Supporting Teachers from the Beginning by Preparing the Whole Educator: Pre-Service Teacher Social and Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, and Efficacy.

This multiple methods study examined the impact of brief, intentional instruction in the areas of mindfulness and social and emotional learning (SEL) on teacher self-efficacy, teacher mindfulness, and the use of mindfulness practices. The SEL content and strategies were taught to pre-service educators during their student teaching seminars. Teacher efficacy includes the beliefs that a teacher holds about their ability to lead learning and includes beliefs about classroom management, instructional practices, and student engagement. Social and emotional learning, as defined by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), includes five components: self-awareness, self-management, other awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These components encompass skills essential to effective teaching. Mindfulness has been defined as present moment awareness without judgment and is linked to well-being. We hypothesized that teacher efficacy and mindfulness would be improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention. Eighteen of 35 potential participants completed quantitative measures of efficacy (Teacher Self Efficacy Scale) and mindfulness (Teacher Mindfulness Scale). Thirty-four participants completed qualitative session reflections. Seven participants completed journal responses. Increases in mindfulness and teacher efficacy were found; however, within the quantitative measures, only increases in teacher efficacy were significant. Within the qualitative findings from the Self-Assessing Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies scale, self-awareness was identified as participants' greatest strength while self-management of emotions was identified as their greatest opportunity for improvement. In addition, most participants noted current or future plans to use mindfulness or SEL strategies. Findings are consistent with previous work indicating that short-term training in mindfulness and SEL should be included in educator preparation programs as a mechanism to support teacher wellbeing and potentially reduce teacher burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]