Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Morgan Blanton

Abstract

Teacher burnout and stress are at an all-time high. The teaching profession is reported to be one of the most stressful occupations, especially in 21st century learning environments. The researcher discovered mindfulness and was amazed how this practice allowed her to “breathe” through the difficult and challenging moments. Inspired by her own mindfulness practice, the researcher wanted to discover if mindfulness was as powerful a tool to other mindfulness teachers and educators. This phenomenological investigation explored the lived experiences of 11 secondary educators who self-identify as mindfulness practitioners. Through carefully constructed open-ended questions, the researcher was able to delve into the participants’ history, present lived experiences, and the meaning they attached to those experiences. The in-depth interviews were analyzed for common themes. The overarching theme revealed that mindfulness means creating a safe place for individuals to express, explore, and expound upon personal struggles. Several interwoven themes uncovered that mindfulness educators do the heart work and can suspend judgment where compassion and empathy can overflow and influence students and colleagues. The implication for this study is that mindfulness is an intervention for reducing teacher burnout/stress and can positively influence the culture of a school.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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