CARE for Teachers Mindfulness Program

Program Overview

• Because of the generosity of Interact for Health, we are able to bring CARE to 7 area elementary schools for two academic school years. In addition to supporting the program during these two years, funding supported the training for three local CARE facilitators, which included attending a five-day training at the Garrison Institute and facilitator evaluations.
• Helps teachers develop skills to manage all the demands of teaching and rediscover the joys of teaching.
• Introduces basic mindfulness activities, such as short periods of silent reflection, and progresses to activities that demonstrate how to bring mindfulness to challenging situations.
• Through these activities, teachers learn to bring greater calm, mindfulness, and awareness in the classroom to enhance their relationships with their students, their classroom management, and curricular implementation.
• The success of our local CARE program is evaluated by Miami University’s Department of Psychology.

Implementation

• Prior to launching the program, teachers attend two full-day training sessions run by our licensed CARE facilitators.
• During the mid-point of the school year, teachers attend one full-day training session run by our licensed CARE facilitators.
• Facilitators go to each school once a month to check in with the CARE teachers to provide further guidance and feedback.
• Teachers complete surveys prior to training, mid-year, and at the end of the semester.

Research

• Participation in the CARE program resulted in significant improvements in teacher well-being, efficacy, burnout/time-related stress, and mindfulness compared with controls.
• Teachers view CARE as a feasible, acceptable, and effective method for reducing stress and improving performance.
• CARE classrooms demonstrated higher degrees of productivity than did control classrooms.
  • CARE website 
  • Research findings on CARE
  • School Psychology Quarterly Report