As mindfulness in education continues to gain more acceptance in Ontario, many implementation plans begin with programs for students. Since mindfulness is an experiential, embodied practice that evolves over time, providing mindfulness training for those educators who are interested in finding out the benefits for themselves, before exploring options for bringing the practice into the classroom, would be preferred.
Why Begin with Educators?
- In social learning theory, behaviour modeling is the demonstration of a desired behaviour.
- A teacher’s presence in a classroom, together with the related capacity to build relationship, is considered more important than any instruction a teacher can offer.
- Teachers often neglect their own needs, resulting in the high incidence of stress and burnout in the profession. Mindfulness-based self-care practices can help restore balance in educators’ lives, enabling them to be present for their students.
Healthy employees are a critical component of a thriving school. A healthy workplace leads to employees who are more satisfied with their jobs and are able to be higher performing. They are absent fewer days and more likely to stay in their positions. Healthy employees provide the continuity and stability so essential for educational success. Research shows employee health and wellness programs contribute to workplace excellence and job satisfaction in a variety of ways. (http://thrivingschools.kaiserpermanente.org/make-the-case/)
This presentation offers a chance to learn more about programs and resources in education as well as local opportunities for teacher training. We will share experiential practices that are based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workshop of Jon Kabat-Zinn and the Emotional Balance work of Margaret Cullen.
Heidi Bornstein and Stephen Chadwick, the founders of Mindfulness Everyday, a registered Canadian charity, have been delivering mindfulness training to students, educators and parents since 2010. Through Professional Development Workshops and Mindfulness Training for Educator Courses, they have offered experiential programs to thousands of educators in both the public school and independent school systems.