This dissertation examines the impact of the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program on a group of 11 preschool and elementary school teachers. The CARE program uses mindfulness practices and emotional skills training to reduce stress and improve teaching effectiveness. Teachers participated in a 14-hour training over 2 days plus a 2-hour follow up. Qualitative interviews found that CARE increased teachers' awareness, ability to "step back" from stressful situations, understanding of students, and relationship skills. The results suggest CARE is effective for stress reduction and enhancing teacher-student relationships and classroom behavior.
This document describes the development of a behavioral matrix for a 4th grade classroom. It involved teachers identifying expected behaviors, incentives, and consequences for behaviors at different intensity levels (I-IV). A survey was conducted to identify the most common and appropriate Intensity IV behaviors and consequences. The resulting behavioral matrix lists the expected behaviors, incentives, and consequences identified by teachers at each intensity level. The author found the matrix useful for classifying behaviors and ensuring consistency among teachers in how behaviors are addressed.
Leah Langdon's teaching portfolio summarizes her teaching philosophy, pedagogy, evaluations, and goals. Her philosophy focuses on enabling students to develop a sociological lens to understand how social situations are constructed and to critically evaluate those constructions. Her pedagogy emphasizes active, team-based learning to promote deep understanding. Student and peer evaluations praise her engagement of students and command of the classroom, while noting areas for growth in explaining complex concepts and enthusiasm. Her goals are to improve in these areas when teaching Social Problems in the spring.
The document discusses strategies for effective classroom organization and management. It notes that the seating arrangement can impact student behavior, attention, and interaction. A circular arrangement may promote greater participation, while chaos and lack of organization can distract students. The document emphasizes maintaining routines for time, place, activities, and discipline to help structure student learning. It also discusses the importance of meeting the needs of all students, maintaining an orderly classroom, and building a link between home and school.
This portfolio reflects my student teaching and entry level skills. It outlines my personal information, and professional teaching skills as mandated in the state of Michigan, and my personal beliefs about teaching.
The document provides an overview of values education in the Philippines throughout history. In pre-colonial times, Filipinos valued diplomatic skills and survival skills. During Spanish colonial rule from the 16th to 19th centuries, the Spanish dominated the Filipinos and imposed Catholicism. In the American occupation in the early 20th century, the Americans established new political, economic and educational systems to control the Filipinos. Currently, values education aims to develop students' character and morality through various teaching approaches.
This document discusses the concept of differentiation and its importance in education. Some key points:
- Differentiation is a philosophy that recognizes students differ in their readiness, interests, styles of learning, experiences and circumstances. These differences significantly impact what and how students learn.
- Students learn best when supportive adults challenge them at an appropriate level, when learning connects to their interests and experiences, and when classrooms foster a sense of community.
- Differentiation is wary of standardization and acknowledges students are not standard or uniform. It aims to refine high-quality teaching practices to maximize individual growth for each student.
- Challenges to differentiation include standardized testing, pressures to cover large amounts of content quickly, and
108. Team Teacher Malfunction *Communication Error*
This session will provide experience and resources to those teachers that are having communication issues with their team teachers and/or parents. When we work with a group of 2-3 other teachers with such different personalities, it is easy to have a break-down of communication and expectations. Join this session and share what you believe works best when demonstrating to students that all of their core teachers have the same expectations.
Presenter(s): Brandon Wilson, Lisa Sapir
Location: Biltmore
The document provides a summary of the student teacher's practice teaching experience at Lapinigan National High School. It discusses working with 7th grade students under the guidance of cooperating teacher Mrs. Nida Osano. Key lessons learned include effective teaching strategies, classroom management techniques, and guidance on lesson planning. Unforgettable moments included getting students to perform a chicken dance and dealing with an incident where a student was injured.
This document describes the development of a behavioral matrix for a 4th grade classroom. It involved teachers identifying expected behaviors, incentives, and consequences for behaviors at different intensity levels (I-IV). A survey was conducted to identify the most common and appropriate Intensity IV behaviors and consequences. The resulting behavioral matrix lists the expected behaviors, incentives, and consequences identified by teachers at each intensity level. The author found the matrix useful for classifying behaviors and ensuring consistency among teachers in how behaviors are addressed.
Leah Langdon's teaching portfolio summarizes her teaching philosophy, pedagogy, evaluations, and goals. Her philosophy focuses on enabling students to develop a sociological lens to understand how social situations are constructed and to critically evaluate those constructions. Her pedagogy emphasizes active, team-based learning to promote deep understanding. Student and peer evaluations praise her engagement of students and command of the classroom, while noting areas for growth in explaining complex concepts and enthusiasm. Her goals are to improve in these areas when teaching Social Problems in the spring.
The document discusses strategies for effective classroom organization and management. It notes that the seating arrangement can impact student behavior, attention, and interaction. A circular arrangement may promote greater participation, while chaos and lack of organization can distract students. The document emphasizes maintaining routines for time, place, activities, and discipline to help structure student learning. It also discusses the importance of meeting the needs of all students, maintaining an orderly classroom, and building a link between home and school.
This portfolio reflects my student teaching and entry level skills. It outlines my personal information, and professional teaching skills as mandated in the state of Michigan, and my personal beliefs about teaching.
The document provides an overview of values education in the Philippines throughout history. In pre-colonial times, Filipinos valued diplomatic skills and survival skills. During Spanish colonial rule from the 16th to 19th centuries, the Spanish dominated the Filipinos and imposed Catholicism. In the American occupation in the early 20th century, the Americans established new political, economic and educational systems to control the Filipinos. Currently, values education aims to develop students' character and morality through various teaching approaches.
This document discusses the concept of differentiation and its importance in education. Some key points:
- Differentiation is a philosophy that recognizes students differ in their readiness, interests, styles of learning, experiences and circumstances. These differences significantly impact what and how students learn.
- Students learn best when supportive adults challenge them at an appropriate level, when learning connects to their interests and experiences, and when classrooms foster a sense of community.
- Differentiation is wary of standardization and acknowledges students are not standard or uniform. It aims to refine high-quality teaching practices to maximize individual growth for each student.
- Challenges to differentiation include standardized testing, pressures to cover large amounts of content quickly, and
108. Team Teacher Malfunction *Communication Error*
This session will provide experience and resources to those teachers that are having communication issues with their team teachers and/or parents. When we work with a group of 2-3 other teachers with such different personalities, it is easy to have a break-down of communication and expectations. Join this session and share what you believe works best when demonstrating to students that all of their core teachers have the same expectations.
Presenter(s): Brandon Wilson, Lisa Sapir
Location: Biltmore
The document provides a summary of the student teacher's practice teaching experience at Lapinigan National High School. It discusses working with 7th grade students under the guidance of cooperating teacher Mrs. Nida Osano. Key lessons learned include effective teaching strategies, classroom management techniques, and guidance on lesson planning. Unforgettable moments included getting students to perform a chicken dance and dealing with an incident where a student was injured.
One of the biggest challenge in front of the teachers is management of students behaviour in the classroom.
In this presentation we tried to make some points to the people who searching answer for the classroom management
One teacher leads instruction while the other circulates and assists
students as needed. This allows for more individualized attention.
Parallel: Both teachers lead small groups of students through the same lesson
simultaneously. This allows for a lower student-teacher ratio.
Station: Students rotate between stations, each manned by one of the teachers.
This allows for differentiation and multi-modal instruction.
Team: Both teachers share the instruction of students equally, bouncing ideas
and responsibilities fluidly between them. This models collaboration.
Options:
Co-teaching
Student
Collaboration
This document is Elizabeth Dawn Woodward's resume. It outlines her objective of obtaining a position to utilize her professional skills. It then details her education history, including a Master's degree in Autism Spectrum Disorder from Michigan State University with a 3.9 GPA. It lists her teaching certifications in Elementary Education and Learning Disabilities. Her most recent teaching experience was at H.H. Dow High School from September 2014 to June.
This document is a theory and practice paper written by Spenser White for a teacher education course. It discusses White's vision for creating a classroom environment that is a "paradise" for students of all abilities. White draws on experiences with an unpleasant 5th grade teacher who undermined their self-confidence as a learner. This motivated White to pursue teaching in order to help students like themself feel supported. The paper outlines White's philosophy of creating a democratic classroom with developmentally appropriate learning centers. It also describes the ideal physical and psychological environment White aims to establish, including preventative classroom management strategies. The overarching goal is to make all students feel capable, cared for, and able to succeed as learners.
This document discusses teacher burnout and maintaining teacher enthusiasm. It notes that teacher attrition rates are generally high, with 30-40% leaving within 5 years, partly due to burnout. Burned out teachers remaining in the profession can be problematic as they may experience physical and mental stress symptoms. Burnout can spread between teachers as negative emotions are adopted. The document examines sources of teacher stress like workload, student behavior, and lack of support. Prolonged stress can lead to burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Developing self-efficacy and resiliency can help prevent burnout.
The document discusses the importance of relationships between students and teachers/administrators for student success and achievement. It notes that positive relationships are key, but barriers can exist like teachers' reluctance to share decision-making with students. Building trust and allowing student input on learning can strengthen relationships. The future may involve using technology and social media to foster communication between students and teachers, if proper rules and privacy are established. Overall, the article emphasizes that student-teacher relationships are critical for engagement and learning, especially with increased teacher accountability.
This document outlines Matthew Martinez's teaching philosophy. His philosophy centers around four principles: 1) building community in and out of the classroom, 2) encouraging creativity in student presentations and thinking, 3) mentoring students through their academic work and career goals, and 4) ensuring student success through critical thinking assignments and helping them align career goals with social justice. He emphasizes making sociological concepts relatable by sharing personal experiences with students and involving them in the local community through activities like school mentoring.
Conference presentation from Stlhe2013 in Cape BretonKathleen A. Moore
This document discusses academic stress among teacher education and Master of Education students. It identifies several causes of stress including time management, high expectations, course components, and lack of support. Students experience emotional, physical, and behavioral responses to stress like feelings of inadequacy, sleep changes, and procrastination. They conceptualize help-seeking reluctantly and as a last resort, often turning first to personal coping strategies or friends for support. Internet use to learn about stress is described, with students finding online information intimidating due to various unregulated sources. The document raises questions about how institutions can better foster support systems and healthy learning communities to address student mental health and well-being.
This document summarizes Evelyn Nedderman's research on teacher perceptions of classroom discipline. The research involved interviewing middle school teachers in New York City. Key findings included:
1) Teachers' visions of an ideal classroom did not always match their realities, which involved disengaged students, lack of parental support, and difficulty with classroom management.
2) Teachers' perceptions of students were sometimes influenced by students' appearances or communication styles, though teachers acknowledged they had been wrong about students before.
3) Teacher training did not always adequately prepare teachers for the challenges of classroom discipline, student engagement, and dealing with emotional issues students faced.
This document provides a literature review and background context for a research study on the effects of initiative games on the self-esteem of 9th grade high school students. It discusses the personal and professional experiences of the teacher-researcher in outdoor education and initiative games. It also reviews relevant literature on issues in education, the importance of developing self-esteem in adolescents, and how initiative games have been used to enhance self-esteem. The introduction outlines the research question and sub-questions that will guide the study.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD - Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Established 1982). Dr. Kritsonis earned his PhD from The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; M.Ed., Seattle Pacific University; Seattle, Washington; BA Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington. He was also named as the Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Central Washington University.
32 Strategies for Building a Positive Learning EnvironmentEdutopia
These tips were contributed by the educators and parents of Edutopia’s community in response to our Start the Year Strong Sweepstakes. There were many amazing entries, and it was a challenge narrowing them down to these 32.
Another editation of the final paper current one to work on as of nov 30thJustine Wendland
The Social Aggression Prevention Program (SAPP) aims to reduce relational aggression among girls aged 9-12 through weekly discussion groups. It focuses on improving social skills and perspective-taking. SAPP involves randomly assigning girls to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participates in role-playing and other activities, while the control group does unrelated work. Evaluators will measure outcomes like peer acceptance, leadership, and aggression over multiple years using surveys, observations, and other tools to assess SAPP's long-term effectiveness. Recommendations include expanding it to both boys and girls and earlier ages, and improving leader training.
This document provides materials for a 3 day lesson plan that teaches first grade students opinion writing. Students will read a passage, complete a graphic organizer to generate an opinion on the passage, write an opinion piece stating their opinion and two reasons while providing closure. They will then edit independently and with peers. The lesson is aligned to Colorado writing and communication standards for first grade.
This teaching portfolio provides an overview of Carrie Reynolds' teaching philosophy and practices. It includes sections on classroom organization, culture, instructional strategies using two lesson plans, assessment methods, family and community involvement, and contact information. The portfolio highlights Ms. Reynolds' ability to create an engaging and nurturing learning environment for students and link teaching practices to educational standards.
The Role of the Private Christian School Administrator on Teacher Professiona...Scot Headley
This document summarizes a study on the perceptions of private Christian school administrators regarding their leadership roles and supporting teacher professional development. Six administrators participated in a questionnaire and focus groups. Three key themes emerged: 1) The administrators saw their primary role as casting and sharing the school's vision and mission. 2) They viewed success in terms of spiritual impacts on students and teacher growth. 3) The administrators focused on their daily administrative duties and decision-making responsibilities over collaborating with teachers. The study suggests supportive discussions between higher education and private schools could foster administrator growth opportunities regarding servant leadership and mentoring. It also recommends research on teacher perceptions of shared leadership in private schools and supporting pedagogical growth.
The document outlines the author's personal philosophy of education. Some key points include:
- The author views education as an opportunity to guide students and support them through mistakes as they strive for success.
- They aim to respect all students' diversity and backgrounds by forming valuable relationships and integrating topics about different cultures.
- Their teaching philosophy combines behaviorism, with its focus on observable learning, and constructivism, which emphasizes students' personal interpretations. They see this as allowing for structure with self-expression.
- The author plans to accommodate various learning styles and have an inclusive curriculum that avoids letting tests control the educational experience.
- Building rapport with students and connections to the global community are emphasized goals
Educational leadership and life in schoolsmejastudy
This dissertation examines how leadership impacts life in schools through a critical analysis of the research literature and theoretical foundations of educational leadership. The study aims to understand how ideologies have shaped what counts as knowledge in the field. It conducts a historical analysis of the development of educational leadership theory and two literature reviews on the relationship between leadership and outcomes in schools. Through this interpretive investigation and ideological critique, the goal is to "emancipate" the field from restrictive epistemologies and methodologies that have been dominant due to certain ideologies. The study seeks to understand how the field arrived at its present state by thoroughly investigating its history in order to inform future directions.
This document provides an introduction and overview of concepts related to autonomy and paternalism from a philosophical perspective. It begins by describing a hypothetical medical scenario and introduces key terms and issues. It then reviews various theories and definitions of autonomy, ultimately arguing that Kant's conception of autonomy as essential to moral agency best captures its true meaning. The document discusses paternalism and how it relates to autonomy, arguing that paternalism may be justified when it violates liberty but not when it violates autonomy. It aims to develop a framework for determining when paternalism is appropriate in medical contexts.
One of the biggest challenge in front of the teachers is management of students behaviour in the classroom.
In this presentation we tried to make some points to the people who searching answer for the classroom management
One teacher leads instruction while the other circulates and assists
students as needed. This allows for more individualized attention.
Parallel: Both teachers lead small groups of students through the same lesson
simultaneously. This allows for a lower student-teacher ratio.
Station: Students rotate between stations, each manned by one of the teachers.
This allows for differentiation and multi-modal instruction.
Team: Both teachers share the instruction of students equally, bouncing ideas
and responsibilities fluidly between them. This models collaboration.
Options:
Co-teaching
Student
Collaboration
This document is Elizabeth Dawn Woodward's resume. It outlines her objective of obtaining a position to utilize her professional skills. It then details her education history, including a Master's degree in Autism Spectrum Disorder from Michigan State University with a 3.9 GPA. It lists her teaching certifications in Elementary Education and Learning Disabilities. Her most recent teaching experience was at H.H. Dow High School from September 2014 to June.
This document is a theory and practice paper written by Spenser White for a teacher education course. It discusses White's vision for creating a classroom environment that is a "paradise" for students of all abilities. White draws on experiences with an unpleasant 5th grade teacher who undermined their self-confidence as a learner. This motivated White to pursue teaching in order to help students like themself feel supported. The paper outlines White's philosophy of creating a democratic classroom with developmentally appropriate learning centers. It also describes the ideal physical and psychological environment White aims to establish, including preventative classroom management strategies. The overarching goal is to make all students feel capable, cared for, and able to succeed as learners.
This document discusses teacher burnout and maintaining teacher enthusiasm. It notes that teacher attrition rates are generally high, with 30-40% leaving within 5 years, partly due to burnout. Burned out teachers remaining in the profession can be problematic as they may experience physical and mental stress symptoms. Burnout can spread between teachers as negative emotions are adopted. The document examines sources of teacher stress like workload, student behavior, and lack of support. Prolonged stress can lead to burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Developing self-efficacy and resiliency can help prevent burnout.
The document discusses the importance of relationships between students and teachers/administrators for student success and achievement. It notes that positive relationships are key, but barriers can exist like teachers' reluctance to share decision-making with students. Building trust and allowing student input on learning can strengthen relationships. The future may involve using technology and social media to foster communication between students and teachers, if proper rules and privacy are established. Overall, the article emphasizes that student-teacher relationships are critical for engagement and learning, especially with increased teacher accountability.
This document outlines Matthew Martinez's teaching philosophy. His philosophy centers around four principles: 1) building community in and out of the classroom, 2) encouraging creativity in student presentations and thinking, 3) mentoring students through their academic work and career goals, and 4) ensuring student success through critical thinking assignments and helping them align career goals with social justice. He emphasizes making sociological concepts relatable by sharing personal experiences with students and involving them in the local community through activities like school mentoring.
Conference presentation from Stlhe2013 in Cape BretonKathleen A. Moore
This document discusses academic stress among teacher education and Master of Education students. It identifies several causes of stress including time management, high expectations, course components, and lack of support. Students experience emotional, physical, and behavioral responses to stress like feelings of inadequacy, sleep changes, and procrastination. They conceptualize help-seeking reluctantly and as a last resort, often turning first to personal coping strategies or friends for support. Internet use to learn about stress is described, with students finding online information intimidating due to various unregulated sources. The document raises questions about how institutions can better foster support systems and healthy learning communities to address student mental health and well-being.
This document summarizes Evelyn Nedderman's research on teacher perceptions of classroom discipline. The research involved interviewing middle school teachers in New York City. Key findings included:
1) Teachers' visions of an ideal classroom did not always match their realities, which involved disengaged students, lack of parental support, and difficulty with classroom management.
2) Teachers' perceptions of students were sometimes influenced by students' appearances or communication styles, though teachers acknowledged they had been wrong about students before.
3) Teacher training did not always adequately prepare teachers for the challenges of classroom discipline, student engagement, and dealing with emotional issues students faced.
This document provides a literature review and background context for a research study on the effects of initiative games on the self-esteem of 9th grade high school students. It discusses the personal and professional experiences of the teacher-researcher in outdoor education and initiative games. It also reviews relevant literature on issues in education, the importance of developing self-esteem in adolescents, and how initiative games have been used to enhance self-esteem. The introduction outlines the research question and sub-questions that will guide the study.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD - Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Established 1982). Dr. Kritsonis earned his PhD from The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; M.Ed., Seattle Pacific University; Seattle, Washington; BA Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington. He was also named as the Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Central Washington University.
32 Strategies for Building a Positive Learning EnvironmentEdutopia
These tips were contributed by the educators and parents of Edutopia’s community in response to our Start the Year Strong Sweepstakes. There were many amazing entries, and it was a challenge narrowing them down to these 32.
Another editation of the final paper current one to work on as of nov 30thJustine Wendland
The Social Aggression Prevention Program (SAPP) aims to reduce relational aggression among girls aged 9-12 through weekly discussion groups. It focuses on improving social skills and perspective-taking. SAPP involves randomly assigning girls to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participates in role-playing and other activities, while the control group does unrelated work. Evaluators will measure outcomes like peer acceptance, leadership, and aggression over multiple years using surveys, observations, and other tools to assess SAPP's long-term effectiveness. Recommendations include expanding it to both boys and girls and earlier ages, and improving leader training.
This document provides materials for a 3 day lesson plan that teaches first grade students opinion writing. Students will read a passage, complete a graphic organizer to generate an opinion on the passage, write an opinion piece stating their opinion and two reasons while providing closure. They will then edit independently and with peers. The lesson is aligned to Colorado writing and communication standards for first grade.
This teaching portfolio provides an overview of Carrie Reynolds' teaching philosophy and practices. It includes sections on classroom organization, culture, instructional strategies using two lesson plans, assessment methods, family and community involvement, and contact information. The portfolio highlights Ms. Reynolds' ability to create an engaging and nurturing learning environment for students and link teaching practices to educational standards.
The Role of the Private Christian School Administrator on Teacher Professiona...Scot Headley
This document summarizes a study on the perceptions of private Christian school administrators regarding their leadership roles and supporting teacher professional development. Six administrators participated in a questionnaire and focus groups. Three key themes emerged: 1) The administrators saw their primary role as casting and sharing the school's vision and mission. 2) They viewed success in terms of spiritual impacts on students and teacher growth. 3) The administrators focused on their daily administrative duties and decision-making responsibilities over collaborating with teachers. The study suggests supportive discussions between higher education and private schools could foster administrator growth opportunities regarding servant leadership and mentoring. It also recommends research on teacher perceptions of shared leadership in private schools and supporting pedagogical growth.
The document outlines the author's personal philosophy of education. Some key points include:
- The author views education as an opportunity to guide students and support them through mistakes as they strive for success.
- They aim to respect all students' diversity and backgrounds by forming valuable relationships and integrating topics about different cultures.
- Their teaching philosophy combines behaviorism, with its focus on observable learning, and constructivism, which emphasizes students' personal interpretations. They see this as allowing for structure with self-expression.
- The author plans to accommodate various learning styles and have an inclusive curriculum that avoids letting tests control the educational experience.
- Building rapport with students and connections to the global community are emphasized goals
Educational leadership and life in schoolsmejastudy
This dissertation examines how leadership impacts life in schools through a critical analysis of the research literature and theoretical foundations of educational leadership. The study aims to understand how ideologies have shaped what counts as knowledge in the field. It conducts a historical analysis of the development of educational leadership theory and two literature reviews on the relationship between leadership and outcomes in schools. Through this interpretive investigation and ideological critique, the goal is to "emancipate" the field from restrictive epistemologies and methodologies that have been dominant due to certain ideologies. The study seeks to understand how the field arrived at its present state by thoroughly investigating its history in order to inform future directions.
This document provides an introduction and overview of concepts related to autonomy and paternalism from a philosophical perspective. It begins by describing a hypothetical medical scenario and introduces key terms and issues. It then reviews various theories and definitions of autonomy, ultimately arguing that Kant's conception of autonomy as essential to moral agency best captures its true meaning. The document discusses paternalism and how it relates to autonomy, arguing that paternalism may be justified when it violates liberty but not when it violates autonomy. It aims to develop a framework for determining when paternalism is appropriate in medical contexts.
The document provides background information on school improvement plans and identifies factors that influence their implementation. It discusses:
1) The importance of school improvement plans for advancing education and achieving goals. Effective implementation requires collaboration between school administrators, teachers, parents, and others.
2) Factors that can negatively or positively impact the implementation of school improvement plans, such as lack of communication, insufficient resources, and unsupportive internal/external facilities.
3) The study aims to identify the major factors influencing implementation of the school improvement plan at Jaja Primary School in Ethiopia, where student performance is low despite education quality improvement programs. Understanding barriers can help strengthen implementation.
This document outlines a proposal for a fully online Educational Leadership program. It addresses the needs analysis, delivery method, teaching/learning strategies, course outline, student and instructor support, design and development, evaluation of student progress, and administrative issues. The needs analysis found that many students in educational leadership programs have career and family obligations that make attending on-campus classes difficult. An online program could address this need and help more students earn their degrees. The proposed online program would be delivered fully through the university's learning management system and incorporate both synchronous and asynchronous activities. Learning strategies would include the ICE model of ideas, connections, and extensions, as well as techniques that motivate adult learners such as real-world applications, opportunities for
143319 international survey_on_educational_leadershipGhaleb Kandil
School leadership structures vary across countries but generally include a principal position. Some countries also have vice/assistant principals and department heads. Structures range from strictly regulated hierarchies to flexible systems determined by local authorities. Finnish schools have a principal and vice-principal as mandated leaders.
This document discusses transformational leadership style in the educational sector. It begins by introducing the need for transformational leadership within education due to increasing accountability pressures. It then reviews literature on transformational leadership and its key components of individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence. The document argues that transformational leadership is necessary for educational leaders to meet 21st century challenges and drive organizational change within schools.
Leadership Skills In Management Educationnorshimhashim
This document discusses leadership skills that are important in management education from the perspectives of both faculty and administrators. It summarizes a study that examined which skills faculty and administrators viewed as most important for effective leadership in hospitality management higher education programs. Both faculty and administrators ranked business skills as the most important, followed by cognitive skills, interpersonal skills, personal values, and strategic skills. Specifically, they unanimously ranked communication as the most important individual skill and felt ethics and fairness were important personal values for leaders.
Innovation in Educational Management and Leadership: High Impact Competency f...syaabdulrahman
This study aimed to identify the high impact competencies needed by Malaysian school leaders. Researchers developed an instrument called KOMPAS to assess 26 competencies across 6 domains for 596 school leaders and 140 ministry officers. Statistical analysis identified 8 competencies as high impact: managing change, quality focus, managing ICT, decision making, problem solving, school improvement, capacity building, and performance management. The study provides data to help plan effective training programs for school leaders.
There are several leadership styles that can be adopted in different situations: autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. The autocratic style involves a leader retaining power and authority without staff input, while bureaucratic leadership manages through procedures and rules. Democratic leadership encourages staff participation in decision-making. Laissez-faire provides little direction from the leader and gives staff freedom. The most effective style depends on factors like the manager's background, the staff being managed, and the organization.
If you finding a company who provide the high quality service in Madison WI. You can call our company executive for more information about our service area .
many of these works, written in the spiritual sense, I ask as it were to read as though the spirit wrote it, it talks of the grandiose public, warring factions, a philosophical outset, and prose poetry
This document discusses whether implicit theories of intelligence or IQ is a better predictor of educational success. It explores research that shows both predictors can be effective. Implicit theories focus on a growth mindset and flexible intelligence, while IQ provides a quantitative measure of cognitive abilities. However, IQ may be a stronger predictor as it is objective, shows clear relationships to achievement through correlations, and is not prone to bias or change like implicit theories. In conclusion, the document argues that while both show benefits, IQ is overall a better predictor of educational success due to its rigidity and strong research backing this claim.
During your course of study in the M.Ed. program you have examined.docxmadlynplamondon
The document discusses skills gained through an M.Ed. program coursework and experience. It identifies key skills as the ability to create a favorable learning environment, strong communication competency, subject matter expertise, cross-cultural competencies, and skills for engaging students. The coursework improved skills through knowledge of learner-centered approaches, classroom management, self-directed learning, and instructional strategies. Future focus areas include self-assessment opportunities for students and allowing examples from diverse cultural experiences.
This document is Brooke Muccio's capstone experience paper for her graduate program. It summarizes artifacts from her coursework, including analyses, applications, and reflections that demonstrate her competency in educational leadership. It discusses how she has grown in her knowledge, confidence, and outlook through the program. Specifically, she has increased understanding of research, assessment strategies, and ethical issues. She has also developed confidence in public speaking and sharing leadership. While still committed to her goals, she recognizes how much more she has to learn to be an effective principal. The paper concludes by discussing how two educational leaders, a college professor and current principal, have inspired her through example and investment in her growth.
WSU-Puyallup EdAd 516 September 25 Class Notesailenebaxter
This document appears to be a syllabus for an educational leadership course titled EDAD 516 at Washington State University Puyallup Campus in fall 2014. It includes:
- Contact information for the course director, Ailene M. Baxter
- Topics that will be covered like leadership, supervision of instruction, culturally responsive teaching
- Course objectives, assignments, expectations
- Readings from authors like Glickman and Ginsberg on related subjects
- Details about assignments like shadowing a student and reflecting on educational beliefs
The syllabus outlines the essential information students need about the course, including the educational frameworks and theories that will be examined related to leadership, adult learning, and culturally responsive
The document discusses Team Whero's inquiry into providing opportunities for "student voice" at Whangarei Intermediate School. It explores why student voice is important for learning, evaluating teaching, school improvement, developing student leadership, and shaping school culture. It also describes methods used to lead change, such as surveying students and teachers. While opportunities for student voice have increased, student understanding of its purpose has not, and further work is needed to fully embed it in classroom practice and culture.
Shirlene Evans provides a curriculum vitae summarizing her experience and qualifications as a teacher. She has a Bachelor of Teaching degree from the University of Waikato and completed practicums at Hinuera School, Te Aroha Primary School, and David Street Primary School. Feedback from associate teachers and principals at these schools praised her professionalism, organization, dedication to student learning, and growth in confidence over the course of her practicums.
Kristen L. Della Mora is applying for a teaching position and believes her experience as a high school science teacher in Nevada and educational background in human biology and education make her an excellent candidate. She aims to provide a stimulating learning environment that encourages critical thinking and hands-on learning. Della Mora differentiates her instruction to meet the needs of all students with various skills and learning styles. She strives to create a respectful, safe classroom environment where students are challenged and can achieve success.
This document summarizes a presentation about the role of paraprofessionals in inclusive classrooms. It discusses how paraprofessionals are valuable assistants who help teachers meet the needs of diverse students. The presentation covers strategies for student success, validating paraprofessionals' skills, and their significant role in facilitating inclusion.
Kassim Osman completed an internship and volunteering experience at a school serving immigrant students to fulfill requirements for his Family Social Science degree. Through these experiences, he was able to apply theories like symbolic interactionism to better understand the students, families, and community. While the school lacked diversity, it provided an environment where the students could maintain their cultural identities while receiving an education. Osman reflected that these experiences improved his communication, assessment, and problem-solving skills to work with diverse families and help address their needs.
This document contains Marci McKinney's education portfolio from Ivy Tech Community College. The portfolio includes sections on her resume, teaching philosophy, letter of recommendation, endeavors and awards, and descriptions of how she meets the INTASC teaching standards. It provides information on her education, qualifications, coursework, activities and leadership experience, as well as samples of her work from her early childhood education preschool practicum. The portfolio is intended to showcase Marci's experience and abilities as she pursues a degree in early childhood education.
General and Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of InclusionDonna Tortu
This dissertation examined general and special education teachers' perceptions of inclusion. The author administered a survey to teachers to assess their perceptions in areas like professional development, support for inclusion, use of inclusive practices, and beliefs about inclusion. The results showed no differences between general and special educators' perceptions of professional development, support, and the effects of inclusion. However, significant differences were found in their levels of using inclusive practices and beliefs about inclusion. The findings provide insight into better implementing inclusion based on teacher perceptions.
Naci Karadeniz has been in education for twelve years as a teacher and wants to expand his skills into educational leadership to better impact students and the community. He enrolled in the Educational Leadership program at American College of Education to gain the skills to become an effective school administrator. Some of his goals are to motivate and encourage stakeholder involvement, recognize student diversity, use research-based practices for evaluation, increase parental involvement, involve stakeholders in decision-making, and efficiently manage time. He believes the program will provide him with the necessary skills and understanding to achieve these goals and be a successful leader.
This document appears to be a syllabus for an educational leadership course titled EDAD 516 at Washington State University's Puyallup campus in the fall semester of 2014. It lists the instructor as Ailene M. Baxter, the Director of Human Resources for the Puyallup School District. The syllabus outlines the course objectives, assignments, expectations, and topics to be covered throughout the semester, including leadership and supervision of instruction, culturally responsive teaching practices, student shadowing experiences, and using intrinsic motivation to engage all students in learning.
The document provides information about a student's field study experience at Holy Cross College High School Department. It includes the student's name and course/year of study, details about the cooperating school and instructor, and the dates of submission and interview. It then summarizes the school's vision, mission, goals and objectives which focus on developing students' spirituality, excellence, social responsibility and leadership. The document analyzes how the school's vision and goals inform curriculum design and the teaching methods used to achieve them. It also reflects on how students demonstrate internalizing the school's focus through their behavior and participation.
This document provides the resume and teaching philosophy of Heather Wulff, an experienced educator. She has a Master's degree in teaching and multiple subject teaching credentials. Her experience includes teaching various grades from preschool to 4th grade in several schools. She is currently teaching PreK-3 and has a strong record of collaborating with other teachers and developing engaging, standards-aligned curricula. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes meeting the needs of diverse learners through hands-on and project-based lessons that incorporate multiple intelligences. She aims to create a positive learning community and sees the potential to influence students' lives.
This document contains Ms. Liliana Azabache's final reflection from her National Teacher Education Center program in 2011. It summarizes her philosophy of education, which includes high expectations for students, character education, and open communication. It also describes her current teaching position at H.R. McCall Elementary School, her portfolio projects in reading and math, and her goals for continued education and being a positive role model.
Linda Manila is seeking a career change after graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a focus on Criminal Justice. She has worked as a Head Start teacher for several years and teaches preschool children from low-income families. Manila draws from her experience growing up learning English as a second language to empathize with her students. She is dedicated to helping vulnerable children and families in need achieve their goals.
The school purposes in curriculum developmentMica Navarro
This document discusses different levels and types of educational objectives. It defines objectives as specific, measurable targets that advance a school towards its goals. Objectives are categorized into three domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The cognitive domain involves thought processes like knowledge, comprehension, and evaluation. The affective domain relates to values, attitudes, and appreciation. The psychomotor domain refers to physical skills. Educational objectives must be specific, observable, and able to verify achievement within a given timeframe and conditions.
The document discusses co-teaching in kindergarten classrooms. It defines co-teaching as two or more teachers sharing teaching responsibilities within a general education classroom. The benefits of co-teaching include developing respect for differences, creating more opportunities for differentiated instruction, and increasing student achievement and pro-social behaviors. Teachers also benefit from co-teaching through developing collaborative skills and increasing their instructional knowledge. Parents see benefits like a more rigorous curriculum and increased communication with teachers. The presentation measures the success of co-teaching through student and parent surveys and analyzing academic growth.
This document provides a final research proposal on enrichment opportunities for gifted junior high school students in Chicagoland schools. The research problem identified is the lack of enrichment programs for gifted students compared to support available for underperforming students. The research goals are to evaluate existing gifted programs and make recommendations to better challenge and engage gifted students. A literature review found more research on underachieving versus gifted students. The proposed methodology is qualitative, using interviews of 30 gifted students, 50 teachers/administrators from public and private schools to understand student and educator perspectives on challenges, social issues, and how interests are supported.
Promoting Social-Emotional Learning Using Strong StartEunsook Hong
The document discusses implementing the Strong Start social-emotional learning program in 3 second grade classrooms. The author conducted pre and post-tests to measure changes in students' social skills, emotional coping, and academic functioning after teaching the 10 Strong Start lessons over 3 months. Results showed increases in all measured areas across the 3 classrooms. This indicates that directly teaching social-emotional skills can have benefits for students.
Promoting Social-Emotional Learning Using Strong Start
S_D_Hraha_Dissertation_7-3-2012
1. UTILIZING THE CULTIVATING AWARENESS AND RESILIANCE IN EDUCATION
PROGRAM TO ENHANCE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL
COMPETENCE IN PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS:
A PILOT STUDY
DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY
OF THE ADLER SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
BY
SARAH D. HRAHA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
OF DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY
CHICAGO, IL JULY
5, 2012
1
3. Abstract
The following is a pilot study examining the impact of the Cultivating Awareness and
Resilience in Education (CARE) program on a group of pre-school and elementary school
teachers (n = 11). CARE is a professional development program that utilizes mindfulness
practices and emotional awareness skills designed to reduce stress and improve teaching
effectiveness. Teachers participated in a 14-hour, two-day training and a two-hour follow-up
training. Teachers were provided with ongoing mentoring support throughout the study.
Qualitative interviews were used to collect teachers’ experiences post-intervention. Data from
interviews was analyzed using grounded theory methodology as detailed by Rennie, Phillips, and
Quartaro (1988). From the data analysis, a core category of choice emerged with the properties
of awareness, step back, enhanced understanding of the children, changes in the classroom, and
relationships with adults. The results of this study suggest that CARE is an effective
intervention for teachers that promotes stress reduction, increased physical and emotional
awareness, enhancement of teacher-student relationships, and promotes pro-social behavior in
the classroom. Additionally, results suggest that skills learned in the CARE training supported
teachers’ ability to understand their students’ emotions as well as limitations. Teachers reported
increased ability to understand the needs of individual children along with increased patience and
skill with interpersonal communication. The results of this study hold significant implications for
children, teachers, and schools as a whole.
3
4. Acknowledgments
It was through the support, guidance, and love of the kind people around me that I was
able to perform this study and write this dissertation. Though I would like to acknowledge each
and every one of these individuals, I will instead give particular mention to those who stood out
most.
First I would like to thank my dissertation committee chairperson, Dr. Catherine
McNeilly who so graciously and willingly took this role. Her knowledge and reassuring
guidance, ongoing support, constructive feedback, and above all, encouragement, were
invaluable to me especially toward the culmination of this project. I would like to acknowledge
Dr. Robert Heller for agreeing to be on my committee, putting forth the time and effort to
support my work on this project, and lending his expertise in the field of education.
I am indebted to Dr. Patricia Jennings, also a member of my committee, whose work and
research inspired me to choose my topic for this dissertation. Dr. Jennings graciously gave her
permission to use the CARE teacher training curriculum developed by the Garrison Institute.
She provided ongoing support and guidance along with access to all the materials I needed to
successfully lead the teacher workshops. I was fortunate to attend a weeklong CARE retreat lead
by Dr. Jennings and others which provided an opportunity for me to experience CARE for
myself. I want to express my gratitude to her for entrusting her program to me to evaluate its
effectiveness. Most of all, I am grateful for her tireless efforts to improve education and the lives
of teachers and students.
I am grateful to the teachers who devoted their time and energy to participate in this study
and for putting forth sincere efforts to apply in their classrooms the skills learned on the training.
4
5. I greatly appreciate their willingness and valuable time during the mentoring process and for the
interviews. Their in-depth, honest, and thoughtful analyses of their experiences with the training
material were exceptional and poignant. Most of all, it is the dedication, and loving attention
these teachers devote to their students and their professions that was of great inspiration to me.
I would like to thank my mother and father who were my first teachers. They provided a
loving and nurturing environment with strong values in education and faith in God. Sue and
Gene Delves’ tireless devotion to serve others in their communities provided an outstanding
example to my brothers and me for how we would live our lives. As it is difficult to express my
full gratitude to my parents, all I can say is that I stand on their shoulders and would not have
come this far without them.
I am truly grateful to my husband and best friend, Eddie Hraha, for his patience,
emotional support, nurturance, loving encouragement, and most of all his care for me during this
time in my life. Without him, this process would have been very difficult. I want to
acknowledge our three sons, Michael, Tom, and Robert for their continuous and loving support,
their humor, and expressing pride in their mother. My family’s support has been invaluable and
precious to me.
I owe my deepest gratitude to Dr. Bob Wright. Without his motivation, encouragement,
and persistent and caring guidance I would never have pursued, much less considered, a
doctorate degree. Dr. Wright has truly made a difference in my life and has continually held a
vision for me that I never could have imagined for myself. It was some years ago when I, like
many teachers discussed in the research, was experiencing burnout in my teaching career. It was
Dr. Wright who pointed out that I was not being authentic or “real” with my students. With his
permission and guidance I adapted a personal growth curriculum designed for adults, for use
5
6. with my students in the classroom. Dr. Wright and his wife, Dr. Judith Wright, founders of the
Wright Leadership Institute in Chicago, Illinois, developed this program. The experience of
using this social and emotional curriculum with my students was a transformational and turning
point in my career as a teacher. Through these experiences I discovered the great value and
significant implications of the teacher-student relationship and importance of teacher social and
emotional competence in this realm. For these reasons, this research study has particular
meaning and significance to me and for this, I am truly grateful.
6
7. Sarah D. Hraha, M.A.
56 Golf Avenue
Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
sarahhraha@aol.com
H (630) 321-0851
C (630) 728-0780
EDUCATION
Adler School of Professional Psychology, January 2007-Present
Chicago, Illinois
APA Accredited Institution
Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology
Anticipate date of graduation: October 2012
Adler School of Professional Psychology, January 2007-July 2010
Chicago, Illinois
Master’s of Arts in Counseling
National-Louis University September 1980-November 1984
(National College of Education)
Skokie, Illinois
Bachelor of Arts-Education
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator 2011
Montessori Teacher Training Certificate – Grades 4th
- 6th
1999
Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center, Evanston, IL
Montessori Teacher Training Certificate – Grades 1st
– 3rd
1997
Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center, Evanston, IL
Teaching Certification, Type 03 Illinois (Grades K-9th
) 1993
TEACHING EXPERIEINCE
Adler School of Professional Psychology January 2010-July 2010
Chicago, Illinois
Teaching Assistant
Supervisor: Cristina Cox, Ph.D.
Duties: Assisted in setting up interviews for and sending correspondence to practicum students for
7
8. the Adler Prison Program; assisted in organizing Adler Prison Program files; conducted research
for Child/Adolescent program; performed assistant duties as needed.
Dupage Montessori School, 2005-2008
Naperville, Illinois
Lead Teacher, Upper Elementary, Grades 4-6
Duties: Lead teacher in a mixed-age classroom, grades 4th
– 6th,
using the Montessori method.
Responsibilities included writing lesson plans; creating hands-on materials to enhance curriculum;
developing curriculum; teaching all areas of the curriculum; writing student evaluations;
conducting parent/student/teacher conferences; supervising an assistant; managing day to day
operations of a classroom; developing appropriate discipline/consequences for children in order to
facilitate learning from mistakes; referring children for evaluation when necessary.
Brickton Montessori School, 2001-2005
Chicago, Illinois
Lead Teacher, Upper Elementary, Grades 4-6
Duties: Lead teacher in a mixed-age classroom, grades 4th
– 6th,
using the Montessori
method. Responsibilities included writing lesson plans; creating hands-on materials to
enhance curriculum; developing curriculum; teaching all areas of the curriculum; writing
student evaluations; conducting parent/student/teacher conferences; supervising an
assistant; managing day to day operations of a classroom; developing appropriate
discipline/consequences for children in order to facilitate learning from mistakes; referring
children for evaluation when necessary.
Dupage Montessori School, 2007-2008
Naperville, Illinois
Pre-adolescent Group Educator/Facilitator
Duties: Led a weekly social/emotional curriculum with students, ages 9-12. Taught lessons that
focused on identifying and expressing emotions; identifying deeper needs that underlie feelings;
creating a supportive environment where students encourage one another; identifying negative
thought patterns in oneself and others; developing awareness of oneself and others; resolving
conflicts; communicating with peers and family. Although sessions were taught once per week,
the skills taught were interwoven into the curriculum and used throughout each day as children
interacted.
Dupage Montessori School, 2007-2008
Naperville, Illinois
Parenting Group Educator/Facilitator
Duties: Led weekly, evening parenting group. Presented four-week blocks of parenting
curriculum with follow-up sessions that provided parents an opportunity to share with other
parents, learn new ideas, and examine their beliefs in an accepting and supportive environment.
8
9. Montessori Academy of Glen Ellyn, 1997-2001
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Lead Teacher, Lower Elementary, Grades 1-3
Duties: Lead teacher in a mixed-age classroom, grades 1st
– 3rd
using the Montessori method.
Responsibilities included writing lesson plans; creating hands-on materials to enhance curriculum;
developing curriculum; teaching all areas of the curriculum; writing student evaluations;
conducting parent/student/teacher conferences; supervising an assistant; managing day to day
operations of a classroom; developing appropriate discipline/consequences for children in order to
facilitate learning from mistakes; referring children for evaluation when necessary.
Countee Cullen Elementary School, 1991-1997
Chicago, Illinois
Teacher
Duties: Taught kindergarten, 1st
grade and 2nd
grade – all self-contained classrooms.
Responsibilities were similar to a Montessori teacher (as above) with the exception of utilizing
textbooks, creating lessons plans that included state goals, grading students on report cards, and
completing the paperwork required by the Chicago Public School System.
ADDITIONAL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
DuPage Montessori School August 2011-Present
Naperville, Illinois
Consultant and Teacher Mentor
Duties: Consult with Heads of School regarding curriculum, teacher and assistant expectations,
student outcomes, and goals for the lower elementary classroom. Mentor new elementary
classroom teacher and assistants; provide guidance and support; model teaching approaches and
classroom management techniques; observe students and overall classroom environment as means
to develop goals and improve classroom management and flow.
Fox Valley Montessori School August 2011-Present
Aurora, Illinois
Consultant and Teacher Mentor
Duties: Consult with Head of School regarding development of new upper elementary program;
mentor new upper elementary teacher (as above). Conducted dissertation study with teachers and
assistants using Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE; please see Research
Experience for more information); provided follow-up training and support.
St. Mary School, February 2010
Riverside, Illinois
Workshop Presenter
Duties: Designed and presented a three hour workshop to 25 elementary teachers on
conflict resolution.
Adler School of Professional Psychology, April 2010
9
10. Chicago, Illinois
Seminar Instructor
Duties: Taught a seminar in Adlerian play therapy for students enrolled in Advanced
Adlerian Interventions and Theory.
Wright Leadership Institute, 2006-2007
Chicago, Illinois
Group Facilitator
Duties: Facilitated a weekly growth group for adults. Responsibilities included partnering with a
co-facilitator; monitoring, coaching and giving support and feedback to group participants as they
reported on weekly progress, checked in on assignments, and asked for specific support.
Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center, July 2006
Woodstock, Illinois
Montessori Teacher Instructor
Duties: Taught the language portion of the 4th
-6th
grade Montessori curriculum to prospective
teachers as part of their training.
Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center, February 2006
Woodstock, Illinois
Workshop Presenter
Duties: Designed and presented an all day workshop to Montessori teachers on classroom
management.
INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
Dupage County Health Department August 2011-Present
Lombard, Illinois
Pre-doctoral Clinical Psychology Intern
Therapist – Child/Adolescent
Supervisors: Michael Philipp, Ph.D., and Jean Roe, Psy.D.
Duties: Provide mental health services for children, adolescents and their families; conduct initial
mental health evaluation, develop treatment plans, provide treatment, review clinical
response/progress, and collaborate with other mental health or allied professionals including
school personnel. Therapy services provided are both office-based and community-based
dependent on client needs; initiate and coordinate multidisciplinary treatment services; provide
case management services; learn and utilize an electronic medical record-keeping system,
maintain up-to-date treatment plans and concurrent progress notes of therapy sessions and other
clinical interventions (e.g., crisis intervention, case management services). Provide psychological
testing involving cognitive assessment, personality assessment using standardized objective and
10
11. projective instruments, and neuropsychological screening; prepare formal written reports to share
with referral sources and clients in feedback sessions.
PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE
Claret Center, July 2010-July 2011
Chicago, Illinois
Practicum Student: Advanced Therapy Externship
Parish Counselor and Parish School Counselor
Supervisors: Allan H. Schnarr, M.Div., Ph.D., and Mary Ellen Moore, Ph.D
Duties: Work with children, adolescents, adults, and families from diverse cultural and
economic backgrounds; provide individual, couples, and family counseling, both short-
term crisis management and long-term therapy; utilize play therapy for children along
with providing parenting skills training for parents; provide counseling services to students at
parish school; observe in classrooms; consult with principal, teachers, and parents regarding
students; consult with psychologists, interns, and fellow externs; participate in two hours of weekly
supervision and three hours of weekly group supervision; participate in additional supervision with
a registered play therapist supervisor.
Cumulative Hours: 245 (hours from July 1 – Nov. 1)
Claret Center, July 2009-July 2010
Chicago, Illinois
Practicum Student: Therapy Externship
Parish Counselor
Supervisors: Allan H. Schnarr, M.Div., Ph.D., and Mary Ellen Moore, Ph.D
Duties: Worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families from diverse cultural and
economic backgrounds; provided individual, couples, and family counseling, both short
term crisis management and long-term therapy; utilized play therapy for children along
with providing parenting skills training for parents; initiated professional relationship with
parish school, provided services to students and presented teacher support and workshop
training; consulted with psychologists, interns, and fellow externs; participated in two
hours of weekly supervision and three hours of weekly group supervision.
Cumulative Hours: 1072
Palos Behavioral Health Professionals, August 2008-July 2009
Palos, Illinois
Practicum Student: Diagnostic Externship
Supervisors: Elizabeth Fazio, Psy.D and Linda Baer, Psy.D
Duties: Worked with children, adolescents, adults and geriatric populations from diverse
cultural and economic backgrounds; administered, scored, and interpreted full-battery
psycho-diagnostic assessments including objective, projective, achievement, and
intelligence tests; conducted geriatric mini diagnostic assessments; conducted regular
11
12. clinical interviews; integrated data into full psychological assessment reports; attended and
participated in feedback sessions to clients; participated in two hours of weekly
supervision, two hours of weekly group supervision, psych. testing supervision; attended
and participated in weekly staff meetings at a retired and assisted living residence;
attended and participated in didactic trainings.
Cumulative Hours: 800
Brother David Darst Center for Justice and Peace, January 2008-August 2008
Spirituality and Education,
Chicago, Illinois
Practicum Student: Community Service Intern
Supervisor: Mindy Rueden, M.A. Executive Director
Duties: Responsibilities included developing a production manual with information on all
sites visited by retreat participants; research; updating database; co-facilitating on
weekend retreats.
Cumulative Hours: 187
PRESENTATIONS
Hraha, S. (2008, June). The Brother David Darst Center. Poster session presented at the
Adler School of Professional Psychology Community Service Practicum Poster
Presentation, Chicago, IL.
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator May 2011
Positive Discipline Association
Sand Tray Therapy Training November 2010
Presenter: Terry Kottman, Ph.D., RPT-S (40 hours)
Play Therapy Training April 2009
Presenter: Terry Kottman, Ph.D, RPT-S
Seminar in Adlerian Play Therapy (40 hours)
Leadership Training 1992-1996
Wright Leadership Institute,
Chicago, Illinois
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Doctoral Dissertation, in progress
Hraha, D. (2010). Utilizing the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education
program to enhance social and emotional competence in elementary school teachers: A
12
13. pilot study. Doctoral dissertation in preparation,
Adler School of Professional Psychology.
Chair: Catherine G. McNeilly, Psy.D.
This study includes: collaboration with Dr. Patricia Jennings of Penn State University,
the developer of the CARE teacher training program; conducting the CARE teacher
training as lead facilitator (16 hours of curriculum taught over a two-day retreat format and
two subsequent half-day trainings); conducting semi-structured interviews with participants.
PROFFESIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Illinois Psychological Association - Member
American Montessori Society – Member
HONORS/ORGANIZATIONS
Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society
National College of Education – Merit Scholarships
Wright Leadership Institute – Group Facilitator
REFERENCES
Michael Philipp, Ph.D
Director of the Pre-Doctoral Clinical Psychology Internship Program
Dupage County Health Department
1111 E Jackson Street
Lombard, IL 60148
630-221-5324
mphilipp@dupagehealth.org
Linda Baer, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Palos Behavioral Health Professionals
13011S 104th
Ave, Suite 200
Palos Park, IL 60464
708-448-3300
Cathernine McNeilly, Psy.D.
Core Faculty
Adler School of Professional Psychology
17 N. Dearborn
Chicago, IL
312-662-4000
cmcneilly@adler.edu
Terry Kottman, Ph.D., RPT-S, NCC, LMHC
13
14. Registered Play Therapist Supervisor
Owner – Encouragement Zone
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-266-0887
tkottman@cfu.net
Allan Schnarr, M.Div, Ph.D.
Director, Psychotherapy Practicum Program
Claret Center
5536 S. Everett Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637
773-643-6259
allanow@comcast.net
Robert Wright, Ed.D.
Wright Leadership Institute
445 E. Ohio # 340
Chicago, IL 60611
312-645-8300
14
15. Table of Contents
Section Page
Title page……………………………………………………………......... 1
Committee page…………………………………………………………... 2
Abstract…………………………………………………………………… 3
Acknowledgments………………………………………………………… 4
Curriculum Vitae………………………………………………………….. 7
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………. 15
Chapter I: Introduction…………………………………………………… 16
Chapter II: Review of the Literature……………………………………… 23
Chapter III: Methodology…………………………………………………. 40
Chapter IV: Results……………………………………………………….. 46
Chapter V: Discussion…………………………………………………….. 66
References………………………………………………………………….. 76
Appendix A: Informed Consent.…………………………………………… 80
Appendix B: CARE Training Manual……………………………………… 83
Appendix C: CARE Training Master Schedule……………………………. 84
Appendix D: Interview Sign-up Sheet……………………………………... 86
Appendix E: CARE Study Interview Questions…………………………… 88
15
16. Chapter I
Introduction
Teaching is an emotional vocation (Hargreaves, 1998; Sutton & Harper, 2009). On a day
to day basis, teachers experience myriad emotions as they interact with students, colleagues,
parents, and administrators. Some of these emotions can be intense at times, yet many teachers
feel they must suppress or, when appropriate, intensify their emotional reactions to events inside
and outside the classroom. This can take an emotional toll (Sutton & Harper, 2009). The
emotional dimension, which is at the heart of teaching, is a fundamental aspect of this profession
that is often ignored or minimized especially in teacher education programs (Cohen, 2006;
Hargreaves, 1998; Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2006). The following scenario is
an example of the manner in which this might occur in a classroom.
The bell rings. Children clamor to their seats. After a few moments the teacher in front
of the room addresses her students, “Good morning. Take out your homework assignments and
put them on your desks.” One student tells the teacher he forgot his assignment, another
suddenly yells out, “James took my pencil!” Over the intercom a voice tells Ms. Carter that she
needs to have her students ready for the assembly in 10 minutes. Lawrence is out of his seat,
slowly approaching his teacher wanting to ask if he can go the bathroom. Before he utters a
word, Ms. Carter sternly reproaches him saying, “What are you doing out of your seat?” And
with a harsh look in her eyes and a punitive tone in her voice, she points her finger in his face
and says, “Go…sit…back…down…in your chair…and don’t get up again!” So begins her day,
and theirs.
For the most part, it is the teacher who shapes and influences the formal learning context
and the classroom climate in which the student spends most of the day (Charney, Crawford, &
Wood, 1999; Hargreaves, 1998; Jennings & Greenberg, 2008; Meyer & Turner, 2002). The
16
17. quality and depth of the teacher-student relationship impacts the teacher’s ability to promote
student social and emotional development and establishes the social and emotional classroom
climate (Elias et al., 1997; Kusche & Greenberg, 2006; Meyer & Turner, 2006; Mugno &
Rosenblitt, 2001). Teachers’ social and emotional competence (SEC) and well-being are
essential to forming and sustaining positive, caring, and supportive relationships with their
students (Hawkey, 2006; Cohen, 1999). When teachers encounter highly stressful emotional
situations, their ability to develop and preserve these healthy relationships with their students is
jeopardized (Jennings & Greenberg, 2008). Lacking the resources to manage stressful emotional
situations that arise in their classrooms, teachers often resort to maintaining a rigid classroom
atmosphere engaging in punitive discipline practices in order to cope. As a result, student
behavior frequently becomes problematic and teachers feel emotionally exhausted, have a sense
of depersonalization, and lack a sense of personal accomplishment (Maslach; cited in Chan,
2006; Sutton & Harper, 2009).
Specific education and training to raise teachers’ social and emotional competence and
improve well-being is a needed intervention that can result in effective and long-lasting
outcomes for teachers and their students (Cohen, 1999, 2006; Elias, Zins, Graczyk, & Weissberg,
2003; Fopiano & Haynes, 2001; Jennings & Greenberg, 2008; Patti, 2006; Zins et al., 2006).
Statement of the Problem
Data from a study conducted by Ingersoll (2003) indicated that 40 to 50 percent of
teachers who enter the profession leave within five years. This alarming statistic may be due in
part to increasing demands and pressures with which teachers are confronted on a daily basis
contributing to teacher stress and burnout. Key sources of teacher stress include, but are not
limited to maintaining discipline in the classroom, students with poor motivation to work,
17
18. increasing demands to accomplish goals with fewer resources, a lack of clear performance
standards with constructive feedback, mandates for increased test scores and higher
accountability, conflicting relationships with faculty and administration, criticism and pressure
from parents, and a variety of factors that lie outside the teacher’s control (Anderson, Levinson,
Barker, & Kiewra, 1999; Chan, 2006; Nelson & Low, 2005 ; Montgomery & Rupp, 2005;
Ransford, Greenberg, Domitrovich, Small, & Jacobson, 2009).
In today’s modern culture, children are faced with innumerable situations that have a
negative impact on their social, emotional, and academic development (Zins & Elias, 2006).
Schools and teachers compete with the influences of peer groups, the media, video games, family
relationships, the lure of drugs and risk, and the pressures and challenges of growing up (Elias et
al., 1997). Many children who walk through the doors of classrooms in the United States live in
environments with significant and chronic distress including poverty or financial stress, single
parent homes, homes where both parents work, exposure to violence, and urbanization, to name
but a few (Kusche & Greenberg, 2001; Cohen, 1999).
Multiple factors influence the degree to which stress is experienced and managed, and is
unique to each teacher (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). However, a breakdown in coping
mechanisms used to manage stress has the potential to lead to exhaustion, feelings of anxiety,
dissatisfaction, and symptoms of depression. Chronic stress, if not tended to, can lead to burnout
(Anderson et al., 1999). Many teachers do not have the SEC or the skills to promote their well-
being when confronted with strong negative emotions. As a result, these highly stressful
emotional situations compromise teachers’ ability to form and sustain supportive relationships
with their students, manage their classrooms effectively, and promote an optimal learning
environment (Jennings & Greenberg, 2008). In terms of efficacious interventions, there have
18
19. been very few studies to evaluate programs that reduce teacher stress although recommendations
for stress reduction techniques have been included, but without empirical support (Anderson et
al., 1999)
In order to enhance student social, emotional, and academic learning, teachers need the
SEC to teach these skills as well as competencies to effectively manage their own stress and
regulate their emotions in a healthy manner (Zins et al., 2006). Not all teachers possess the SEC
needed to create safe and caring communities in their classrooms, nor are they always capable of
effectively implementing a social and emotional learning (SEL) program without the proper
skills and training. When teachers’ social and emotional needs are not met or addressed, they
may not effectively convey social and emotional competence and well-being or competently
address the social and emotional learning needs of their students (Seigle, 2001; Weare & Gray,
2003).
Although these skills can be learned, very few courses are offered in teacher preparation
programs that provide theory-based or practical education in SEL or prepare the teacher to
manage students’ emotions and stressors (Cohen, 2006; D’Ambrosio, 2002; Zins et al., 2006).
The main thrust of teacher education programs has typically been on teaching academics and has
not embraced SEL as an important element of school life. Additionally, leaders in education
have tended to separate issues relating to mental health and academics (Cohen, 2006).
Hargreaves (1998) noted that the teachers they studied “acknowledged that their practice is an
emotional one and that building emotional understanding with students in relationships which
make this possible, is essential to successful academic learning” (p. 845). Teachers, as well as
their students, need to develop the social and emotional aptitude that will foster the relationships
they need in order to be successful in life (Patti, 2006).
19
20. Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot study of the Cultivating Awareness and
Resilience in Education (CARE) teacher training and to explore teachers’ experiences post
intervention. CARE is a program that has been designed to reduce teacher stress and enhance
teaching effectiveness. This intervention utilizes three primary instructional components
introduced and developed over the course of the training. These components include: learning
emotional skills to better understand, recognize, and regulate emotions; learning and
participating in mindfulness and stress reduction practices; and learning empathy and
compassion skills (Jennings, 2011).
In this study the researcher examined the responses and experiences of teachers in the
classroom after participation in the training and receiving mentoring support. This examination
includes possible implications for students, teachers, and schools when an intervention with the
potential to promote teacher SEC is utilized in pre-service education and in-service trainings.
Experiences of teachers were examined using qualitative interviews to gather data
regarding physical and emotional awareness; changes in behavior and changes in relationships
with students resulting from emotional and physical awareness; how awareness and changes in
behavior affected their relationship with a challenging student; awareness of relationships with
adults post intervention; awareness of stress level; student behaviors in the classroom; and
classroom management after participation in the training.
More and more schools are opting to teach social and emotional (SEL) curriculums to
their students. Evidence-based SEL curriculums promote the skills necessary to foster the
development of foundations that will help children reach the goals that their parents and teachers
want for them (Cohen, 2006). But there is a great distance between what we know from the
20
21. research and what has actually been done to help teachers successfully integrate SEL into their
classroom. Similarly, other reports indicate that in order for teachers to effectively teach their
students social and emotional skills and to more effectively work with students and colleagues,
increase their ability to work with parents, manage their own stress, and engage in problem
solving more skillfully in their own lives, teachers need to become socially and emotionally
competent (Cohen, 1999; Elias et al., 2003; Zins et al., 2006; Zins & Elias, 2006).
A further aim of this study was to shed light on and provide a glimpse into teachers’
unique experiences after participating in the CARE teacher training. Additional objectives were
to analyze the data to develop a core theme along with supporting themes, or properties, that
present a framework for further exploration in addition to identifying implications for students,
teachers, and schools. The acknowledgment of the impact of this intervention along with options
for further research will allow the educational and psychological communities to recognize the
need for pre-service education programs and in-service teacher trainings that focus on the
promotion of teacher SEC and to conduct research to explore whether these interventions result
in enhanced SEC and positive teacher and student outcomes.
This is a qualitative study and therefore no hypothesis is presented. The goal of the study
was to gather data from qualitative interviews regarding the perceptions of teachers who
participated and to evaluate the impact of the teacher training. The outcomes of this evaluation
will be used to refine and further expand the CARE teacher training program.
Assumptions and Limitations
It was expected that teachers who received the CARE training along with follow-up
mentoring and support were of average intelligence and comprehended the training. It was
further expected that teacher participants would participate in the training, would retain the
21
22. material provided, and would implement it in their classrooms in a manner that was consistent
with the material with which they were presented. It was assumed that respondents would be
open and honest in what they reported in response to interview questions.
For this study, a convenience sample was used. It was decided to focus recruitment on a
group of teachers in a suburban area of a large metropolitan city due to the author’s familiarity
with the staff population of a specific school and with other schools in the same geographic
vicinity. This presented limitations as the participants were not an accurate representation of the
target population. Because the majority of the participants in this study were women, Caucasian,
and middle class, certain populations were under-represented. This as well as the small sample
size presented limitations to the generalizability of findings to the target population.
The author’s primary interest was to conduct a pilot study of a teacher training and to
gather data shedding light on teachers’ experiences after the intervention. Therefore, the goal of
this project was neither to establish a representative sample nor to generalize findings, but rather
to gain insight on teachers’ unique experiences with the program and to discover which program
components were most useful in achieving specific outcomes.
In addition, limitations of time and funding made a convenience sample a logical choice.
These limitations made it necessary to confine measures to qualitative interviews for obtaining
data from participants. This methodology presented limitations as the data collected was not
appropriate to generalize to a larger target population. Moreover, as this researcher was actively
engaged in leading the intervention, collecting data, and analyzing qualitative data, there was a
high probability that personal bias influenced the results.
22
23. Chapter II
Review of Literature
In this section a review of literature will be presented initially on a broad view of
emotional intelligence narrowing the research on teacher emotions. Next, a review of social and
emotional competence (SEC) in teachers will be provided along with information regarding the
relationship between teachers and students. A review of research on teacher stress and
interventions that support teacher well-being and SEC will also be presented.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI), a term used by researchers Salovey and Mayer (1990) and
popularized by Goleman (1995) which combines the fields of emotions and intelligence, views
emotions as organized responses to events that help to navigate and make sense of social
interactions in one’s environment. Salovey and Mayer (1990) defined emotional intelligence as
a “subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings
and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking
and actions” (p. 189). In addition, these authors highlighted four related abilities: perceiving,
using, understanding, and managing emotions. Perceiving emotions, the most essential facet of
EI, includes the ability to “read” emotions in others’ faces and tones of voice as well as the
ability to recognize one’s own emotions. Using emotions refers to the skill of utilizing emotions
to aid in such tasks as problem solving and thinking. The ability to grasp the relationships
between emotions and the language of affect refers to understanding emotions. Finally,
managing emotions is the ability to regulate emotions in ourselves and others (Salovey & Mayer;
cited in Salovey & Grewal, 2005). Goleman (1995) described five emotional dimensions that
include awareness of one’s emotions, ability to regulate emotions including adaptability, the
23
24. ability to motivate oneself and others, empathy and ability to understand others’ feelings and
perspectives, and a wide range of social skills.
EI is important in the lives of human beings because those who possess the abilities that
comprise EI are considered aware of emotions within themselves and others. This leads to
regulation of affect and often contributes to well being. People with these skills are generally
enjoyable to be with and utilize their emotions or regulate affect in the service of achieving
intended goals. Conversely, deficits in EI can often lead to problems in adjustment and
unfulfilled emotional lives. Those who have difficulty regulating or cannot recognize their own
emotions or who over-regulate emotions in others, for example, alienate others and are often
ostracized (Salovey & Mayer, 1990).
EI may contribute to and positively affect one’s work performance including job
satisfaction, quality of interpersonal relationships, stress tolerance, company rank, and pay raises.
When people are able to regulate affect, work in teams, have positive relationships at work, and
adjust to shifts in their organization, work performance is enhanced (Lopes, Grewal, Kadis, Gall,
& Salovey, 2006). Additionally, EI contributes to positive social interactions, as the ability to
use emotions effectively serves in communication of thoughts and intentions. The capacity to
harness and manage emotions nurtures positive affect, thus promoting coping skills and avoiding
being overwhelmed by negative emotions (Lopes et al., 2004; Salovey & Mayer, 1990).
Numerous studies including those conducted by Brackett, Lopes, Ivcevic, Mayer, and
Salovey (2004), Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, and Sitarenios (2001), and Salovey, Mayer, and Caruso
(2002) have shown evidence supporting the construct of EI as a set of abilities as proposed by
Salovey and Mayer (1990). Higher scores on emotional intelligence tests (eg. the Mayer-
Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, MSCEIT) indicated a greater capacity to show
24
25. empathy, have increased positive interactions with friends, and increased prosocial behavior.
Social adaptation has also been found to be associated with emotional competencies. Lopes et
al. (2004) highlighted evidence from research with children that suggested that emotional
competencies such as understanding and regulating emotions is correlated with the ability to
adapt socially. In their study, Lopes et al. (2004) demonstrated an association between the
ability to manage emotions, one of the four emotional competencies proposed by Salovey and
Mayer, and quality of social interactions. They suggested that the “ability to manage emotions is
likely to contribute to warm, smooth, and spontaneous social interactions to the extent that it
enhances positive emotions, preempts conflict and tension, and facilitates executive functions as
well as a flexible focus of attention” (Lopes et al., 2004, p. 1031).
Teachers and Emotions
Hargreaves (1998; 2000) posited that one of the most important aspects of teaching,
which is often overlooked, is emotions. In relationships with their students, teachers not only
engage in the cognitive and technical aspects of instruction, but engage in an emotional practice
as well. Through the experience of teaching, the inner emotions of teachers are activated along
with the resulting actions. Simultaneously, during this practice of teaching, interactions and
relationships with others are influenced, affecting and activating feelings and actions
(Hargreaves, 1998). For example, a teacher might feel excited about a lesson he has planned.
Through his positive interaction with students during instruction, feelings and actions of students
are affected and activated. They feel enthusiastic and interested in the material being presented
and respond accordingly. Conversely, when a teacher feels intimidated and victimized by the
parents of her students, she is more likely to let this influence her actions toward these parents by
avoiding and in turn alienating them.
25
26. The emotional practice of teaching involves relationships with others (most specifically
students) and the process of shaping those relationships in a specific manner. This necessitates
the need for varying degrees of emotional understanding (Hargreaves, 1998). When these skills
are strong, people are capable of experiencing another’s emotional experience from their own
points of view and their own emotional experience. When people share and are able to enter into
another’s emotional experiences, there is emotional understanding. Teachers who demonstrate
emotional understanding are more likely to assess situations and respond with appropriate
behaviors based on their perception of what a child is expressing, the child’s individual
circumstances, the child’s nature, and what is occurring in the moment (Hargreaves, 1998).
Conversely, when one attempts to understand the emotional experience of another, but
mistakes his or her feelings for the feelings of the other, there is an inaccuracy in emotional
understanding. Teaching is awash with emotional misunderstandings. For example, a student’s
distracted behavior could be misconstrued as laziness or ambivalence when in fact the student
experienced a frightening family incident that morning before coming to school. These
misunderstandings arise not so much as a result of deficiencies or a lack of caring, but due to the
structure and organization of education. Teachers have deadlines, assessments, benchmarks, and
copious amounts of curriculum to cover leaving little room for engagement in establishing
relationships with students in a manner that promotes emotional understanding (Hargreaves,
1998).
There is a paucity of research on the emotional lives of teachers; how emotional
experiences relate to the teaching process, how teachers regulate their emotions, and the
relationship between teacher emotions and motivation, for example. This may be due in part to
our Western culture’s beliefs about emotions as well as the attitudes of researchers who pride
26
27. themselves on being rational and logical in their approach (Sutton & Wheatley, 2003). The
preference of caution toward emotions has typically been the norm in educational settings and as
a result, the place of emotion has been neglected in teacher education. In teacher education
programs pre-service teachers are frequently taught to control their emotions and not lose control
of their feelings (Hawkey, 2006). Hargreaves (1998) stated that teacher emotions are generally
addressed when education reformers want to manage teachers’ resistance to change or to
capitalize on positive emotions that foster teamwork and cooperation, but rarely acknowledge
emotions that are typically more volatile or passionate. He argued that much of the writing
centered on reform and leadership in education takes the stance that teachers think and act, but
not feel. For researchers and those in education to understand teachers and teaching, it is
essential to have knowledge of teachers’ emotions (Sutton & Wheatley, 2003).
Psychologists classify emotions as either positive (e.g., joy, satisfaction) or negative (e.g.,
anger, frustration; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003). Love and caring are the positive emotions most
commonly discussed in research on teachers and are most often reported in elementary school
teachers, but have also been reported by middle and high school teachers. The joy and
satisfaction teachers experienced was associated with children’s growth and learning, especially
if a child had struggled initially (Hargreaves, 2000; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003). In addition,
teachers discussed the positive emotions they experienced in their relationships with the children
they taught and how they enjoyed the time they spent with them, particularly when there was
cooperation. Other sources of pleasure for teachers included: receiving support from colleagues,
engaging with responsible parents who respect teachers’ decisions and judgments, and
accomplishing what they set out to do. Teachers also reported feelings of excitement associated
with the unpredictability of what their students will do or say from moment to moment (Sutton &
27
28. Wheatley, 2003).
Anger and frustration were the negative emotions most often reported by teachers. These
feelings were commonly associated with children’s misbehavior, rule breaking, and events that
occurred outside the classroom that made it difficult to teach effectively. Another source of
negative emotions was associated with parents whose behavior was construed as irresponsible
and unsupportive. Teachers felt frustrated when controllable factors such as laziness and
socializing interfered with the learning process. Anxiety was reported most often among new
teachers and was correlated to interactions with parents and learning the complexities of the
teaching process. More experienced teachers reported feelings of anxiety in relation to the
uncertainty over self-efficacy and ability to perform well in their jobs. Other feelings reported
by teachers were sadness, guilt, and helplessness (Sutton & Wheately, 2003).
Emotion regulation refers to the conscious and unconscious efforts to manage any or all
of the processes involved in emotion expression including cognitive, behavioral, experiential,
and physiological systems (Sutton & Harper, 2009).. For example, a person might react with
surprise to an event, but try to modify facial expressions in an attempt to avoid communicating
this feeling to others. Down-regulating an emotion is an attempt to decrease the intensity and
duration of feelings, where up-regulating involves increasing the experience. Teachers reported
using these types of emotion regulation to develop and maintain positive relationships with their
students. However, emotion regulation requires inner resources and energy that, when depleted,
results in emotion regulation failures (Sutton & Harper, 2009). For example, a teacher might be
able to control her anger with a difficult student in the earlier periods of the day, yet later in the
day when her inner self-regulation resources are depleted, she looses her temper at the slightest
provocation.
28
29. Reappraisal and suppression are two other strategies used to regulate emotions.
Reappraisal occurs when people change the way they think about an event early in the
experience of an emotion (Sutton & Harper, 2009). In this manner, self-regulation and cognitive
resources are not influenced or depleted as a result. Suppression, on the other hand, occurs late
in the emotional event and involves the active process of self-monitoring actions such as
controlling facial expressions, tone of voice, physical responses, and remarks. Because this type
of regulation requires the ability to will the self not to express emotions for the duration of the
event, resources are reduced (Sutton & Harper, 2009). Hargreaves (1998; 2000) used the term
emotional labor to describe the suppression of emotions in service of influencing the state of
mind in others, similar to up- and down-regulation and suppression.
Sutton and Harper (2009) highlighted studies that have shown an increase in positive
expression of affect, positive mood, being liked by peers, and satisfaction with life when
individuals used reappraisal as an emotion regulation strategy. Whereas, those who used
suppression were less likely to feel authentic in interpersonal relationships, felt depressed, and
avoided connecting with others. As stated above, emotion regulation takes energy. Frequent
attempts at modifying emotions can take a toll especially if these attempts fail and do not
contribute to overall feelings of teaching effectiveness. Additionally, those who focused on
regulating (e.g., suppressing) their negative emotions rather than up-regulating positive emotions
were more likely to experience exhaustion and lowered feelings of self-efficacy. However,
teachers who regularly experienced positive emotions were more equipped to handle the many
demands of teaching, were more resilient, and intrinsically motivated (Jennings & Greenberg,
2008; Sutton & Harper, 2009).
Emotions can influence teachers’ thought processes such as attention, memory, and
29
30. problem solving, in ways that are either effective or somewhat destructive (Sutton & Wheatley,
2003). For example, children’s misbehavior often causes teachers to become angry and
frustrated which distracts the teacher away from the task at hand – instruction. On the other
hand, it was posited that an increase in ideas and strategies was generated by teachers who
experienced more positive emotions, and in turn they developed better problem solving and
coping skills. Additionally, positive and negative emotions influenced teacher motivation. The
upsetting factors of teachers’ jobs that influence negative emotions such as frustration and
sadness can interfere with enjoyment and cause teachers to feel less intrinsically motivated
(Sutton & Wheatley, 2003).
Teachers’ Social and Emotional Competence
Social and emotional competence (SEC) is viewed as an outcome of social and emotional
learning (SEL). Payton et al. (2008) highlighted the five core social and emotional competencies
as developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): self-
awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, and relationship
skills. SEL is the process through which children and adults develop the attitudes, skills, and
knowledge necessary to acquire social and emotional competence. EI, a narrower construct
which has been defined above, does not encompass the wide range of competencies teachers
need to be effective in the classroom. Therefore, the broader construct of SEC is more
appropriate when addressing the characteristics teachers need to be most effective.
Teachers who are socially and emotionally competent are self-aware. They have the
ability to recognize and label their own feelings and can generate emotions in the service of
teaching and motivating themselves and others. They have the capacity to recognize their
strengths and values and can cultivate these positive qualities (Elias, 2006; Jennings &
30
31. Greenberg, 2008; Payton et al, 2008).
Socially and emotionally competent teachers are socially aware. They are empathetic
and possess the skills needed to understand and identify the thoughts and feelings of others.
They care for others and build strong, morally and emotionally supportive relationships knowing
that others deserve to be treated with compassion and kindness. They take into account that
others may have a different perspective than they do, appreciate individual and group
differences, and are culturally aware (Elias, 2006; Jennings & Greenberg, 2008; Payton et al,
2008).
Teachers who possess social and emotional competence make responsible decisions.
They can accurately assess situations and make decisions taking into account ethical concerns,
social norms, the safety for and respect of others, and likely consequences of these decisions.
They set long- and short-term goals and establish plans to work toward achieving specific
outcomes, and are creative problem solvers (Elias, 2006; Jennings & Greenberg, 2008; Payton et
al, 2008).
Socially and emotionally competent teachers have the aptitude to manage relationships
with others. They are capable of regulating their emotions in a manner that promotes positive
relationships with their students and at the same time does not compromise teacher well being.
Limit-setting is done in a manner that is firm, yet fair and respectful to students. Socially and
emotionally competent teachers communicate effectively and address the needs of others when
negotiating to find mutually satisfying solutions to conflicts. In addition, they accept and are
comfortable with the ambiguous nature of allowing students to solve problems for themselves
(Elias, 2006; Jennings & Greenberg, 2008; Payton et al, 2008).
The Teacher-Student Relationship
31
32. Kusche and Greenberg (2006) stated that “the nature and quality of the teacher-child
relationship impacts attention, learning, and brain development” (p. 32). While children are in
elementary school, the relationships they establish with adults form the basis of developmental
transitions that will occur later in their school careers. In addition, it has been shown that student
learning, achievement, and behavior are significantly correlated to the relationship with the
teacher (Fopiano & Haynes, 2001).
In a research study of 375 eighth grade students from a middle school in a mid-Atlantic
state Wentzel (1997) attempted to answer two specific questions concerning teacher caring and
the extent to which this motivates student behavior. Specifically, she addressed the extent to
which adolescents’ perceptions of caring teachers are connected to the attainment of prosocial
and positive academic outcomes along with how middle school students identify characteristics
of a caring and supportive teacher. Results suggested that students’ perceptions of caring from
their teachers was directly related to student motivation and achievement and “to their pursuit of
prosocial and social responsibility goals” (p. 415). Students in this study described a caring
teacher as one who “teaches in a special way, talks to you, pays attention, asks questions, listens,
trusts me, tells the truth, talks to me about my problems, praises me” (p. 416), as well as other
positive descriptors.
Mugno and Rosenblitt (2001) asserted that “the depth of the teacher-child relationship is
the single most important factor that will contribute to the teacher’s ability to help any child, and
particularly the at-risk child, develop emotionally and socially” (p. 65). A responsive and caring
teacher can promote a sense of connectedness and belonging to the school environment and can
provide a sense of security necessary for a child to take risks and explore new territories essential
for learning (Jennings & Greenberg, 2008).
32
33. Although teachers have routinely been instructed in teacher education programs to
control their emotions and may attempt to do so, students are often aware of the feelings their
teachers experience. Students sense or observe a teacher’s body language, vocal tone and speech
tempo, facial expressions, and breathing rate. Students are influenced by their teachers’ verbal
and nonverbal emotional expression. Sutton and Wheately (2003) noted “these expressions of
teachers’ emotions then influence students’ attributions regarding the causes of their successes
and failures” (p. 341).
Teacher Stress and Burnout
The role of the teacher has evolved and changed over time. In the past, the role of
teachers was more clearly defined, as was the role of parents. Typically, mothers stayed home to
tend to the children, and fathers went off to work in order to provide for the financial needs of
the family. Today, with the increase in parents’ working outside the home, a rise in single-parent
families, and more children born into poverty, much of that has changed. Children are exposed
to countless situations presented by today’s society that have a negative impact on their social,
emotional, and academic development. Moreover, a fast-paced world and almost constant
exposure to media and technology result in children receiving less and less parenting at home.
Progressively, the tasks of parenting our nation’s children have fallen on teachers, creating less
time for academic instruction (Lew & Bettner 2008; Nelsen, 2006; Zins & Elias, 2006). This, in
addition to overcrowded classrooms, bullying, unsupportive parents, discipline problems, and
lack of administrative support contribute to teachers’ experience of ever mounting stress and
frustration.
Stress has been defined as a “particular interaction between the person and the
environment, appraised or evaluated by the person as being taxing or exceeding his or her
33
34. personal resources, and, as a consequence, disrupting his or her daily routines” (Lazurus &
Folkman; cited in Montgomery & Rupp, 2005, p. 460). Teacher stress has numerous sources
including the ones listed above. However, it is important to note the degree to which teachers
perceive and are influenced by stressful situations depends upon various complex interactions
between skills, personality traits, coping resources and mechanisms, values, and the settings and
circumstances under which events take place (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005).
Teachers are often faced with overwhelming negative emotions triggered by these
stressful situations. Without the adequate resources to manage and regulate these feelings,
teachers often resort to using harsh discipline and maintaining a rigid classroom atmosphere in
order to cope. Jennings and Greenberg (2008) stated that:
The deteriorating climate [in the classroom] is marked by increases in troublesome
student behaviors, and teachers become emotionally exhausted as they try to manage
them. Under these conditions, teachers may resort to reactive and excessively punitive
responses that do not teach self-regulation and may contribute to a self-sustaining cycle
of classroom disruption…Burned-out teachers and the learning environments they create
can have harmful effects on students, especially those who are at risk of mental health
problems. (p.2)
When teachers experience high levels of stress, their ability to develop and preserve
healthy relationships with their students is compromised. This results in diminished patience,
tolerance, involvement, and caring from teacher to student. Experiences such as these may have
long-lasting effects on students and possibly contribute to feelings of fear and dislike for school.
In turn, student behavior becomes problematic, challenging the emotional resources of the
teacher and setting off a “burnout cascade” (Jennings & Greenberg, 2008).
34
35. When stressful situations arise these teachers have difficulty managing their emotions,
their efforts at classroom management are not as effective, and the learning environment is less
than optimal. Depersonalization is characterized by a less than favorable attitude toward
students, parents, and others in the school setting, that could be described as cynical, sarcastic
and unsympathetic. Over time, the insidious nature of emotional exhaustion and ensuing
depersonalization can lead to feelings of ineffectiveness and reduced personal accomplishment
(Jennings & Greenberg, 2008).
Interventions: SEC and Mindfulness Practices
Pre-service teachers and teachers in the classroom can learn the skills that build SEC and
promote overall well being. However, very few pre-service teacher education or teacher in-
service programs provide the training and instruction needed to learn the social and emotional
skills that build SEC (Cohen, 2006; D’Ambrosio, 2002; Jennings & Greenberg, 2008; Patti,
2006; Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg & Walberg, 2004). Patti (2006) asserted that:
Those involved in educational policy making and professional preparation need to rethink
the teacher’s role, help teachers become reflective practitioners, and provide them with
the social and emotional skill development they need to create the relationships that both
they and the young people they teach need to be successful…When teachers strive to be
the best they can be, they will model this for students and help them to grow in their
personal and social competencies too. (p. 71)
Mindfulness practices and meditation have been utilized for thousands of years and have
been found to be a useful strategy in reducing anxiety and stress while promoting well-being and
emotional awareness (Anderson et al., 1999). Mindfulness, also referred to as contemplative
practices, focuses attention in the present moment often using the breath to anchor awareness on
35
36. one’s inner experience. The practice of mindfulness allows for empathy, compassion, and
tolerance to grow (Napoli, 2004). Through the use of meditation, people are able to detach
themselves from their thoughts and judgments and are more aware of biological processes such
as breathing. When individuals increase their ability to notice reactive processes there is a
greater capacity to have control over their responses (Jennings & Greenberg, 2008).
Meditation can provide a sense of rest and relaxation therefore reducing the effects of
stress on the nervous system. Consequently, individuals are able to reduce stress and respond in
an adaptive manner to their work environment (Anderson et al., 1999). When people have the
ability to step back from their experience and get a broader perspective, this presents a wider
range of interpretations, and possible responses to stressful events. Mindfulness practices are a
fitting intervention to help teachers reduce stress and the characteristics of burnout.
In a study conducted by Anderson et al. (1999) 91 full-time teachers from seven different
school districts from suburban areas in three states participated in a five-week meditation
program utilizing the Standardized Meditation program designed by the author. A pretest-
posttest control group design was used to assess the effectiveness of the program. This study
addressed the effects of meditation on teachers’ perception of occupational stress and trait
anxiety. The effects of meditation on the levels of burnout in teachers and whether teachers
would continue meditation practices on a regular basis was also evaluated. Teachers were
instructed to meditate twice daily at home and at school for 20-minute segments. Support and
guidance were provided to insure that meditation procedures were performed correctly. Results
showed that after five weeks of meditation practice participants began to experience less
exhaustion, had lower levels of anxiety, and felt less depleted. This may have been due to the
nature of meditation where one experiences rest and relaxation for short periods of time, but on a
36
37. consistent basis. In addition, the authors reported that “teachers…felt more tolerant of children’s
behaviors and better able to handle them, less worried, more organized, more able to view
situations objectively, more energized and refreshed…and a greater sense of control over their
emotions and responses…” (p. 19). Teachers from this study followed through with regular
meditation practice after the program was completed. It was shown that using meditation
practices as seldom as several times per week continued to produce benefits including a
reduction in stress (Anderson et al., 1999).
Jennings and Greenberg (2008) highlighted a training model that utilizes a combination
of emotional awareness training with mindfulness practices. This promising strategy called
Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB), combines “Ekman’s Emotional Awareness Training
system for teaching emotional awareness [with] secularized mindfulness training” (p. 21)
designed to promote emotional understanding and regulation. This training addresses three of
the five dimensions of SEC described above: self-awareness, social awareness, and self-
management. Jennings, Foltz, Snowberg, Sim, and Kemeny (2011) conducted two studies of
teachers who participated in the CEB program. The researchers examined the association
between skills learned to improve well-being and SEC dimensions, and improvements in
teachers’ classroom instructional climate.
The first study used a sample of 21 teachers examining the differences in classroom
climate, post-intervention. Classroom observations were conducted by trained research staff
using measures to assess classroom climate including levels of prosocial behavior, teacher-child
interactions, and learning related behaviors. All observers were blind to study condition.
Training for teachers took place over the course of eight weeks and was conducted by qualified
meditation instructors. Although results were minimal, there was some evidence from
37
38. observations that the intervention may have positively impacted classroom climate (Jennings et
al., 2011).
The second study was a randomized controlled pilot study of CEB using a sample of 35
teachers from private pre-schools and state-run early childhood programs in the San Francisco
area. Observations using similar measures to the first study along with self-report measures and
interviews regarding a challenging student were utilized. The teachers in this study were
provided with the eight-week CEB training conducted by qualified meditation instructors.
Findings from the second study “suggest that CEB training improved teachers’ ability to be
mindfully observant but this was only evident at follow-up” (Jennings et al., 2011, p. 17).
Conclusion
The practice of teaching is an emotional endeavor. Teachers have countless emotional
experiences each day as they engage with students, colleagues, parents, and administrators. A
variety of strategies to suppress and regulate these emotions are often utilized. Some are
successful and others, not. Highly stressful emotional situations present challenges to teachers’
ability to form and sustain supportive relationships with their students, manage their classrooms
effectively, and promote an optimal learning environment.
Teachers who are high in SEC and possess the skills that promote their well-being are
more likely to establish supportive, healthy relationships with their students, create a favorable
learning environment characterized by low levels of discipline problems and conflict, effective
classroom management, and overall positive student outcomes. Interventions such as trainings
that promote teachers’ SEC with increased emotional awareness and mindfulness practices are a
necessary means to improve and support the development of teacher well-being so they can
effectively nurture the academic, social and emotional growth of the children in their care.
38
39. Chapter III
Methodology
Samples Employed
A convenience sample of teachers from a private school in the Chicago area was used for
this study. The size of the sample was 11 teachers (n=11). In order to recruit participants for the
study, permission was requested from the principal of the school. Once permission was given,
the researcher met with the school faculty and explained the study in detail and the role and
39
40. expectations of participants in the study. It was emphasized that the CARE training was not a
requirement of the principal and participation was completely voluntary. It was clearly stated by
the principal and the researcher along with a written description in the informed consent that
research was being conducted to measure whether the pilot intervention is promising and useful
in a school like theirs and that this was part of a dissertation study.
All faculty were welcome to participate in the training, however participation in the
research component of the training, including the semi-structured interview, was completely
voluntary. Participants in the study signed a consent form (see appendix B) which was provided,
and had the right to remove themselves from the study at any time. Those who were interested
in participating in the study indicated interest by filling out the form that was provided at the
bottom of the written description.
Instruments Used
This study utilized qualitative methodology, obtaining interview data from participants.
This project utilized a 40 minute semi-structured interview format with individual teachers as a
means to gather more in-depth individual perceptions of participants’ experiences with students
and themselves as a result of using techniques taught through CARE trainings. These interviews
were used as a way to uncover ideas, themes, and experiences that may not have been anticipated
by the researcher. The individual interview format generated an atmosphere where participants
felt free to share their experiences in a manner that would not occur using a group interview
format or through quantitative methods.
Procedures Followed
On the morning of the first day of the training the participants were be welcomed and
given basic instructions on how the day would proceed. Prior to presenting the training content,
40
41. each of the volunteer participants was asked to compete the informed consent. They were given
verbal instructions regarding the completion of the informed consent. Participants were given
approximately 10 minutes to compete this form. Once this was completed, the forms were
collected and the training commenced.
Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) is a program that has been
designed to reduce teacher stress and enhance teaching effectiveness. This intervention utilizes
three primary instructional components introduced and developed over the course of the training.
These components include: learning emotional skills to better understand, recognize, and
regulate emotions; learning and participating in mindfulness and stress reduction practices; and
learning empathy and compassion skills (Jennings & Greenberg, 2008). The training was
conducted over a series of days outlined as: a two-day retreat starting on a Friday afternoon from
12:30 to 5:00 pm, and all day Saturday from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm; four weeks later a 2 hour
follow-up training was conducted on an in-service day (see Appendix B for CARE training
manual; see Appendix C for Master Schedule). Between the follow-up training and the
interviews, the researcher provided mentoring support to teachers on four different occasions.
Approximately eight weeks after the follow-up training, the researcher scheduled
interview dates and times with participants and developed an interview schedule which was also
given to the principal (see Appendix D). Each teacher was provided with the day and time of
their interview. On the day of their interview, the researcher contacted the principal of the
school to remind the teachers of their interview time for that day. The researcher will provide an
opening statement of purpose as a means to provide participants with the research goals and an
idea of the information we wished to gather.
Questions were written (see Appendix E) as a guide and to facilitate discussion. The
41
42. researcher conducted the interviews keeping track of individual’s process, redirecting discussion
when necessary. Basic counseling skills were utilized during the interviews including reflection,
attending, active listening, probing, and prompting.
Data Analysis
Once the interviews were transcribed, the data was coded utilizing grounded theory
(Glasser & Strauss, 1967) methods detailed by Rennie, Phillips, and Quartaro (1988). Coding
began with a line-by-line review of the transcripts, breaking information into sections of
meaning units of thoughts and concepts expressed by the interviewees. Notes and labels were
written in the margins summarizing and classifying these meaning units, or units of analysis,
leading to the identification of a number of descriptive categories. Similarities and differences
among transcripts were identified using constant comparison as more distinct categories of data
began to emerge. Each of these distinct categories was labeled with a descriptive phrase or word
on the basis of the meaning embedded in the items tying them to that category. Units of analysis
were then compared to each category. If a unit did not fit a category, a new category was
developed to accommodate it. Once all the data from the transcripts was analyzed and placed
into categories, each of the categories was given a representational color. Colored tabs were
affixed to each meaning unit belonging to a specific category. For example, an individual
concept expressed by an interviewee such as, “Well, I guess I can feel where my tension is when
there is a challenging situation…” would be labeled with a green tab for the category Awareness.
As the categories were evaluated and analyzed, an underlying theme began to emerge and
was identified as the core category. The sub-categories then became properties of the core
category.
Reporting Results
42
43. The results expected from this study are improved teacher-student relationships,
increased emotional awareness, increased mindfulness, and reduced stress as evidenced by
impact of treatment on changes in the teachers’ outcomes from pre-intervention baseline to post-
intervention follow-up and as evidenced by subjective reports from the focus groups. Because
the CARE training utilizes the three instructional components of emotion skill instruction,
mindfulness/stress reduction practices, and empathy and compassion practices, it is expected that
the results of the training will be enhancement of skills in these areas.
It is expected that teachers will learn to recognize, understand, and regulate their
emotional responses in themselves and others. Participation in the exercises during the training
should result in the development of skills to reappraise emotionally challenging situations in a
manner where teachers demonstrate improvement in self-regulation and responsiveness rather
than automatic reactions to their students. This, in turn, may increase sensitivity to the emotional
needs of students.
Mindfulness/stress reduction activities introduced at the training should result in teachers’
ability to reduce automatic responses and reactive appraisals of student behaviors as well as the
ability to reflect on their internal and external experience from a broader perspective. In turn,
this may show results in emotion regulation and reduced stress along with an ability to be more
present, aware, and engaged in their teaching and with their students. Through the application
of empathy and compassion practices presented over the course of the training, results expected
are an increase in the ability to listen effectively to students, and be more reflective, sensitive,
and responsive to their needs, especially during times of conflict.
Data Analysis
Once the interviews were transcribed, the data was coded utilizing grounded theory
43
44. (Glasser & Strauss, 1967) methods detailed by Rennie, Phillips, and Quartaro (1988). Coding
began with a line-by-line review of the transcripts, breaking information into sections of
meaning units of thoughts and concepts expressed by the interviewees. Notes and labels were
written in the margins summarizing and classifying these meaning units, or units of analysis,
leading to the identification of a number of descriptive categories. Similarities and differences
among transcripts were identified using constant comparison as more distinct categories of data
began to emerge. Each of these distinct categories was labeled with a descriptive phrase or word
on the basis of the meaning embedded in the items tying them to that category. Units of analysis
were then compared to each category. If a unit did not fit a category, a new category was
developed to accommodate it. Once all the data from the transcripts was analyzed and placed
into categories, each of the categories was given a representational color. Colored tabs were
affixed to each meaning unit belonging to a specific category. For example, an individual
concept expressed by an interviewee such as, “Well, I guess I can feel where my tension is when
there is a challenging situation…” would be labeled with a green tab for the category Awareness.
As the categories were evaluated and analyzed, an underlying theme began to emerge and
was identified as the core category. The sub-categories then became properties of the core
category.
44
45. Chapter IV
Results
The impact of the CARE teacher training on teachers who participated in the study is best
represented by the core category of choice with the properties of awareness, step back, enhanced
understanding of the children, changes in the classroom, and relationships with adults. Simply
stated, after participation in the CARE training, teachers were more aware of their physical
sensations and emotions. This awareness resulted in changes in their behavior and in their
responses to their students. A phrase used by most participants often started with these words, “I
step back…” From this moment, teachers were able to make a conscious choice rather than react
45
46. reflexively. These choices led to a deeper understanding of the children they teach, which
brought about changes in the classroom. Teachers also noted their experiences with adults in the
school environment after their participation in the training. The following is the grounded theory
of the impact of the CARE teacher training program in more detail.
Awareness
Throughout the teacher training, participants were presented with and engaged in
mindfulness and stress reducing practices with the aim of facilitating awareness of their internal
and external experience, along with increased self-regulation, self-reflection, and calmness.
Practices such as taking deep breaths, centering and breathing exercises, body scans where focus
is placed on the body and its sensations, and mindfulness-based “caring practice,” were utilized
throughout the training. In addition, participants learned how their emotions function and the
role emotions play in the classroom, specific to teaching and learning. Teachers participated in
emotion skills exercises to facilitate understanding, awareness, recognition, and regulation of
emotions in themselves and others. Throughout the interviews, participant examples of
awareness were evident especially in regard to physical sensations, emotions, and stress.
Interview data: physical awareness.
Participant:
I was way more aware of myself than I use to be because before that, I was not aware.
Participant:
I think I became a lot more aware of those moments just before I start to feel stressed. I
do notice that I make fists, which I never realized I did….I make that fist and I do get a
stiff upper body and my jaw also, so I guess that could change the way that I look to
somebody from the outside.
46
47. Participant:
I notice when I’m tense or sometimes it will happen in my stomach kind of where all of a
sudden I have like a knot in my stomach and I think, “Okay. What’s going on?” And I
think that’s really the main thing because everything else kind of comes after that first
initial, like, “What’s going on with me?” My shoulders are up to my ears.
Participant:
I think [the CARE training] helped me be more aware. I guess the thing was more on my
brain than it was before so I was more aware of my physical body and then the sense of
how that is perceived by others and how I perceive theirs, and so I was maybe more
mindful of that and put it more in the forefront and made me realize that that was a very
important piece.
Participant:
It’s physical. It’s tension perhaps. I can feel myself stiffen, perhaps I’m stiffening and
not always reacting to it, but I am becoming more aware of the physical reaction as
opposed to a thought….I’m definitely more aware of my state and my reactions to things.
Participant:
I feel where my tension is when there is a challenging situation and…I think part of my
new awareness…came from practicing being rooted into the ground and really having
those moments to feel our bodies within ourselves, and that’s helped because I’m able to,
as I’m feeling that tension, inside myself purposely ease it a little bit or kind of move my
shoulders a little bit because that’s where my tension usually is and just kind of make it
so that I’m less obviously tense, and the breathing too. So I think I’ve really become
aware of how I’m feeling physically and tension-wise in a challenging time. So my
47
48. awareness has heightened for sure.
Participant:
Breathing and being more aware of myself and being aware of where I was, you know,
and doing this body scan and seeing what’s tight; my toes, okay, let’s let them loose, and
my shoulders, okay, let’s loosen them, and my legs and, you know, that helps a lot.
Analysis
Ten out of eleven interviewees reported physical awareness after participating in
the training, e.g., awareness of facial expressions as well as tension, tightness, and tightening in
areas including the jaw and shoulders. Of the nine reports, three reported awareness of the tone
and volume of their voice and two questioned the message they send to students through their
facial expressions and tone of voice.
Interview data: awareness of emotions and emotional state.
Participant:
I am much more aware of my emotions, surprisingly. I thought I was pretty aware before
even, but I do find myself checking in and being kind of surprised. I found that I’m sad
sometimes, but I’m much happier than I thought I was…Yes, I mean I am positive a lot
of the time so I was pretty surprised that just that fact, the incidence of me noticing it so
much, that I’m like, wow….I mean, I think I could have lived my whole life without
really realizing that emotions are something that I can choose how to deal with.
Participant:
I pay attention to my emotions more so that I did before. Before, I would set them aside
and now I have to read my own emotions so that way I know how to communicate with
the children in a fair manner.
48
49. Participant:
I think I wear my emotions on my sleeve, it’s an expression of whatever, and it just made
me aware and see children who see that and so it makes me aware of how emotions guide
us and how our emotions affect the way we perceive what’s going on. And so being able
to be aware of my own emotions at that time and how I respond to those has helped a lot
too in that aspect. So if I had a bad morning getting up or whatever and I know that’s
how I’m starting off I’ve recognized that that’s how that could be translated to the
children when they’re in the classroom, how I need to step back and separate and make
that separation and know about my feelings to affect what’s going on in the classroom or
if I do acknowledge them to the children and say, “I had a bad morning. You need to
give me 5 or 10 minutes to calm down before we move forward,” or whatever.
Participant:
I am more aware of my needs, my reactions, my emotional responses, my body language,
[and] how quickly I respond to something.
Participant:
I was able to really sense how I was feeling in the immediate situation in my classroom
and I was able to express it. And because of that, because I was more aware of it and I
could really put it into words, the things that needed to change have. So, I’m not really
feeling that same kind of a stress and I feel less tense in the morning now. I’m coming in
in the morning and I am just feeling like I can have a voice in that arena and then it’s
okay to express my emotions. And of course, I’ve always told everybody else, “Oh, if
you’re not feeling happy about something, tell me and blah, blah, blah.” And now it’s
good that I am, like, well, I have to express how I’m feeling too and then it’s okay.
49
50. Analysis
Of the eleven teachers interviewed, ten reported awareness of their emotions post
training. Emotions teachers reported most were anger, frustration, and sadness. With more
awareness of emotions, all ten interviewees reported that there was an increased ability to
express or name the emotion. With greater awareness of their emotions, these teachers reported
that they could now use the skills learned in the training to choose to control the emotion or
redirect it.
Interview data: awareness of stress.
Participant:
I think I was at a higher stress level all the time, so I didn’t really notice that I was
stressed out. Now that I’m not most of the time, when it happens, it feels
uncomfortable….I totally notice it in my body, yes, and in my energy level. I used to
say, “Oh, I work really well under stress,” because I was constantly getting things done.
But, no, not anymore. I start to feel stressed out and no, it doesn’t work for me anymore.
Participant:
So, in actual fact, immediately and perhaps actually going through the training, but
certainly immediately afterwards it was, I’d say the stress level was high because it was
like, “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no,” way, way up there….It’s just an awareness of
yourself, stuff you push away, “I don’t need this, I don’t need that.” You don’t deal with
it and it’s all there, you’re just carrying it around with you….So, it went up immediately
during [and after] the training for some time and then it was just a peaceful feeling, like a
warm blanket. Everything wasn’t fixed, but I can feel it now, sort of tingly, physically
tingly, an excitement that maybe you can be in charge of your life.
50
51. Analysis
Seven of the eleven teachers interviewed reported greater awareness of stress. Of
these seven, six stated that after the training along with the use of new skills learned, they
experienced decreased stress while in the classroom, were calmer, and could let go of stress more
easily. One reported increased stress due to greater self expectations post training.
Step Back
Along with the experience of both physical and emotional awareness, teachers described
a series of conscious choices initiated in response to their awareness. As they noticed tension,
tone of voice, facial expressions, thoughts and words, and their emotional state, in a particular
moment in the classroom, they were able to make a choice rather than reacting reflexively.
Many participants described these instances with similar phrases such as, “taking a step back,”
“taking a moment,” or stopping what they were doing to take a breath.
Interview data: taking a moment.
Participant:
I try to be aware first. I don’t always catch my jaw or my upper body, but the fists, the
fists are like a really big sign for me. When I start to notice that, I could feel it. I can feel
my fingertips inside my palms and I’m like, “Uh-oh.” That’s a signal for me that I need
to kind of stretch my hands out, take a deep breath, take a moment, soften everything up,
and then really try to address what’s going on.
Participant:
I can sense when I’m starting to get a little bit more anger, I guess it is, anger and sadness
when it has a potential to really affect what I’m doing or how I’m handling a situation.
Especially involving children, I’m able to kind of recall it a little bit and really say, “Is
51
52. this really a necessary emotion right now or am I just kind of transposing this situation
differently that it actually is?” So, I can sense that and either physically step away for a
moment and think about it or I kind of veer what I am saying down a different path.
Participant:
I think just being aware of it is such a huge step because you can say, “Oh, I’m on edge
so I need to take a step back,” and whether it’s the situation or myself, just take it down a
notch.
Participant:
I am allowing myself to feel the sensation. I am putting a name to it and adjusting from
there. And then once I actually feel that feeling, I’m deciding, okay, I’m feeling
overwhelmed, so what I need to do is step back and look at what I’m overwhelmed about
and then from there decide what really matters and what doesn’t and eliminate as I can.
Participant:
I can feel myself when I take a pause, that I feel that I kind of relax a little bit more. I
mean, before I could feel my muscles tense up and I would have to kind of stop myself
and just, kind of just proceed as though I wasn’t feeling what I was feeling. And now I
allow myself to feel even if it’s for a brief moment in time, and I’m talking like
milliseconds. And then I can let go of it and say this person needs me for this at this
moment. These emotions have nothing to do with the situation, so I can take a deep
breath…it’s a momentary pause, then I can just give myself that little time and then I can
go ahead and talk to the person in front of me.
Participant:
I just take a step back. Just take a step back and breathe and relax. That’s it. And it’s
52
53. really simple, it’s so easy, and it works. After I do that I feel relaxed and I feel clear, you
know, I see what’s going on. I really see what’s going on. It’s not about me. It’s that the
child has really something troubling him and I can really help him. I find the right word
to say at the right moment and the right thing to do, I just did. Just a single thing.
Participant:
I feel as though I was given permission perhaps or that it was okay to stop and take a
moment as opposed to reacting. And interestingly I never would have thought that I
needed permission to do that and perhaps that’s not the best term, but it did give me that
level of comfort, that it’s okay to stop, not always taking a breath, but just stopping
instead of reacting. So being aware of that, and I do have to be conscious of it, I have to
not exactly say it out loud, but say the words to myself to stop, just take a moment, a
breath, whatever it is. So perhaps I’m giving myself permission to do it, but that is huge
and I wish I could do it more often, but I am moving forward on it and it feels really good
because when I do it it’s like you just feed that and it just gets easier and easier.
Participant:
Sometimes I just sit and I’m quiet. That helps a lot. Sometimes I just sit and I
just say, “I’m sitting and I’m being quiet now and this is my quiet time.” And a lot of
times, I don’t know, a few minutes of that really makes a big difference.
Participant:
I think it’s just slowing down, I guess that’s the biggest one and taking more time to
think, I think is another one that I’ve done a lot more of, I’m very quick sometimes to not
judge, but really quick to respond to things sometimes and now it’s just making me take a
step back. And before I say something I don’t want to say or to look at the situation
53
54. differently, and it’s helped me do that a lot.
Analysis
Of the eleven interviewees, the same nine teachers who reported greater physical
and emotional awareness stated that once they noticed tension or tightening in their bodies along
with awareness of their emotions, they would stop and pause or take a moment. Teachers
reported a variety of choices taken in these brief moments in the classroom. Three teachers
reported that they sat down in a chair. Five reported that they stopped to think and evaluate what
was going on. Four stated that they stopped and made a choice. Two interviewees noted that
they took a moment to quiet themselves. One teacher stated that she pauses and gives herself
time while another participant reported that she changes her voice in these moments.
Interview data: taking a breath.
Several teachers noted the effects of taking a breath or using deep breaths as a means to calm
themselves.
Participant:
I feel more peaceful and calm when I take a deep breath.
Participant:
I learned that if I focused too much on one particular child I go crazy instead of looking
at the whole overall classroom, like I fee claustrophobic. And after we went through [the
training], I don’t know, just after the [training] and I went back to the classroom for some
reason the breathing helped a lot and just being able to concentrate on that particular
child or on the whole classroom overall, just reminding myself that I can get through this.
54
55. Participant:
And so I step back a lot, I take a breath, it’s just a space, to just relax for a few minutes
and to think about it before I make a step, which is huge for me in a lot of ways.
Analysis
One-hundred percent of participants interviewed reported the use of breathing or
taking a breath as an element subsequent to physical sensations of tension in the body and/or
awareness of an emotion such as frustration. The purposeful and conscious choice to take a
breath was coupled with ten of the teachers’ decisions to stop or pause. In sum, these ten
teachers reported stressful situations in the classroom that led to feelings of frustration and
tension in the body. Post training, they reported awareness of these physical sensations and
emotions while engaged in stressful events in the classroom. Utilizing the skills learned in the
training, participants chose to stop and take a breath.
Interview data: self-talk.
Incorporated in teachers’ experiences with awareness and the consequent behaviors was
positive self-talk.
Participant:
It’s ok, it’s not the end of the world if a kid spills water or milk.
Participant:
It’s okay, you can do this, just calm down.
Participant:
Okay, this is your life, this should be fun, you do enjoy this.
Participant:
Heck, what’s going on here? What do I need to do to get this back on track?
55
56. Participant:
Okay, hold on, this is frustrating, this is not okay. I have to take a deep breath and calm
down and then go back to normal.
Participant:
I take a deep breath and I say to myself, “We can do this and we can work this all out
whatever it is.”
Analysis
Six of the eleven interviewees reported instances when they engaged in positive
self-talk. All six teachers engaged in this behavior during the period after they became aware of
physical sensations and emotions and during the moment when they chose to stop or pause and
take a breath.
Enhanced Understanding of the Children
As teachers achieved awareness and the consequent capacity to make a choice rather than
react, they simultaneously became increasingly aware of their students. Participants noted that
with the use of the skills from the training, they enhanced their ability to more deeply understand
their students and their students’ emotions.
Participant:
I don’t think their behavior, per se, has changed because they were always good kids, and
you know, what I think has changed is how I see them. And because I see them in a
different way now, I can see them in a different way. I can see them for who they are and
maybe some of my expectations were a bit unrealistic and now I can at least modify those
expectations for each child and their, you know, their skill level or their maturity level.
56
57. So, that’s given me that option as well as opposed to dealing with them as, why don’t you
know this. I can say, well, you don’t know this because this is who you are, so I deal
with who you are in the moment.
Participant:
I think I am able to see them as more of a full person so they are not just the problem
child in the classroom, but they are this child that has however many brothers and sisters
and this going on in their life and that going on in their life and they may or may not be
acting in a certain way on a certain day because of various influences; and it just makes
every kid very individual.
Participant:
[I am] being more patient and understanding of him [and having] even more care for him
knowing that it’s not easy for him either.
Participant:
I’ve been able to, I guess, get to know the child better so instead of remembering what
they’re doing to upset me, I’m able to really concentrate on what they’re doing or what
their personalities are. So, just getting to actually know what or why they do certain
things differently than other kids or really concentrating on who they are is kind of
neat….I am more aware of who they are or who they’re becoming as a person which I
think is because I’m more calm and relaxed….I’m able to be myself with them because I
know how they are going to respond based on their personalities instead of my emotions
getting in the way and expecting something that they cannot do.
Participant:
I understand kids have different days and emotions…so we have to treat them and respect
57
58. their emotions so we cannot expect like perfect, so I try to realize. I try to understand
[the child’s] limitations, so I give him more time too according to his situation.
Participant:
I think it’s just made me more aware of how they feel for that day and more aware
of that their feelings mean more or less work for them that day too….so, it’s given
me the abilities just to not be on top of them so much and have more responsibility for
their own behavior…and their own feelings, that it’s okay to own how you feel and to
move forward from that. So I think it’s just given me more patience in how I respond to
them.
Participant:
They will always do, like, their things, you know, and I’ve just found out that sometimes
when you listen to them and you’re calm and you really, you see that there is a good
reason that they do something, you know?
Participant:
I also try to read the emotions the children are experiencing at the same time and some of
them, obviously, experience emotion that has nothing to do with the classroom
experience that given moment of the given day. And so what I try to do is I try to step
back and try to understand where this little person is coming from. Did they have a rough
morning? Were the parents not nice to them in the morning? So, I try to take that into
consideration as well. So, I’m actually taking consideration of my emotion that this
person is now walking into and the emotion that I’m walking into with that child. So, it’s
kind of like this dual complexity going on as well.
Participant:
58