Contemplative practices for teaching, leadership and wellbeing

Teaching is a multidimensional undertaking that calls on educators to engage in responsive interactions and decision-making as they navigate complex and ambiguous contexts, examine deeply held beliefs and values, and integrate personal and professional knowledge. Such an undertaking requires personal integrity and ongoing reflective practice. This chapter considers how the concept of mindfulness might become an integral part of reflective practice to support more holistic understandings of interactions, contexts and experiences. Mindful and contemplative ways of paying attention to the current moment are important strategies for negotiating the multi-faceted and relational challenges of teaching, learning and leadership. Mindfulness can help us attend to the personal, emotional and interactive dimensions of our work, and to the implication of actions for the longer term. Mindfulness can support our ability to connect with and respond to young children and make a positive difference to their learning, health and wellbeing. Bringing ourselves fully and purposefully to teaching and leadership practices requires self-understanding and appreciation of our personal histories identities, strengths and experiences, as well as awareness of values and aspirations. Working mindfully supports the development of interpersonal relationship and ethics. Heightened abilities to listen and bring caring and compassion to our collaborative interactions contributes to leaderful practice and sustainable professionalism. To encourage the ongoing reflection of educators, this chapter presents some everyday resources and specific practices to support the development of mindfulness through self-study and self-reflection. Incorporating these into daily practice will encourage authenticity, intentionality and agency and facilitate meaning, wellbeing and purpose.