Incorporating Mindfulness Training Into Teacher Education

Teacher stress and burnout are widespread and significant factors in the quality and costs of education. Evidence is mounting that contemplative practices are effective at reducing them.  Most recently, a study published in the journal Mind, Brain and Education trained a group of elementary school teachers in a form of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) adapted to fit their needs, and found they experienced less psychological stress, had better classroom organization and greater self-compassion. By contrast, the group that did not receive the training showed signs of increased stress and burnout over the course of the school year.