Date of Award
6-2020
Culminating Project Type
Starred Paper
Degree Name
Special Education: M.S.
Department
Special Education
College
School of Education
First Advisor
Dr. Bradley Kaffar
Second Advisor
Dr. Kyounghee Seo
Third Advisor
Dr. William Lepkowski
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
mindfulness, teacher, education, emotional regulation, job satisfaction
Abstract
Teaching requires a lot of caring, determination, creativity, flexibility, knowledge, and understanding. To have these traits shine through, teachers must have compassion for the students they educate. When compassion turns into mental health stressors, teachers can no longer concentrate effectively in the classroom environment. Giving a teacher tools of mindfulness practices can help the teacher to equip themselves to help counter compassion stress. This paper is a literature review intended to explain what mindfulness is, the history behind it, the need for mindfulness in an educational setting, and research evaluating the effectiveness of mindfulness for teachers in general education and other specialty positions like Special Education and Music Education. The paper answers the question, "When given the tools of mindfulness, can teachers use this practice to regulate stress levels and build sustaining relationships, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and teacher retention?" This review describes multiple qualitative and quantitative research designs that represent how mindfulness for teachers is beneficial to alleviate everyday mental health stressors of emotional regulation, negative perceptions, hyperreactivity, job burnout, and high distress. This study intends to inform school district administrators, teachers, and employees about the effectiveness of mindfulness practices for emotional regulation, building relationships, and job satisfaction.
Recommended Citation
Aish, Becky, "The Benefits of Teaching Professionals Using Mindful Practices for Stress and Emotional Regulation" (2020). Culminating Projects in Special Education. 90.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/sped_etds/90
