mindfulness-based practices can increase teacher wellness; however, more work is needed to examine how embedding these practices before teachers lead their own classrooms may impact their own social-emotional well-being and pedagogical decision making. Another component of this work addresses the need to create interventions that are easily accessible for teachers whose time with students in the classroom is limited. This study helped generated insights into what types of wellness and care practices positively influence the educators and how they might best utilize the practices in their own classrooms. In this action research project, the main purpose was to create repeatable and practical interventions for pre-service and practicing teachers to use on their own and/or with their students. The intention for creating these interventions was to provide openings for educators to examine their own wellness practices and to consider how their own attention to mindfulness and wellness could impact their students. Key findings include: 1.(Time) Pre-service and practicing teachers indicated that wellness interventions do not need to take a lot of time to be effective. 2.(Ripple effect) If teachers have strong social emotional learning skills then they will also better understand what their students need 3. (Prevent Burnout)-Wellness interventions decrease feelings of burnout and promote teacher effectiveness. The themes that emerged from this action research project suggest implications for how we think about teacher preparation programs, teacher retention, and the significance of considering the needs of teachers in order to cultivate kind and caring classrooms.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-8-2022 12:00 AM
Care, Wellness, and Mindful Movement: Supporting the Needs of Educators and Students During Challenging Times
Logan, UT
Studies have shown that teachers who implement social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness practices have improved attitudes, show more engagement with students, families and colleagues, and demonstrate increased educational efficacy. The challenge teachers often face is that they are required to do so much that their own wellness practices may take a back seat. Additionally, since the start of the global pandemic, teachers and students have had to learn to repeatedly shift on the fly for health and safety reasons. This draws even more attention to the importance of promoting self-care as a form of community care. Previous literature reveals that mindfulness-based practices can increase teacher wellness; however, more work is needed to examine how embedding these practices before teachers lead their own classrooms may impact their own social-emotional well-being and pedagogical decision making. Another component of this work addresses the need to create interventions that are easily accessible for teachers whose time with students in the classroom is limited. This study helped generated insights into what types of wellness and care practices positively influence the educators and how they might best utilize the practices in their own classrooms. In this action research project, the main purpose was to create repeatable and practical interventions for pre-service and practicing teachers to use on their own and/or with their students. The intention for creating these interventions was to provide openings for educators to examine their own wellness practices and to consider how their own attention to mindfulness and wellness could impact their students. Key findings include: 1.(Time) Pre-service and practicing teachers indicated that wellness interventions do not need to take a lot of time to be effective. 2.(Ripple effect) If teachers have strong social emotional learning skills then they will also better understand what their students need 3. (Prevent Burnout)-Wellness interventions decrease feelings of burnout and promote teacher effectiveness. The themes that emerged from this action research project suggest implications for how we think about teacher preparation programs, teacher retention, and the significance of considering the needs of teachers in order to cultivate kind and caring classrooms.