Wellness, Agency & Voice in Teacher Education

Abstract

In a 2021 EdWeek Research Center survey, 60% of teachers reported experiencing job-related stress frequently or always, effecting their physical health, ability to enjoy family and friends and quality of sleep (Will, 2021). Teaching is a noble profession but too often it is underappreciated and underpaid. Combined with an increased concern over state performance tests and rising inflation, going into the teaching profession can be daunting. This case study highlights a wellness approach to teacher preparation courses I’ve used at Cleveland State University since 2020. As part of their first rotation, students engage in the field as observers and support in their field school. Throughout their time in the field, mindfulness practices are employed to focus on relaxation, intuition, compassion and insight.  Using breathing techniques and guided imagery, students work on locating and releasing tension and anxiety. Next, they practice increasing compassion for themselves and their students. Finally, they practice using their intuition to inform their connections with students and their families. Students are encouraged to use their voice to share their experiences and insights within a safe community of support. Because student teachers are at a formative point in their careers, it is essential to instill wellness practices that empower teachers towards agency in their field.  This case study will outline the wellness techniques used in the teacher preparation courses and provide a discussion on its applications to other fields of leadership.

First Field Experience & Mindfulness

Quoting the infamous Marvel Superhero Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” When parents send their children to school every day, they give teachers the power to shape young developing minds. Teachers are responsible for children’s growth and well-being throughout the school year. They are tasked with teaching children academic content but also how to become involved citizens in their communities. In an ever-changing world due to climate change, increasing global conflicts, economic instability, and political insecurity, teachers are tasked with the responsibility to create a safe learning environment for their students. 

At Cleveland State University, in their second year of their education major, student teacher candidates take their first Rotation as an introduction to the field of urban education. The purpose is to expose students to the classroom in a five week field experience, while also highlighting how racial, social, gender and economic contexts have historically impacted learning in schools. The class touches on sensitive topics, such as how institutional racism is enacted in daily life. Students reflect on their own socialization, how they have been impacted by social institutions, either to their advantage or disadvantage. The journey often conjures feelings of anger, sadness, shame, shock, frustration and at times, helplessness. To balance these difficult and mixed emotions, I use a wellness approach in Rotation One classes as a tool to empower students as agents in their learning. The approach includes encouraging positive thinking, affirming students’ strengths and practices for well-being. It includes a mindfulness activity that takes about 10 minutes and can be done at each class meeting or a few times in the semester. It highlights teachers’ intuition, compassion and heart-mind connection. The following is an example of said activity. It can be applied and adapted to classes that pertain to service professions such as medicine, social work, criminal justice, etc.  The script should be read at a slow pace with a calm yet affirmative voice. After each sentence, it is helpful to take a pause before continuing to the next sentence.  

Sample Script:

I invite you to place both feet on the floor, hands in your lap or wherever is comfortable. You may close your eyes if you wish, or keep them open. This time is for you to do whatever you need to do to help center and ground yourself. Let’s start by slowing down our breath. Notice how your heart beat starts to slow down and your body settles into your chair. Let’s place our attention at the tip of our noses and feel how the air touches your nose as you breathe in. Notice how the air flows into your mouth, your throat, lifting and filling your lungs. The air brings nourishing oxygen that our lungs send throughout the body, helping sustain all our organs and muscles. As your breath continues to deepen, let’s bring our attention to our feet. Notice the feeling at the bottom of your feet, where your soles touch the earth. It might feel warm, warm like the earth that gives us food, shelter and tools to thrive. Notice the warmth and imagine it moving up your feet, ankles, calves, knees, legs, pelvis, stomach and finally to your heart. Remember that the earth is always here to nourish us with what we need to go throughout our day. As you bring your attention to your heart, I want you to bring to mind a child in your life. It could be a family member, neighbor, family friend or cousin. Notice how your heart feels as you remember this child. Imagine this child sitting in front of you. Tell them how happy you are to know them and how you are proud of all their accomplishments. Notice the sensation at your heart and imagine this feeling radiating throughout your chest, arms and shoulders. It is love for children that brings you to the teaching profession and that will help you teach your students. Now imagine one of your students from your field classroom in front of you. What do you notice? What do you want to tell them? What do you think they like or dislike about school? What do you think their home and family life is like? What else do you want to know about them? Tell them how grateful you are to know them. Wish for them to grow and learn, to be happy and safe. As you begin to wiggle your fingers and toes, take one last big breath and begin to slowly open your eyes as you adjust your vision to the light. 

After the mindfulness practice, I ask students to share with a neighbor about their experience, what they learned from it and how they think the practice can help them as a teacher. Throughout the semester as we conduct the mindfulness practice, I encourage students to develop their intuition regarding the children in their field class and to use it to help deepen relationships with them and their assessments of their learning. In addition, to strengthen their heart mind connection and communication that informs their teaching. I encourage students to use the mindfulness practice outside of our class and add it into their daily routine to enhance relaxation, energy levels and compassion. The above practice has been noted by students to be helpful in enhancing self-care practices throughout their undergraduate careers. For me as a professor, it allows me to learn more about the students and adjust the pace of the course as needed. Finally, it sets the tone of the class to be wellness oriented that encourages student academic success and well-being. 

References

Will, M. (2014, September 14). Teachers are not OK, even though we need them to be. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teachers-are-not-ok-even-though-we-need-them-to-be/2021/09