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Nourish to flourish: strengthening social emotional wellness of teachers to mitigate stress, enrich engagement, and increase efficacy: an evaluation study
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Content
Running head: NOURISH TO FLOURISH
1
NOURISH TO FLOURISH: STRENGTHENING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLNESS OF
TEACHERS TO MITIGATE STRESS, ENRICH ENGAGEMENT, AND INCREASE
EFFICACY: AN EVALUATION STUDY
by
Joelle M. Hood
_________________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2018
Copyright 2018 Joelle M. Hood
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
2
DEDICATION
To my husband and best friend, Jason, thank you for your unwavering support and
encouragement throughout my pursuit of this doctoral dissertation quest. I appreciate the
sacrifices you made so that I could travel this amazing journey, and I’m looking forward to
spending much more time together now that the quest is complete! I love you.
To my USC Saturday warriors who made attending two classes every Saturday morning
something to look forward to, thank you! Special thanks and hugs to my non-stop support crew
— Mary Beth Kropp, LisaRae Jones, Bob Nelson, Laurence Akiyoshi, and Susan Salcido — this
incredibly challenging expedition would not have been the same without you all on the trail with
me. I am so grateful for the sense of belonging and connection you provided to me, and it will
never be forgotten. I love you and look forward to our continued friendship as we put this part of
our lives behind us. Fight on!
To all of my friends who listened to me and encouraged me to keep going, especially to
Debbie who was by my side from the first day to the last, offering her wisdom and expertise,
sharing my passion, and being the most dedicated cheerleader throughout this entire process,
thank you so much! Special thanks to Brooke and Jessie who were by my side during some of
the most challenging moments of this ride offering wisdom, guidance, unwavering love, and
loads of laughter when I needed it most, thank you. Much love to all of you.
Finally, a huge thank you to my sister Deanna, my mother-in-law Kerry, and my parents,
Ken and Barbara Hood, who let me use their homes as dissertation writing caves. Mom and
Dad, I’d also like to thank you for always modeling hard work and perseverance, alongside
compassion, kindness, and gratitude, and believing in my ability to achieve anything I set my
mind to. You offered PERMA long before I knew what it was. I love you all.
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you, Dr. Monique Datta, my dissertation chair, for your unwavering belief in my
ability to do this, your continuous support, and your sense of humor along the way. Your
patience, wisdom, guidance, insight, and encouragement were the foundational pieces that made
this dissertation possible. I have so much appreciation, admiration, and aloha for you, and look
forward to our continued friendship in years to come.
To my other dissertation committee members, Dr. Debra Sacks and Dr. Lawrence Picus, I
am so thankful for your support and mentorship throughout this process. I am honored by your
commitment to serve on my committee, and so incredibly grateful.
This dissertation would not have been possible without the amazing opportunities I have,
through our company, to create learning experiences for extraordinary educators. I also want to
acknowledge Dr. Jon Eyler and Dr. Gail Angus, who strive to make the Social Emotional
Wellness of their employees a high priority, and supported the many “Dissertation Days Off”
dates on my calendar.
To all of the educators that have participated in BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0, thank you
for your commitment to reaching and teaching youth, for your willingness to get out of your
comfort zones and stretch your learning, and for your insight in knowing and modeling that our
success in serving students starts with building Social Emotional Wellness in the adults who
serve them. You inspired this dissertation, and the stories of your courageous and heartfelt
actions continue to inspire me every day. I am committed to continue my work toward building
Social Emotional Wellness for educators and people everywhere as I stay on my path and follow
my purpose to “Influence, Inspire, and Ignite Humans.”
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 9
Chapter 1: Introduction 10
Introduction to the Problem of Practice 10
Organizational Context and Mission 13
Organizational Performance Need 14
Related Literature 14
Mindfulness in the Workplace 15
Importance of Addressing the Problem 18
Importance of the Organizational Evaluation 19
Description of Stakeholder Groups 20
Stakeholder Performance Goals 22
Stakeholder Group for the Study 22
Purpose of the Project and Questions 23
Methodological Approach 24
Definitions 25
Organization of Dissertation 27
Chapter 2: Review of Literature 28
Causes of Teacher Stress 28
Impact of Teacher Stress 32
Conceptual and Theoretical Influences: Cultivating Well-Being 35
Stakeholder Knowledge and Motivation Influences 55
Conclusion 78
Chapter 3: Methodology 79
Purpose of the Study 79
Conceptual Frameworks 80
Unit of Analysis 85
Participating Stakeholders 86
Data Collection and Instrumentation 90
Data Analysis 93
Credibility and Trustworthiness 95
Validity and Reliability 96
Role of the Investigator 97
Ethics 99
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Chapter 4: Results and Findings 101
Demographics of Study Participants 102
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes 104
Results and Findings for Motivation Influences 135
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences 172
Summary 219
Chapter 5: Recommendations 221
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 222
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 247
Summary 266
Limitations and Delimitations 266
Recommendations for Future Research 267
Conclusion 268
References 270
Appendices 307
Appendix A: Course Descriptions 307
Appendix B: Survey Instrument Protocol 313
Appendix C: Participant Information Sheet 325
Appendix D: Participant Email 328
Appendix E: Online Survey Permission Item 330
Appendix F: Interview Protocol 331
Appendix G: Sample Post-Training Session Survey Measuring Kirkpatrick Levels 336
Appendix H: Sample Post-Course Survey Measuring Kirkpatrick Levels 338
Appendix I: USC IRB Approval 341
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Organizational Mission, Global Goal and Stakeholder Performance Goals 22
Table 2. Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Teachers and Related 60
Literature
Table 3. Summary of Motivational Influences and Related Literature 64
Table 4. Summary of Assumed Organizational Influences and Related Literature 76
Table 5. Validated Influences 220
Table 6. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 223
Table 7. Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 230
Table 8. Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations 237
Table 9. Metrics and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 249
Table 10. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Teachers 251
Table 11. Required Drivers to Support Teachers’ Critical Behaviors 254
Table 12. Components of Learning for the Program 258
Table 13. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 261
Table 14. Sample Post-Session Dashboard: October (Session #2) 264
Table 15. Sample Post-Session “Spot, Support, & Celebrate” Cheat Sheet: October 265
(Session #2)
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Gap analysis framework 25
Figure 2. Virtuous cycle of social emotional wellness 82
Figure 3. KMO conceptual framework for strengthening social emotional wellness 84
in teachers
Figure 4. Number of years with current district 103
Figure 5. Course enrollment 103
Figure 6. Survey participants by district 104
Figure 7. Knowledge influences 105
Figure 8. Conceptual knowledge after BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 106
Figure 9. Procedural knowledge 111
Figure 10. Metacognitive knowledge 131
Figure 11. Motivational influences: Attribution of student academic achievement 137
Figure 12. Motivational influences: Attribution of student behavior and classroom 138
climate
Figure 13. Motivational influences: Attribution of student behavior 139
Figure 14. Motivational influences: Attribution of personal development 140
Figure 15. Motivational influences: Efficacy in teaching for academic success 149
Figure 16. Motivational influences: Efficacy in cultivating positive classroom climate 150
Figure 17. Feeling safe enough to ask for help 174
Figure 18. Site leader creates sense of belonging 175
Figure 19. Site leader intentionally builds belonging 176
Figure 20. Teacher voice 183
Figure 21. Internal champions — opportunities to lead 186
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Figure 22. Site leader supports SEL 191
Figure 23. District support of SEL/SEW 195
Figure 24. Site and district structures for meaningful collaboration 198
Figure 25. Enjoy coming to work most days 210
Figure 26. Employee engagement — connecting passion and purpose 213
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ABSTRACT
The teacher stress epidemic has serious consequences, impacting the teacher, the classrooms of
students they teach, as well as the school sites and districts in which they work. Educational
organizations have a responsibility to help promote the health and wellness of their teachers and
to ensure that teacher stress does not negatively impact students. It is important for educational
leaders and teachers to know how teacher stress and well-being impact health and teacher
performance, as well as what individual and organizational factors help and hinder teacher well-
being. Additionally, it is helpful to understand how Social Emotional Wellness of teachers
impacts students, colleagues, employee engagement, and organizational well-being. Clark and
Estes’ (2008) conceptual framework was utilized in this study to identify the knowledge,
motivation, and organization influences related to the Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) of
teachers. A thorough literature review was presented, and surveys and interviews were
conducted and analyzed. Teachers who participated in BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 had a clear
understanding of SEW and its impact on their teaching and classroom climate, demonstrated a
strong motivation to transfer their learning into practice, and reported increased self-efficacy and
engagement with work. Recommendations for the organization were provided in this study
related to ways in which validated influences could be addressed through Professional Learning
and organizational policies, practices, systems, and structures.
Keywords: Teacher Wellness, Social Emotional Wellness, Well-being, Stress, Social Emotional
Learning, Mindfulness, Employee Engagement, PERMA, Positive Psychology, Emotional
Intelligence, Professional Learning, Workplace Wellness, Collective Efficacy
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Problem of Practice
The global epidemic of stress among K-12 teachers is a concern in the field of education
(American Federation of Teachers [AFT], 2015; Davidson, 2011; Lopez & Sidhu, 2013;
McCarthy, Lambert, O’Donnell, & Melendres, 2009; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015; Stevenson &
Harper, 2006). Multiple international studies confirm this, reporting the rising rates of teacher
stress levels (AFT, 2015; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015; Teachers Assurance, 2013). The teacher
stress epidemic has serious consequences, impacting the teacher, the classrooms of students they
teach, as well as the school sites and districts in which they work. Absenteeism, school site
turnover, and longevity in the profession can negatively impact school climate, leading to
reduced academic and behavioral outcomes for students (Green, 2014; Kipps-Vaughan, 2013).
Multiple studies show that stress adversely affects teacher physical and emotional health (AFT,
2015; Green, 2014; Davidson, 2011; Teachers Assurance, 2013). According to the Teachers
Assurance (2013), 51% of teachers reported that they suffer from severe stress as a result of
workplace worries, 83% of teachers stated stress causes them to be constantly tired, and 24%
reported stress causes them to get sick more frequently. Furthermore, stress can impact teacher
efficacy in the classroom. In multiple studies, teachers indicated that stress causes their teaching
to be below par, negatively affecting their students’ learning experience (Stevenson & Harper,
2006; Teachers Assurance, 2013).
Educational organizations have a responsibility to help promote the health and wellness
of their teachers and to ensure that teacher stress does not negatively impact students (Stevenson
& Harper, 2006). Private companies and corporations realize the value of investing in their
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
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employees’ wellness, with over half (51%) of all employers with 50 or more employees offering
an employee wellness program (Mattke et al., 2013). These employee wellness programs have
the potential to impact areas of absenteeism, productivity, recruitment/retention, culture, and
employee morale (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDCP], 2016). Workplace
wellness programs strive to create policies, programs, and practices together with the promotion
of prevention and protection efforts to ensure workplace safety as well as prevention and
intervention strategies that support employee well-being (Greenberg & Abenavoli, 2016). These
programs typically target lifestyle changes such as nutrition, exercise, weight loss, and cessation
programs for addictive behaviors to reduce health risk behaviors and costs through the use of
literature and classes, but the majority do not offer programs designated explicitly for stress
management (CDCP, 2016).
To address stress specifically, companies such as Aetna, Bank of America, Adobe
Systems, Google, and General Mills, are offering mindfulness programs as an additional
wellness focus to help build employee capacity for stress-resiliency and improved health and
well-being (Gelles, 2015; Hunter, 2013). Mindfulness programs for teachers have been shown to
benefit teacher physiological and psychological health as well as improve their teaching practice
(Weare, 2014). In schools where teachers receive training in mindfulness-based interventions,
studies show that mindfulness helps teachers improve emotion regulation, occupational health
and well-being, builds their capacity to strengthen and sustain positive relationships with
students, and reduces their stress (Roeser et al., 2013; Taylor et al., 2016). Despite the fact that
workplace wellness programs in private industry are growing in number, the number of
workplace wellness programs offered in educational organizations that specifically address stress
remains low, with only 26% of schools offering stress management services (CDCP, 2016).
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Although there is a common tendency in human nature and in scientific research to focus
on what is wrong using problem or disease models, there has been a shift in the last few decades
from a primary concentration on repairing weaknesses to developing and enhancing positive
qualities. Focusing on building these positive attributes helps individuals to strengthen
resiliency, well-being, and the ability to cope more effectively with challenges when they arise
(Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Research suggests that enhancing positive traits of teachers
serves to buffer against adversity, contributes to teacher effectiveness, and creates a reciprocal
relationship between teacher well-being, instructional performance, and student motivation
(Duckworth, Quinn, & Seligman, 2009; Klusmann, Kunter, Trautwein, Lüdtke, & Baumert,
2008). In exploring the literature surrounding employee stress, mindfulness and well-being in
the workplace, both in K-12 public education and the private sector, the researcher for this study
was able to identify connections between elements of well-being, mindfulness, positive
psychology, social-emotional learning and emotional intelligence, employee engagement, and
collective efficacy. These relationships are explored in this study to determine the possible
impact for K-12 school districts if they were to braid these concepts and initiatives in a more
holistic approach. It is important for educational leaders, policymakers, and educators to learn
what elements are necessary to help nourish the conditions for teachers to flourish.
Thus, the global purpose of this evaluation study was to determine how ABC Educational
Solutions (ABC) can improve their capacity to help school districts strengthen teacher resiliency
to stress and Social Emotional Wellness, a construct combining the theoretical foundations of
mindfulness, social-emotional intelligence, and well-being.
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Organizational Context and Mission
The organization chosen for this study was ABC Educational Solutions (pseudonym),
whose headquarters is located in southern Riverside County, California, near San Diego and
Orange counties. ABC launched in 2010, and although the main office is in Southern California,
it serves educational and social services agencies throughout the United States. In California in
particular, ABC is one of the largest single providers, partnering with 32 school district and
county agencies across the state to strengthen efforts and build capacity in addressing school
climate through research-based practices. Areas of company expertise and consulting include:
Positive Behavior and Supports (PBIS), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Mindfulness,
Restorative Practices (RP), Equity, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and developing
special cognitive-based programs for students with a history of challenging behavior. ABC
currently has 15 employees, 10 of whom work directly with school districts and other
educational agencies as consultants, coaches, and providers of professional learning. According
to ABC’s website,
1
ABC’s mission is “to optimize the life outcomes and trajectory of
marginalized youth by partnering with educational and social service agencies to establish
sustainable programs and structures, and provide training in the areas of behavior, mental health,
equity and social emotional wellness.” The ABC motto is “Committed to the relentless pursuit
of student success.”
In 2016, ABC created and began facilitating two Professional Learning courses for
educators, strongly influenced by research from the fields of Positive Psychology, SEL,
Emotional Intelligence, Neuroscience, and Mindfulness. Both courses were designed to
strengthen teacher social-emotional competencies, develop capacity for teaching SEL to
1
To maintain anonymity for the organization of study, the website is not cited.
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
14
students, and improve well-being, or Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) in the process. A
description of BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness and Social
Emotional Learning (SEL) 2.0 can be found in Appendix A.
Organizational Performance Need
In order to fulfill its commitment of the relentless pursuit of student success, and to
continue partnering with educational agencies to establish effective and sustainable programs
that support social-emotional wellness, ABC set a goal going into the 2017–2018 school year of
this study to begin development of an innovative, strategic, and research-based Social Emotional
Wellness (SEW) District Framework. Utilizing this SEW Framework, partner school districts
and county offices of education would develop and strengthen their strategies, policies, and
programs to strengthen teacher SEW. Failure to intentionally and systemically strengthen
teacher SEW could result in continued high rates of teacher absences, teacher turnover, and low
teacher efficacy, all of which may impair teachers’ abilities to commit to students’ academic and
social-emotional success. At the time of this study, no such system exists. Thus, it is essential to
explore and evaluate the relationship of school district structures that influence the ability to
achieve the goal of strengthened teacher SEW.
Related Literature
Research on stress in the teaching profession reveals a high prevalence of stress among
teachers, affecting their health and wellness, and leading to a decreased commitment to their
teaching practice and longevity in the profession (Green, 2014; Stevenson & Harper, 2006;
Teachers Assurance, 2013). The 2013 Gallup Poll revealed that although teachers report
experiencing more enjoyment than other professions, teaching was also ranked as one of the
most highly stressful, second only to physicians. Studies on the prevalence of teacher stress have
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
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been well-documented. In two studies held within the last five years, 100% of teachers reported
that they had some levels of stress (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015; Teachers Assurance, 2013). The
findings of a 2013 Gallup study, based on interviews with 170,000 participants, 9,467 of whom
were teachers, indicated that 47% of teachers experience stress daily (Lopez & Sidhu, 2013).
Additionally, 70% of teachers surveyed in the Teachers Assurance (2013) Survey rated
themselves at 5 or over on a 7-point stress scale, illustrating the depth at which teacher stress is
occurring as well as the breadth. Furthermore, the study showed that stress could magnify,
leading to cases of severe stress and depression among teachers, revealing that 40% of teachers
surveyed suffer from depression. In Green’s (2014) survey of over 700 U.K. teachers, 51%
reported that they suffer from severe stress due to workplace worries, and the levels of work-
related stress rises to 56% for those ages 51 and 60. Stress among teachers negatively impacts
teacher wellness, absenteeism, and longevity in the profession (Kipps-Vaughan, 2013). Thus,
the prevalence of stress among teachers is a significant concern for the future of education. In
the United States, the nation’s second-largest teacher union asked the U.S. Department of
Education to look into and determine to what level there is a national problem of stressed out
teachers (AFT, 2015).
Mindfulness in the Workplace
Mindfulness is described as the “awareness that emerges from paying attention on
purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by
moment” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 144). For over thirty years, mindfulness practices have been
used in the field of medicine to treat patients with stress and chronic pain. More recently,
companies and organizations such as Google, Aetna, General Mills, the U.S. Military, K-12
schools, colleges, and universities have also learned the value of offering mindfulness to their
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
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employee stakeholders (Tan, 2012). Research continues to emerge documenting the many
benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI). Benefits include: strengthened ability to
cope with difficult challenges, lowered stress levels, increased levels of self-compassion,
improved ability to focus, and a greater sense of overall well-being (Byron et al., 2015; Chang et
al., 2004; Erogul, Singer, McIntyre & Stefanov, 2014; Fries, 2009; Morledge et al., 2013).
In a study of adults who participated in an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
(MBSR) course, researchers found a significant reduction in perceived stress and considerable
improvement in self-efficacy as well as enhanced positive states of mind compared to baseline
levels (Chang et al., 2004). Mindfulness interventions have been found to have a positive impact
even when delivered online. Research on the effects of an internet-based MBI course found that
participants experienced significant reductions in stress when compared to the control group
(Morledge et al., 2013).
Mindfulness is also linked to improved workplace functioning (Byron et al., 2015;
Glomb, Duffy, Bono, & Yang, 2011; Shonin, Van Gordon, Dunn, Singh, & Griffiths, 2014). A
2014 study, examining the effects of a modified MBSR (mMBSR) course for staff working on
adolescent mental health units, found that at the end of the course participants reported improved
focus when interacting with adolescents and enhanced social cohesion on the units (Byron et al.,
2015). Additionally, middle-level managers who have received MBI training demonstrated
significant improvements in supervisor-rated job performance compared to their initial
performance and the control group performance (Shonin et al., 2014).
Mindfulness in Education
With stress levels of teachers so high, and the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace
well-documented, more research is being conducted to explore the impact that mindfulness can
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
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have on educators. Studies confirm that mindfulness training can reduce teacher stress and
burnout and garner significant increases in well-being as well as improved quality of teaching
(Beshai, McAlpine, Weare, & Kuyken, 2016; Flook, Goldberg, Pinger, Bonus, & Davidson,
2013; Roeser et al., 2013; Weare, 2014). In a study of 113 K-12 teachers, 87% of participants
reported beneficial outcomes such as increased mindfulness and improvements in focused
attention, working memory capacity, and self-compassion. Also, compared to those in the
control group, teachers receiving MBI in this study reported substantial declines in occupational
stress and symptoms of burnout, anxiety, and depression (Roeser et al., 2013). A similar study
examining the effects of mMBSR explicitly developed for teachers, found that participants
showed: significant reductions in psychological symptoms and burnout, improvements in
observer-rated classroom organization and performance on a computer task of affective bias, as
well as increases in self-compassion (Flook et al., 2013). More recently, 89 secondary school
teachers and staff participating in a MBI study reported significant reductions in stress and
significant increases in well-being compared to the control group (Beshai et al., 2016).
In addition to personal benefits, mindfulness training with teachers has also been shown
to increase teaching self-efficacy, the ability to manage classroom behavior, and the capacity to
establish and maintain supportive relationships with students (Meiklejohn et al., 2012). A 2015
mixed-methods study (Taylor et al., 2016) sought to examine four potential ways that MBIs
reduced stress, including: (1) increasing their efficacy on the job; (2) improving their strategies
for coping with stress at work; (3) increasing their efficacy for forgiving colleagues and students
at work following conflict; and (4) increasing their tendency to feel compassion for people
generally, and for challenging students in particular. The findings of this study revealed that
emotion regulation and pro-social tendencies like compassion and forgiveness changed as a
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function of the MBI and helped to reduce stress. Additionally, teachers who participated in the
study developed greater efficacy in meeting emotional demands in the classroom and showed
less adverse emotional reactions to stressors at work.
Importance of Addressing the Problem
In a study of 30,000 teachers, the 2015 American Federation of Teachers Quality of
Worklife Survey (AFT, 2015) revealed that when rating how often they find work stressful, 73%
of teachers said “often,” 24% said “sometimes,” and no teachers said “never.” In order to
support student academic, behavioral, and social-emotional success, it is critical to address the
issue of teacher stress and develop strategies for strengthening SEW of teachers. If teacher stress
and wellness are not addressed, serious ramifications for school districts regarding teacher
attendance and engagement, teacher efficacy, and teacher turnover will continue and possibly
worsen. Furthermore, students are also affected by teacher stress, paying a high price
academically, emotionally, and socially.
The number one predictor of student engagement is teacher engagement (Lopez & Sidhu,
2013), and higher teacher engagement predicts higher student engagement which then predicts
higher outcomes for student achievement (Gordon, 2010). Teachers suffering from stress,
however, are more likely to be absent from work resulting in physical unavailability to their
students. Even when some teachers are physically present in the classroom, their high levels of
stress and burnout may significantly impair the quality of their teaching and their working
relationships in the classroom, resulting in emotional unavailability to their students (Lopez &
Sidhu, 2013; Green, 2014; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Kipps-Vaughn, 2013; Stevenson &
Harper, 2006). If the problem of teacher stress is not addressed, more teachers may leave the
profession, reducing the quantity and quality of the teacher workforce (AFT, 2015; Mendelson et
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19
al., 2010). States spend between $1 billion and $2.2 billion on teacher attrition annually. The
financial impact of this teacher turnover is a loss of continuity and stability for students and
schools by draining resources, diminishing teaching quality, and undermining the ability to close
the achievement gap (Carroll, 2007; Mendelson et al., 2010).
Importance of the Organizational Evaluation
It was important to evaluate two of ABC’s Professional Learning courses:
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness (BT) and Social Emotional
Learning 2.0 (SEL 2.0) to gather more information and insight on what individual and
organizational factors contribute to the global goal of increased Social Emotional Wellness
(SEW) for teachers. It was essential to garner insight into participant perceptions of the
knowledge they gained, the motivation they had to use the strategies and the transfer of learning
after participating in the course. Exploring the organizational practices and structures in place to
determine if they help or hinder teacher SEW was also necessary to get the information needed
to begin the development of the SEW Framework.
Evaluating BT and SEL 2.0 allowed ABC and the districts to gain a deeper understanding
of the knowledge and motivational influences of teachers and how they interact in relationship
with the organizational influences of both the external organization (ABC) and the internal
organization (district leaders) to help or hinder teachers in strengthening SEW. This information
is foundational and had to be gathered before developing the District Social Emotional Wellness
Framework.
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Description of Stakeholder Groups
In education, many stakeholders contribute to and benefit from an organization’s
performance goal, including students, teachers, site administrators, district administrators,
classified and support staff, parents, and the community. For practical purposes, at the time of
this study, ABC considered three primary stakeholders for the focus: teachers, site principals,
and district level administrators.
Teachers are the frontline staff, and their direct contact and relationships with students is
a factor in both classroom climate and school climate. Teachers have many demands placed
upon them. They are held accountable for teaching students standardized and rigorous
curriculum utilizing intentional and engaging instructional strategies, while simultaneously
addressing student behavior and social-emotional needs. When students misbehave, or
classroom chaos ensues, teachers are expected to maintain composure and positive attitudes.
Teachers are also required to maintain a professional accountability to their colleagues and
administrators. All of these demands can lead to increased teacher stress, leading to teacher
absenteeism, turnover, and decreased longevity in the profession, all of which can negatively
impact school climate (Green, 2014; Kipps-Vaughan, 2013).
Site Principals are also a vital stakeholder group because they have daily proximity and
power in supporting their teachers toward reaching this organizational goal. Site Principals are
responsible for leading their staff with a positive vision for student success and motivating both
students and staff to achieve. Principals often have to balance instructional leadership with
managerial duties, such as budgets, evaluations and other personnel tasks, and the daily duties
involved in running a school site. The principal’s support of any program or implementation is
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critical for success, because the support ensures that it will be prioritized and discussed on a
frequent and regular basis.
District administrators have the potential to guide the district’s direction, prioritizing
needs of students and staff, and allotting resources such as time, money, and personnel to the
areas that they deem most valuable. Their support of workplace wellness interventions is critical
to the achievement of the organization’s performance goal, because ultimately, they have the
power to influence sustainable change. Even if teachers and site administrators are on board, it
will be difficult to sustain the innovation without district-level support. Strategic stakeholder
buy-in and support is key to creating an implementation plan that is successful and sustainable.
All three of these stakeholder groups have a particular lens through which they operate, but all
share a mission that revolves around helping students achieve success. Engaging and
empowering students starts with engaging and empowering every adult in the district to think, to
learn, to achieve, and to care.
To achieve their organizational mission of supporting educational organizations in
strengthening teacher Social Emotional Wellness (SEW), ABC set an organizational goal to
design and produce a strategic framework designed to strengthen SEW of teachers in 100% of
partner districts. Table 1 provides an overview of the study’s organizational performance goal,
as well as key stakeholder goals.
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Stakeholder Performance Goals
Table 1
Organizational Mission, Global Goal and Stakeholder Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
The mission of ABC Educational Solutions is to optimize the life outcomes and trajectory of
marginalized youth by partnering with educational and social service agencies “to establish
sustainable programs and structures, and provide training in the areas of behavior, mental
health, equity, and social-emotional wellness.”
Organizational Performance Goal
By June 2018, ABC will design and produce a strategic framework designed to strengthen
the Social Emotional Wellness of teachers in 100% of partner districts.
Stakeholder 1 Goal
Teachers
Stakeholder 2 Goal
Principals
Stakeholder 3 Goal
District Administrators
By June 2018, 100%
of teachers
participating in BT or
SEL 2.0 will report
strengthened Social
Emotional Wellness.
By February 2019, 100% of
principals will participate in
professional learning to
support the implementation
of the district Social
Emotional Wellness
framework.
By January 2019, 100% of district
administrators will participate in
professional learning to support the
implementation of the district Social
Emotional Wellness framework and
produce a district plan that addresses
teacher stress and Social Emotional
Wellness.
Stakeholder Group for the Study
Although all stakeholders need to be involved in conducting a complete needs assessment
and analysis of the organizational goal to strengthen resiliency to stress and Social Emotional
Wellness of teachers, for the practical purposes of this study, teachers from the three districts
were selected as the primary stakeholder group of focus. Teachers have the most direct contact
with students and impact both classroom and school-wide climate. Teachers are experts on their
perceptions of teacher stress, well-being, efficacy, and engagement. Speaking from their own
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personal experience, and as the primary target audience for both courses, they provided
expertise, insight, and feedback regarding the impact of BT and SEL 2.0.
The teachers that make up the stakeholder group for this study are employees of three
different school districts. District A is located in southern California and has an enrollment of
19,862 students attending 22 schools: 4 high schools, 4 middle schools, 12 elementary, 1
preschool, and 1 virtual school. District B is also located in southern California and has an
enrollment of 53,000 students attending 17 schools: 1 middle college high school, 5
comprehensive high schools, 8 intermediate/middle schools, and 3 alternative schools. District C
is located in central California and has an enrollment of 37,648 students attending 18
comprehensive high schools and 5 alternative high schools.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The global goal of this evaluation study is to determine how ABC Educational Solutions
(ABC) can improve their capacity to help school districts strengthen teacher Social Emotional
Wellness (SEW), a construct combining the theoretical foundations of mindfulness, social-
emotional intelligence, and well-being. The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether
teachers have more knowledge about SEW strategies after taking BT or SEL 2.0 and if so,
determine what new knowledge they have; explore whether teachers are motivated to utilize the
strategies they learned and if so, how the use of those practices affects their stress and well-
being; and lastly, to examine what organizational influences interact with teacher knowledge and
motivation and impact teacher application of the SEW strategies. This research study helps ABC
move toward achieving their organizational goal to create a strategic framework designed to
strengthen the Social Emotional Wellness of teachers in 100% of partner districts.
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As such, the questions that guided this study included the following:
1. What are the knowledge and motivational influences that impact teacher use of
strategies to strengthen Social Emotional Wellness as a result of participating in
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness or SEL 2.0?
2. What organizational influences interact with teacher knowledge and motivation to
affect teacher application of strategies for strengthening Social Emotional Wellness?
3. What are the recommended solutions to improve the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences necessary to build teacher capacity for strengthening Social
Emotional Wellness?
Methodological Approach
This study utilized the Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational (KMO) Gap Analysis
Framework developed by Clark and Estes (2008) to examine the possible causes of the
performance gap of teacher stress. This problem-solving framework looks to three primary
causes of performance gaps: people’s knowledge/skills, people’s motivation to achieve the goal,
and organizational barriers. Once the performance gap has been explored and analyzed, the
framework’s next steps include recommending solutions based on the root causes, implementing
those solutions, and evaluating the success of the solutions implemented (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Figure 1 illustrates the six steps involved in the KMO Gap Analysis Framework.
Researchers use a variety of data-collecting approaches within the KMO Gap Analysis
Framework (Clark & Estes, 2008), including quantitative methods such as assessments and
surveys, as well as qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. The
Mixed Methods approach, which combines quantitative and qualitative methods, can also be
utilized. This approach involves collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, analyzing them
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separately, and then comparing the results to discover if the results confirm or disconfirm each
other (Creswell, 2013). In this study, data will be acquired using the explanatory sequential
mixed-method design, with a nested sample, using surveys for qualitative data, and interviews
for qualitative data.
Figure 1. Gap analysis framework. Adapted from Clark and Estes (2008)
Definitions
Burnout: The physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that results from chronic job
stress and frustration (Larrivee, 2012).
Employee Engagement: Active, work-related positive psychological state operationalized
by the intensity and direction of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral, energy (Shuck, Twyford,
Reio, & Shuck, 2014).
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Mindfulness: The awareness that emerges from paying attention on purpose, in the
present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment
(Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 144).
Positive Psychology: The science and practice of well-being (Lomas, Hefferon, & Ivtzan,
2014).
Teacher Stress: The experience of unpleasant emotions a teacher has resulting from
aspects of their work as a teacher (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015).
Teaching Efficacy: A teacher’s judgment of his/her capabilities to bring about desired
outcomes of student engagement and learning, even among those students who may be different
or unmotivated (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001, p. 783).
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Nurturing the ability to recognize and manage one’s
emotions; set and achieve goals; demonstrate caring and concern for others; establish and
maintain positive relations, make responsible decisions, and handle interpersonal situations
effectively (Payton et al., 2008, p. 6).
Social Emotional Wellness (SEW): The researcher defines this as: a mindful awareness of
oneself and others; the ability to manage emotions in a healthy way; cope effectively with
difficult challenges and bounce back from adversity; establish and maintain positive relationship
with others; and utilize positive emotions and character strengths to engage in life in a purposeful
and meaningful way.
Well-being: A construct in positive psychology that has five measurable elements:
Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Purpose, and Accomplishment
(PERMA). No one element defines well-being, but each contributes to it (Seligman, 2012).
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Organization of Dissertation
This study is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 identifies the problem of practice as
teacher stress and provides foundational information to the reader about the prevalence and
impact of teacher stress, the importance of strengthening teacher well-being, and definitions
pertinent to the study. Information about the organization, stakeholder groups, and stakeholders
for the study was presented to the reader. Chapter 1 also introduces the reader to the Clark and
Estes (2008) Gap Analysis Framework, which was used to address the gaps in solving the
problem of practice, and detailed the study’s research questions and definitions. Chapter 2
presents the reader with a literature review that addresses the causes and impact of teacher stress
and research-based strategies and interventions that have been found to strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness and mitigate stress. Chapter 3 provides the reader a detailed look at the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences and examines the specific methodology
used for data collection and analysis. Chapter 4 reports the results and findings of the study
along with a summary and implications. Finally, Chapter 5 discusses possible limitations to the
study as well as recommended solutions and detailed implementation and evaluation plans.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Chapter 2 provides a review of the literature related to teacher well-being and stress-
resiliency. The chapter is divided into three sections. The first section of Chapter 2 explores
teacher stress, the problem of practice, providing a review of the literature on the causes of stress
and the impact of stress on teacher health, efficacy, and job satisfaction. Additionally, literature
regarding the impact of stress on the organization, both school and district level, is reviewed. In
the second section of this chapter, the literature shifts from focusing on the problem of stress to
the opportunity of strengthening well-being and resiliency through a strengths-based approach,
and explores what characteristics and practices lead people to thrive and flourish. The final
section of this chapter focuses on the KMO Framework (Clark & Estes, 2008), and provides a
review of the literature exploring the knowledge, motivational and organizational influences
impacting well-being and teacher stress. First, teacher well-being and stress are viewed through
a learning theory perspective, identifying possible factual, procedural, and metacognitive
knowledge influences on building stress-resiliency and well-being. Next, the chapter explores
current research on teacher well-being and stress-resiliency through the lens of motivational
theory. Specifically, literature on attribution theory and the construct of self-efficacy as it relates
to teacher stress is reviewed and analyzed. Finally, research on organizational cultural settings
and models influencing teacher well-being and stress-resiliency are discussed.
Causes of Teacher Stress
Teacher stress is the condition of experiencing unpleasant emotions as a result of the
work involved in teaching (Kyriacou, 2001). When job requirements and perceived abilities to
meet those requirements do not match, and stress in the work environment is chronic, burnout
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develops (Brown, 2012; Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). Although many factors contribute
to teacher stress levels, numerous studies have reported that the top causes of teacher stress are
factors related to student behavior, workload, and working conditions (Beltman, Mansfield, &
Price, 2011; Ferguson, Frost, & Hall, 2012). Additionally, limited SEL competencies of the
teacher can magnify the intensity of these stress factors (Jones, Bouffard, & Weissbourd, 2013).
Student Behavior
When searching for causes of teacher stress, student behavior is cited as the most
frequent and powerful predictor (Klassen & Chiu, 2010; McCormick & Barnett, 2011). Looking
beyond the behavior itself, teacher perception of the motivation behind the action can intensify
the impact on teacher stress, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction (Collie, Shapka, & Perry, 2012).
Behaviors causing the most stress include: apathy, disrespect, defiance, and disruption (Geving,
2007). It is interesting to note, however, that these behavior descriptors are not always
observable; they can be considered subjective and open to interpretation. For example, one
teacher may view a student expressing oppositional viewpoints as disrespectful, while another
teacher sees the same behavior and perceives the student as engaged in learning. The teacher’s
interpretation of the motivation behind the behavior becomes the deciding factor of how the
behavior is labeled. Geving’s study (2007) also found that apathy, in particular, caused teacher
self-efficacy levels to decline, reporting that it undermined teachers’ primary purpose, to help
students learn. When stress resulting from student behavior becomes too much to handle, some
teachers, especially novices, choose to leave the profession altogether. A 2009 study reported
that first-year teachers were 3.44 times more likely to leave the teaching profession when they
perceived an increase in problematic behaviors at their school (Kukla-Acevedo, 2009).
Managing challenging student behavior and interpreting motivation for student behavior can be a
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significant source of stress, affecting their self-efficacy, and pushing some teachers out of the
profession.
Workload and Working Conditions
In addition to managing student behavior in the classroom, studies show that increased
workload and demanding working conditions are significant factors affecting teacher stress
(Beltman et al., 2011; Donde, 2014). In fact, over 70% of teachers surveyed in Donde’s study
(2014) associated high workload with stress. Teachers have many responsibilities including:
improving student behavior, motivating students to learn, increasing student achievement,
attending meetings, holding parent conferences, delivering content curriculum in an engaging
way, supervising students on campus, consoling students who are upset, facilitating conflict
mediation conversations between students, learning to use new technology, and analyzing
student data. The list of teacher duties does not stop there, and thus, it is no surprise that lack of
time, due to these massive workloads is also a frequent challenge in teaching (Beltman et al.,
2011). The top three workload stressors identified in a study of over 30,000 teachers included:
mandated curriculum, large class sizes, and standardized testing (AFT, 2015). Workload stress
can have serious repercussions. In a high school study, 55% of teachers reported experiencing
stress due to their workload, resulting in symptoms associated with burnout: mental exhaustion,
emotional exhaustion, and physical aches and pains (Warrad, 2012).
Gap in Teacher Social Emotional Competence
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is characterized by improving social and emotional
awareness and skills in five competency areas: self-awareness, self-management, social
awareness, relationship skills, and decision-making, and has become an increased priority for
schools across the nation (Collaborative for Academic, Social & Emotional Learning [CASEL],
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2003). The focus of SEL has been primarily on developing the competencies with students,
while educators typically receive little to no training on SEL implementation, and even less on
developing their own SEL competencies. This, however, is beginning to change with the
availability of more research supporting the importance of SEL for adults (Jones et al., 2013).
Studies show that teachers strong in SEL competencies have more positive relationships with
students and manage their classrooms more effectively. Conversely, the research also indicates
that teachers with weaker SEL competencies may have difficulty in controlling emotions or
demonstrating coping skills when faced with challenging situations, intensifying their stress
(Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Jones et al., 2013). Jennings and Greenberg describe what
happens next as a “burnout cascade” (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009, p. 492). When a teacher
lacks the SEL competencies needed to navigate classroom challenges, they experience stress.
When the teacher exhibits that stress in the classroom, it negatively impacts classroom climate
and can cause an increase in challenging student behavior. This downward cycle continues as
the adverse classroom climate then leads to further emotional exhaustion for the teacher, as well
as feelings of depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment, which then again, impact
the classroom climate and continues the cycle (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009).
When taking into consideration student behavior and workload as the most frequently
reported causes of teacher stress, one must understand how both student behavior and workload
levels are influenced by the lens of teacher perception. Self-management skills allow for the
opportunity to pause before reacting, and through the competences of self and social awareness,
teachers can reflect on the many possible ways to view a problematic situation. Lack of these
skills, however, can cause a teacher to assume negative motivation for student behavior and feel
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unable to cope with their workload. Limited SEL competencies can then magnify the other
causes of teacher stress (Jones et al., 2013).
Impact of Teacher Stress
Impact of Stress on Teacher Physical/Psychological Health
Stress negatively impacts teacher health and well-being (AFT, 2015; Davidson, 2011;
Green, 2014; McCarthy, Lambert, & Reiser, 2014; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015; Stevenson &
Harper, 2006; Teachers Assurance, 2013). In a 2015 study of over 30,000 educators, 73%
reported that they were likely to leave work physically and emotionally exhausted. Additionally,
26% of teachers conveyed that approximately one-third of their last month was affected by
stress, depression, and emotional challenges which negatively impacted their mental health
(AFT, 2015). Skaalvik and Skaalvik’s 2015 report indicated that 94% of teachers reported
exhaustion and burnout and 81% of those teachers also emphasized having psychosomatic
responses. When stress impacts physical and/or psychological health, it interferes with
attendance at work. Research reveals that stress leads to an increased number of sick days taken
(Green, 2014) and that teachers use sick leave as a survival strategy (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2014).
Impact of Stress on Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction
Occupational stress has a significant and negative impact on self-efficacy and job
satisfaction (Ferguson et al., 2012; Klassen & Chiu, 2010; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2009).
Research shows that most teachers now report experiencing stress several days per week, and job
satisfaction ratings reached a 25-year low among K-12 teachers in U.S. public schools (Markow,
Macia, & Lee, 2013). Furthermore, teachers perceiving higher levels of stress related to student
misbehavior in the classroom experience lower levels of teaching self-efficacy (Collie et al.,
2012; Klassen & Chiu, 2010). Klassen and Chiu (2011) found that higher teacher stress lowers
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self-efficacy for instructional practices and commitment to teaching, and also indirectly
encourages intentions to quit. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary describes a “vicious
cycle” as a repeating situation or condition in which one problem causes another problem that
makes the first problem worse (“Vicious cycle,” 2018), and this is the cycle that emerges with
teacher stress. Lower teacher self-efficacy is correlated with increased job stress and burnout,
and job stress and burnout lead to decreased self-efficacy (Klassen & Chiu, 2010; Schwarzer &
Hallum, 2008).
The causes and impact of stress are connected, complex, and cyclical. Stress can cause
teachers to feel a lowered sense of self-efficacy in the classroom, which can lead to decreased
job satisfaction. Reduced self-efficacy and decreased job satisfaction both lead to increased
stress and burnout. When teachers experience higher stress and lower self-efficacy, their
commitment to work suffers, which can result decisions to leave the profession.
Impact of Teacher Stress on Students
Stress is not just a concern of and for teachers, but for all who have hope in a future
generation. One study reported that the quality of teacher-student relationships was a better
predictor of academic adjustment than other factors like teacher education and the teacher-
student ratio (Hamre, Pianta, Downer, & Mashburn, 2008). Teacher stress negatively impacts
teacher-student relationships, student engagement, student achievement, and through emotional
contagion, can adversely affect student stress as well (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Oberle &
Schonert-Reichl, 2016). One study showed that when classroom-related stress increased, student
engagement decreased (Klassen & Chiu, 2011).
Maslach (1999) defined teacher burnout as being characterized by three components:
emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.
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Depersonalization is the detachment of interpersonal relationships in the workplace that happens
when teachers withdraw physically and emotionally from their students (Maslach, 1999). As
teachers feel overworked, overwhelmed, and under-supported, they experience higher levels of
stress and tend to use fewer positive and responsive strategies, resorting to more reactive and
punitive classroom management strategies (Oberle & Schonert-Reichl, 2016). McCormick and
Barnett (2011) refer to this as the “emotionally charged” teaching style: first, teachers perceive
stress as being caused by student misbehavior, then act next with a reaction characterized by
negative emotions, leading to the depersonalization of students, followed by diminished efficacy
in the classroom. The researchers go on to suggest that although there is concern for the teacher
suffering from stress and/or burnout, there should also be concern about the students who are
being taught ineffectively.
Impact of Teacher Stress on the Organization — Teacher Turnover
Educational organizations pay a high price for teacher stress. Teacher stress can lead to a
continuum of teacher burnout, absenteeism, teacher turnover, and teachers leaving the profession
altogether, which can be a devastating financial burden. When teachers have an increase in
stress, their commitment to teaching decreases, which has been shown to indirectly encourage
their intentions to quit (Klassen & Chiu, 2011). According to a report from the National
Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (Barnes, Crowe, & Schaefer, 2007), teacher
attrition has grown by 50% over the past fifteen years, and costs districts in the United States
over $7.3 billion per year. This cost does not include a district’s cost for teachers who transfer
from school to school within a district in search of a better position. The report also states that in
some urban districts, the dropout rate of teachers is over 20%, which is sometimes actually
higher than the student dropout rate (Carroll, 2007). Research conducted on the impact of
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teacher turnover on student achievement reported that teacher turnover has a significant and
negative effect on student achievement, particularly for students in low-performing schools
(Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013). Furthermore, these costs do not include what may be the
most devastating cost of all: the loss of teacher quality and efficacy, affecting a district’s capacity
to increase student learning and achievement (Carroll, 2007; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009;
Klassen & Chiu, 2011; Oberle & Schonert-Reichl, 2016).
Conceptual and Theoretical Influences: Cultivating Well-Being
Traditionally, problems are often explored by examining what is wrong and focusing on
the negative elements rather than positive elements. Diener, Suh, Lucas, and Smith (1999)
reported that the number of psychological articles examining negative psychological states
outnumbered the ones exploring positive states by a ratio of 17:1. The problem of stress is no
different, often exploring the weaknesses that lead to stress. While this is important, knowing
this information has not been enough to produce a change in behavior or outcomes associated
with stress. Often referred to as the “science of well-being,” positive psychology offers a
different approach, one that is not just about fixing disease and focusing on what is wrong with
people, but instead focuses on looking for people’s strengths, capabilities, and what makes them
thrive. The focus then becomes how to use that information to help build on what’s right with
people. Researchers from the field of Positive Psychology investigate the causes of flourishing
including: resilience in the face of adversity, optimism, fulfillment, meaning, kindness,
compassion, and happiness (Huppert, 2014; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). Research
studies examining contributing factors to teacher well-being and stress-resiliency have been
neglected in the literature and are only recently gaining more attention (Day & Gu, 2007, 2013).
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Addressing well-being has much more potential to create change in educators, in
students, and in organizations. Teacher well-being directly affects instructional performance and
personal characteristics, which in turn, affects student academic achievement and motivation
(Aelterman, Engels, Van Petegem, & Pierre Verhaeghe, 2007; Retallick & Butt, 2009; Hills &
Robinson, 2010; Seligman, Ernst, Gillham, Reivich, & Linkins, 2009). As student achievement
and motivation increases, teacher well-being increases in an upward spiral, or “virtuous cycle” of
Social Emotional Wellness (SEW). A virtuous cycle is the opposite of a vicious cycle, which is
characterized by one negative event causing another negative event making the situation worse.
A virtuous cycle is characterized by a positive outcome producing another positive outcome,
resulting in synergistic outcomes. With interest rising in the areas of resiliency, mindfulness,
positive psychology and positive education, social-emotional learning, employee engagement,
and collective efficacy, there is a strong potential for more literature emerging on these strength-
based topics. This section of Chapter 2 discusses the literature that comes from a strengths
perspective, exploring research focused on strengthening well-being and building resiliency as
goals in and of themselves, with lowered stress resulting as an outcome.
Transactional Model of Stress
Discovering how teachers can strengthen well-being and resiliency to stress begins with a
specific construct for understanding stress. The concept of stress as a transactional phenomenon,
dependent on the meaning of the stressor to the perceiver, was first introduced about fifty years
ago (Lazurus, 1966). In the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (Lazurus, 1977), stressors
are defined as demands, either internal or external, that can upset balance and affect physical and
psychological well-being. A person, facing a potential stressor, first does a primary appraisal as
to whether the event is stressful, positive, controllable, challenging, or irrelevant. If the event is
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determined to be a stressor, a person does a secondary appraisal, determining if they have the
resources to cope with the stressor (Cohen, Kamarck, Mermelstein, 1983). To restore one’s
balance, actions must occur, and this is where coping skills such as problem-focused coping,
emotion-focused coping and meaning-based coping could strengthen resiliency (Glantz &
Sloboda, 1999; Lazarus & Cohen, 1977). Proactive coping is one of the most effective ways to
reduce stress (Verešová & Malá, 2012), and mindfulness training, such as Mindfulness-Based
Stress Reduction (MBSR) has been found to decrease perceived stress through the use of
meditation techniques (Gold et al., 2010).
Mindfulness and Well-Being
Mindfulness, the ability to be aware and present in the current moment without
judgement, was brought to the attention of the secular world by Jon Kabat-Zinn over 30 years
ago, when he began the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University
of Massachusetts Medical School as a helpful strategy for chronic pain patients (Kabat-Zinn,
2003). In 2001, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), adapted from MBSR by Zindel
Segal, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale, was introduced into research as a strategy to help
patients suffering from depression. The founders of MBCT realized that metacognition, a
primary component of MBSR, could be a valuable skill in relapse-prevention training for
patients with depression, who could learn to use mindfulness to stop patterns of negative
rumination (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002). MBSR and MBCT provide the foundational
principles for the mindfulness programs offered in business and educational settings today.
Mindfulness and Stress-Resiliency
Multiple studies have come out in recent years reporting the benefits of mindfulness in
building resiliency to stress. Two meta-analyses, examining the effects of mindfulness on
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psychological distress, specifically examining anxiety, stress, and depression in working adults,
concluded that mindfulness is an effective treatment and should be supported (Khoury et al.,
2013; Virgili, 2015). Practicing mindfulness can reduce the levels of cortisol, also known as the
“stress hormone.” When cortisol levels decrease, the ability for the mind to calm and focus
increases (Gelles, 2012; Hölzel et al., 2011). Mindfulness has also been shown to lower blood
pressure, improve the immune system, and increase emotional stability, all essential factors in
strengthening well-being and stress-resiliency (Hölzel et al., 2011; Weaver, 2014). A study
exploring the impact of mindfulness on the physiology and stress-resiliency of teachers found
those who participated in an 8-week mindfulness course and continued to meditate afterward had
lower blood pressure in response to a real life stressful task compared with the control group,
even five months after the course had ended (Kemeny et al., 2012).
Mindfulness in the Workplace
With the success of MBSR and MBCT receiving wide recognition over the past few
decades, the prevalence of mindfulness in the workplace has spread to companies looking for
resources and strategies to help employees build resiliency to stress. Based on the rising number
of research studies supporting mindfulness-based practices as an effective intervention to
improve workers’ health while also reducing employers’ health care costs, the Center for Disease
Control conducted a study to examine the prevalence of engagement in mindfulness among the
United States workforce. The 2017 study consisted of 85,004 adults aged 18 years or older,
representing approximately 131 million U.S. workers. Results showed that roughly 12% of
workers had engaged in at least one mindfulness-based practice in the last year (Kachan et al.,
2017). The benefits of mindfulness in the workplace continue to emerge as studies report
findings of: improvements in employee well-being, improved physical and psychological health,
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reduced job related stress, and absenteeism (Hülsheger, Alberts, Feinholdt, & Lang, 2013;
Shonin et al., 2014; Wolever et al., 2012). Furthermore, mindfulness training in the workplace
has also been shown to improve job satisfaction and performance, as well as increase leadership
performance (Chaskalson, 2011). A 2012 study showed that two weeks of employee
mindfulness training increased well-being and job-satisfaction, and decreased emotional
exhaustion at work (Hülsheger et al., 2013). Middle managers receiving mindfulness training
exhibited vast improvements in supervisor-rated job performance compared to their initial
performance and to that of a control group (Shonin et al., 2014). In 2011, Aetna implemented
mindfulness in the workplace, and found that it had organizational as well as individual benefits.
Results included: a 36% reduction in employee stress levels; lower health care costs saving the
company over $9 million; a 62-minute increase in production each week, and $3,000 per year
savings in gained productivity (Wolever et al., 2012).
The most visible organizational version of mindfulness is Google’s Search Inside
Yourself (SIY), a program merging mindfulness and emotional intelligence, offered to employees
either as a 2.5-day intensive course or a seven-week (meeting for a total of 20 hours) option. The
program focuses on building three primary skills: attention, self-knowledge, and self-mastery
(Baer, 2014). Pre-and post-SIY course data posted on the institute’s webpage show significant
results, especially in the areas of stress, performance, and leadership skills. In the area of stress,
data reveals a 34% drop in participants reporting emotional drain; in performance, there was a
32% rise in participants who report that they have a greater ability to focus and be more
effective; and in leadership skills, 29% of participants said that they were better able to maintain
calm and poise during challenges (Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, 2017).
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Mindfulness for Teachers
Although there is a growing interest in mindfulness in education, the initial focus was
primarily on mindfulness for students. In the last ten years, however, the realization of a need
for mindful teachers as well as students, has caused the number of mindfulness programs for
school staff to increase, along with the number of research studies (Albrecht, Albrecht, & Cohen,
2012). Similar to the results of the mindfulness studies in the business sector, teachers trained in
mindfulness experience factors that contribute to their improved well-being and a reduction in
stress. In 2004, Napoli conducted a small in-depth study on how mindfulness affected teaching
behavior, student-teacher relationships, and their personal lives. Teachers reported that they
were less overwhelmed by curriculum and were able to teach in a less fragmented fashion and
were able to add a greater depth of knowledge. Additionally, the teachers were able to integrate
mindfulness into their classrooms to help students focus their attention and engage in learning.
The study also indicated the teachers were better able to cope with conflict and anxiety and
found improved quality in their personal lives (Napoli, 2004). Mindfulness can be an influential
intervention for reducing teacher stress. A 2011 study of 31 secondary teachers, consisting of 16
in the experimental group and 15 in the control group, found that mindfulness training
significantly reduced: teacher stress levels, the number of sick days used, and feelings of
pressure, demotivation, and poor coping when compared with the control group (Mañas, Franco,
& Justo, 2011). In a similar study with 68 Spanish secondary school teachers, the results showed
significant reductions in levels of psychological distress, which were maintained even four
months later (Franco, Mañas, Cangas, Moreno, & Gallego, 2010).
The most well-known mindfulness program designed specifically for teachers is
Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE), founded by Mindful Teachers
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author, Patricia Jennings. In a 2013 study of the program, results indicated that program
participants showed improvements in well-being, physical health symptoms, sense of efficacy in
the classroom, stress, burnout, and mindfulness, all of which corresponded with teachers’ reports
of student and classroom outcomes. Additionally, a key component of the program is connecting
teachers with mentors and other experienced teachers, a construct that has been shown to
increase resiliency to stress (Jennings, Frank, Snowberg, Coccia, & Greenberg, 2013). Although
research is becoming more available on mindfulness studies being conducted with small groups
of teachers, or with students in class settings, there is still a gap in the literature of school and
district-wide implementation.
Site and district leaders need reminders that teaching is not just about developing lessons
and presenting content. Days are often filled with social activity that could include meeting with
colleagues, a parent-teacher conference, and a heart-to-heart with a discouraged or disruptive
student. Teachers must balance essential priorities: instruction, planning, correcting
assignments, classroom management, standardized testing, and supervising the hallways and
common areas, ever vigilant in case a conflict might occur. Teachers must master skills
necessary for effective verbal and non-verbal communication, positive teacher-student
relationships, and the ability to motivate and engage students. The expectations and demands
placed on teachers are high, and to navigate these twists and turns successfully, teachers need to
have solid mindful and social-emotional skills that will enable them to shift attention, pause
before responding, and summon up positive emotions like enthusiasm and self-efficacy during
challenging situations. Furthermore, while juggling all of those demands, teachers need to
maintain a positive presence in class, all while trying to cope efficiently with their stress and
exhaustion (Carroll, 2007). Teachers trained in mindfulness can tap into enhanced skills of
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attention, self-awareness, self-management, curiosity, and flexibility. They are better able to
think clearly and act decisively, exercise discernment, and make wise decisions, which are all
fundamental to teaching and well-being (Roeser, Skinner, Beers, & Jennings, 2012).
Fundamentals of mindfulness are present in both Social Emotional Intelligence and Positive
Psychology and are foundational for well-being.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Resiliency to Stress
Inspired and adapted from Emotional Intelligence Theory, Social Emotional Learning
(SEL) is a framework, designed to enhance students’ capacity to integrate skills, attitudes, and
behaviors that lead to intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive competence (CASEL 2003;
Goleman, 1996). The five core competencies of SEL that can be taught both explicitly and
implicitly across multiple settings include: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness,
and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2003). While the focus of SEL has been primarily on
students, the essential role of teacher social and emotional competencies gets overlooked, and yet
these skills influence everything from teacher-student relationships, to classroom management,
to effective instruction, and teacher burnout (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Jones et al., 2013).
Educational leaders and policymakers need to understand that all educators do not naturally
possess SEL qualities in equal measure, and the climate teachers create in the classroom can
either help or hinder positive outcomes. Studies have shown that SEL competence of teachers
impacts not only their relationships with students but their relationships with other staff members
as well (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Lower levels of teacher SEL skills are associated with
more stress and burnout (Brackett, Palomera, Mojsa-Kaja, Reyes, & Salovey, 2010; Ransford,
Greenberg, Domitrovich, Small & Jacobson, 2009) while higher levels of SEL skills are
positively associated with commitment to the profession (Collie et al., 2012) and job satisfaction
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(Brackett et al., 2010). Additionally, teachers who are suffering from burnout, job dissatisfaction,
and a lack of commitment to the profession are not likely to have the motivation or capacity to
cultivate a warm and welcoming climate for students or each other.
Recent research reports have stressed that for SEL to be implemented successfully and
sustainably, it needs to begin with the adults (Jones et al., 2013; Vaishnav, Cristol, & Hance,
2016). Chang (2009) proposed that emotion-focused training and interventions could help
teachers recognize the emotional nature of their work, identify and reflect on their emotions and
the causes of them, and cope with challenging emotions through reframing, problem-solving and
emotional management.
Emotional regulation is a crucial skill, fundamental to mental health and well-being,
which serves as a protective factor against anxiety (Campbell-Sills & Barlow, 2007). It is
foundational for interactions and performance in all areas of life, including teaching, learning,
and leadership (Goleman, 1996). For example, developing self-awareness can help teachers
recognize when they are using a sharp tone with a student or colleague, and self-management
skills could help teachers regulate their emotions and behaviors so that they could remain calm
during a disagreement with a colleague rather than storm out of the staffroom. Social awareness
or empathy skills would help a teacher understand that when a student lashes out, it may be
because he/she is going through a challenging time, and consequently, learn not to take it
personally (Jones et al., 2013). Teachers must be able to maintain a sense of calm, feel in control
of the classroom, and develop trust with students and families that may be different from them
(Carlock, 2011). Fostering SEL in both students and staff is critical, as the evidence for their
impact on teacher well-being, academic learning, and teacher performance increases (Chang,
2009; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004).
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School Climate and Social Belonging
A school climate, which is defined as the quality and character of a school, influences the
individuals within it, and can foster flourishing and resilience in students and staff. Conversely,
through acts of neglect or suppression, school climate can also cause a school to become a risk
factor in itself, resulting in an environment steeped in elements that serve as barriers to success
and well-being (Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, 2009; Freiberg & Stein, 1999). Teacher
perceptions of school climate are a powerful influence on their sense of: stress and burnout
(Grayson & Alvarez, 2008; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2009), teaching efficacy (Hoy & Woolfolk,
1993; Pas, Bradshaw & Hershfeldt, 2012); and work commitment (Collie et al., 2012).
Three decades of research in multiple disciplinary domains have demonstrated that social
relationships, or a lack of them, not only shape who we are, but have a substantial impact on our
well-being and health (Aelterman et al., 2007). Social support and a sense of belonging have
both direct and buffering effects on stress. First, receiving social support has been shown to
reduce blood pressure (Fritz, Nagurney, & Helgeson, 2003) and second, social support
strengthens one’s perceived ability to cope with demands, thus buffering the effects of
undesirable events (Cohen, 2004). Research confirms that social support plays a role mitigating
the negative impact of emotional demands on emotional exhaustion, feelings of low self-
efficacy, and job satisfaction (Kinman, Wray, & Strange, 2011).
School climate is a powerful determinant of teacher and student outcomes (Durlak,
Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). Teaching and learning are social activities.
Educators and policymakers need to be reminded how creating structures and opportunities for
staff to build relationships intentionally cultivates a climate that prioritizes a sense of belonging,
and is a wise investment resulting in strengthening teacher: well-being (Aelterman et al., 2007;
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Seligman, 2011); engagement and job satisfaction (Bracket et al., 2010; Sani, Elena, Scrignaro,
& McCollum, 2010); teaching efficacy (Pas et al., 2012); collective efficacy (Donohoo, 2016);
work commitment (Collie et al., 2012); and SEL competence (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009).
Additionally, since mindfulness has been shown to be helpful in building relationships, and is
predictive of a felt sense of connectedness, belonging, and interpersonal closeness, it can be
utilized as a robust strategy for bolstering staff and student relationship skills (Brown & Kasser,
2005; Brown & Ryan, 2003). Furthermore, it is important to note that there is reciprocity in
these outcomes as many of the factors that strengthen one, also strengthen another in the
synergistic fashion of a virtuous cycle.
Positive Psychology Theory
Focusing only on problems can be a partial, negative, and ineffective approach (Huppert,
2014). Positive Psychology, or the “scientific study of what goes right in life, from birth to
death, and all stops in between” (Peterson, 2006, p. 4) was launched in by Seligman and
Csikszentmihalyi (2000) to address the conditions and processes that foster happiness, optimal
functioning, and well-being, and to create evidence-based Positive Psychology Interventions
designed to help both individuals, communities, and organizations flourish (Peterson, 2006;
Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Cynics may believe that positive psychology means to
blindly focus on only what is good, but this is a misconception. Positive psychology focuses on
the strategies to build resilient thinking, and does not encourage people to sit passively in blind
optimism (Lazarus, 2003). Positive Psychology is the lens through which this study views well-
being, and thus it will be essential to gain a deeper understanding. This chapter explores the big
ideas of positive psychology including character strengths, positive education, and the meaning
of well-being as described through the PERMA framework (Seligman, 2011). PERMA is a
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construct of well-being made up of five measurable factors: positive emotions, engagement,
relationships, meaning and purpose, and achievement. One of these factors does not make up
well-being, but rather all of them.
Character Strengths Framework
Character Strengths and Virtues (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) was the product of a three-
year research project exploring and reviewing the thinking on virtues and positive human
qualities established in theology, philosophy, ethics, moral education, and psychology, and found
across a wide range of cultures, religions, nations, and belief systems (Niemiec, 2013; Park,
Peterson, & Seligman, 2004). Six core themes emerged from the research: wisdom, courage,
humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. These themes were then divided into traits
representing the path to the virtues, and these 24 character strengths are reflected in an
individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Peterson and Seligman’s book, together with the
Values in Action (VIA) Inventory of Strengths survey (Park et al., 2004), have served as a
framework and backbone for the science of positive psychology. Since its creation, the VIA
survey has been taken by more than 2 million people representing every single country across the
globe (Niemiec, 2013; Park et al., 2004). In their 2004 study, Park and colleagues discovered
that hope, zest, gratitude, curiosity, and love were the top traits leading to life satisfaction, the
cognitive aspect of subjective well-being. Individuals with high life satisfaction have been
shown to be good problem-solvers, have better work performance, demonstrate more resistance
to stress, and have increased physical health (Frisch, 2000).
Having knowledge of one’s strengths and intentionally putting them into practice has
been shown to lead individuals to experience increases in happiness, flourishing, engagement,
meaning, purpose, better relationships, and increased resiliency to stress (Mongrain & Anselmo-
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Matthews, 2012; Niemiec, 2013; Park et al., 2004; Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005).
Multiple studies have shown that using one’s signature strengths, those that show up highest on
the survey, in a new way each day for a week has been linked with increases in happiness and
decreases in depression for up to six months after the intervention (Mongrain & Anselmo-
Matthews, 2012; Niemiec, 2013; Seligman et al., 2005). Exploring the relationship between
stress and character strengths in the workplace has been shown to buffer the impact of work-
related stress on job satisfaction (Harzer & Ruch, 2015). A 2014 study conducted to lower stress
and improve well-being in teachers using a Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI), found that
participants who took a 2.5-day training that targeted character strengths, optimism, self-
efficacy, mindfulness, and positive psychology in the workplace, showed an increase in positive
emotions as compared to the control group (Siu, Cooper, & Phillips, 2014). Identifying and
using character strengths with intention has been shown to improve factors that improve well-
being.
Positive Education
Positive education is used to describe empirically-validated interventions and programs
from positive psychology that have an impact on student well-being (Kern, Waters, Adler, &
White, 2014). Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) believed that positive education should
address much more than just curriculum for students, however. They called for schools to
become positive holistic institutions, adopting a whole-systems approach, where all systems
within the organization adopt well-being as a goal, and staff well-being and culture are an
explicit part of the agenda (White & Murray, 2015). Changing behavior takes more than telling
people what not to do; it requires teaching them what to do. These founding fathers of Positive
Psychology stressed that while it is necessary to address reducing unhealthy behaviors such as
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bullying and substance abuse, it is also just as important to focus on increasing healthy behaviors
that build character, well-being, and positive experiences (Seligman & Csikszentmihaly, 2000).
Schools need to be places that are positive, exciting, enriching, and engaging for everyone on
campus (Hoy & Tarter, 2011). Using the PERMA-focused programs, policies, systems,
structures, and strategies, schools can strengthen well-being in both individuals and the
organization. Leaders can work smarter, not harder and learn to braid initiatives that focus on
building vital skills such as: resilience, optimism, sense of belonging, and connectedness,
positive relationships, engagement through character strengths, a sense of meaning and purpose
from pursuing worthwhile goals, and SEL (Noble & McGrath, 2008; Seligman, 2013). When
people across an organization collectively experience a shift in the wholeness of their team and
feel it aligned in purpose, with strengths acting in synergy across the whole system of
stakeholders, that cultivates the climate for flourishing (Cooperrider, 2012).
A barrier for schools and districts to bring well-being on board may be a lack of specific
systems and structures to implement successfully and sustainably. A whole-school or whole
district approach to well-being integrated into the climate and culture of the school is more likely
to improve the success and sustainability of a positive education initiative (Waters, 2011; Waters
& White, 2015). If positive institutions are going to be created and cultivated, school leaders
must align their mission, vision, and operational goals to build clear frameworks and invest in
quality evidence-based learning for teachers and support staff (Manz, Cameron, Manz, & Marx,
2006). Positive affect and positive emotion foster teacher engagement and motivation to invest
time and energy into organizational goals, strengthen a more significant commitment to the
organization, and lead to better performance (White & Murray, 2015). Research supports that
investing in positive education reaps valuable rewards for organizations: staff members with the
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highest levels of organizational commitment are those with a sense of engagement at work and a
sense of accomplishment, which can be strengthened by strategically using the PERMA model to
build capacity. Additionally, the energy spent to cultivate positive emotions, engagement,
meaning, relationships, and achievement (PERMA) can help teachers to feel more connected and
engaged. When teachers are more engaged, their efficacy is likely to rise as well, and research
confirms that teacher efficacy is one of the most potent factors in determining student
engagement and achievement, as well as student well-being (Hattie, 2009; White & Murray,
2015). Here one sees the virtuous cycle of SEW at work again, with one positive outcome
leading to another positive outcome.
Teachers who have received positive psychology training are more likely to provide a
more structured classroom which may help prevent behavior problems from arising and have a
more significant influence on the group they are teaching (Seligman et al., 2009). When the
majority of teachers are aligned to the same goal of increasing PERMA and using common
language throughout their interactions, students are more likely to use the skills they learned
outside of school, and a whole-school approach to well-being is expected to be achieved
(Clonan, Chafouleas, McDougal, & Riley-Tillman, 2004; Kern et al., 2014). When districts and
schools adopt a platform that has positive psychology incorporated into their policies, practices,
systems, and structures, and when well-being and organizational goals are aligned and
integrated, then a positive shift can transpire in a way that can be transformational (White &
Murray, 2015).
Individual Well-Being
Well-being is viewed through two different perspectives. The hedonic perspective
focuses on the subjective side of happiness (having to do with one’s affect) and life satisfaction.
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The eudemonic perspective, aligned with Positive Psychology, stresses that well-being is
achieved through good relationships with self and others and self-realization. The eudemonic
perspective also includes the capacity for self-development, positive relationships with others,
autonomy, self-acceptance, and competence (Ryan & Deci, 2001; Stewart-Brown &
Janmohamed, 2008). Seligman’s 2011 PERMA Model for well-being has five measurable
elements: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. This model
is an evolution of the well-being that he describes in his 2004 book, Authentic Happiness, which
stresses that happiness is a result of positive emotion, engagement, and meaning. In discussing
well-being, Seligman suggests that life satisfaction and happiness are part of what makes up
happiness, but happiness and well-being are not the same. He points out happiness can only be
measured subjectively, but well-being can be measured both subjectively and objectively. Of the
five elements making up PERMA, no one element defines well-being, but rather each element
contributes to it, and is supported by the VIA 24 character strengths (Seligman, 2012).
In addition to overall well-being, it is valuable to look at the factors which specifically
build professional well-being (PWB), a term used in workplace wellness studies, which refers
primarily to an individual’s perception about self-efficacy and job satisfaction (Aelterman et al.,
2007; Retallick & Butt, 2009). The concept for occupational well-being is more holistic than
PWB, defined as “positive evaluation of various aspects of one’s job, including affective,
motivational, behavioral, cognitive and psychosomatic dimensions” (van Horn, Taris, Schaufeli,
& Schreurs, 2004, p. 366). Character strengths have been shown to impact professional well-
being with curiosity, gratitude, hope, zest, and spirituality connected with work satisfaction; and
zest linked to higher levels of life and work satisfaction (Gander, Proyer, Ruch, & Wyss, 2012;
Peterson, Stephens, Park, Lee, & Seligman, 2010). Measures of teacher well-being specifically,
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have focused on job-related satisfaction, perceiving fulfillment from day-to-day activities at
work (Klassen & Chiu, 2010; Parker & Martin, 2009; Pillay, Goddard, & Wilss, 2005). Other
studies researching the relationship between teacher well-being and instructional quality have
found that positive traits such as high self-efficacy, life satisfaction, and resilience have been
found to be significant predictors of teacher performance and student outcomes (Aelterman et al.,
2007; Hills & Robinson, 2010; Retallick & Butt, 2009).
Employee Engagement and Employee Engagement Theory
In a 2012 workforce study conducted by Gallup, results revealed that only about a third
of U.S. teachers are engaged, meaning they are involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to
their work, know the scope of their jobs, and are continuously looking for new and better ways to
achieve outcomes. Fifty-six percent of teachers are not engaged, meaning that they may be
satisfied with their jobs, but they are not emotionally connected to their workplaces and are
unlikely to devote much discretionary effort to their work. Additionally, one in eight teachers
are considered actively disengaged, meaning that they are dissatisfied with their workplaces and
likely to be spreading negativity to their coworkers. Furthermore, the study revealed that K-12
teachers’ average engagement level drops in the first few years of teaching. Teachers with less
than one year of teaching are the most engaged, at 35%, while teachers on the job for three to
five years reporting engagement drops to 28%. The report, State of America’s Schools: The Path
to Winning Again in Education (Gallup, 2014), goes on to state that when teachers are not fully
engaged in their work, their students feel the effects, and the impact can be damaging.
Disengaged teachers are less likely to bring the enthusiasm, creativity, curiosity, insights, and
resilience that effective teaching requires in the classroom and are also less likely to build the
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kind of positive, caring relationships with their students that form the emotional foundation of
the learning process (Gallup, 2014).
In exploring what defines engagement, Kahn (1990) described it as the individual’s
perception of the work environment as a place to manifest one’s best self. He emphasized that
the psychological experience of work drives attitudes and behaviors and that individual,
interpersonal, group, and organizational factors all affect that experience. Other definitions have
included a level of involvement and enthusiasm (Attridge, 2009; Harter, Schmidt, Killham, &
Asplund, 2006) and a hierarchy, similar to Maslow’s, of relationships within the organization’s
hierarchy of needs (Markos & Sridevi, 2010).
Two constructs of Employee Engagement influence this study. The first is based on
Maslach’s and Leiter’s 1999 Organizational Antecedents of Burnout Conceptual Framework.
They saw six areas of work life that encompass the central relationships with burnout: workload,
control, reward, community, fairness, and values. Maslach described engagement as the
antithesis of burnout, suggesting that burnout and engagement are inversely related to this six
domain model (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). The second construct (Harter et al., 2006),
focuses on four fundamental concepts from the employee perspective: Basic Needs (What do I
get?); Teamwork (Do I belong?); Individual Contribution (What do I give?) and Growth (How
do we grow?). Factors shown to strengthen employee engagement in this framework include:
satisfaction, the opportunity to use strengths, feedback and recognition, having close friends at
work, being encouraged and supported to learn and grow, having the opportunity to give input
and share voice, and feeling a sense of meaning and purpose (Harter et al., 2006). In comparing
the two Employee Engagement constructs with the PERMA well-being construct, definite
parallels are evident along positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and purpose,
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and achievement. The researcher in this study was interested to see if cultivating a climate of
Social Emotional Wellness would boost individual teacher well-being, and also create a virtuous
cycle of synergizing efforts that would simultaneously strengthen organizational well-being.
Collective Efficacy
Self-efficacy is the belief that an individual has about his/her ability to perform what is
required to produce a particular outcome, and is context specific. An individual could have
strong self-efficacy about giving a presentation in front of a large audience, but little or no self-
efficacy about running a marathon (Bandura, 1977; Donohoo, 2016). Teacher efficacy refers to
a teacher’s belief that she or he can perform what is required to influence student learning, and is
also context specific (Donohoo, 2016; Goddard, 2001). A teacher could have solid self-efficacy
about teaching students how to write an essay, but little or no self-efficacy about teaching them
how to solve math equations. Collective efficacy is a group’s belief in its ability to achieve
outcomes, while collective teacher efficacy refers to a group of teachers in a school and their
belief that together they can make a difference for students (Donohoo, 2016). Collective teacher
efficacy is also context specific. Beliefs are formed based on the competence of the staff as a
whole, the difficulties in the outcome they are trying to achieve, level of effort, persistence,
shared thoughts, stress levels, the support and resources available in the setting, and achievement
of the group (Goddard, 2001; Goddard, Hoy, & Hoy, 2000).
In a 2014 meta-analysis of collective efficacy literature published between 2000 and
2014, 39 studies reviewed the relationship between collective teacher efficacy and performance.
In every one of the studies, a positive correlation was found (Ramos, Costa, Pontes, Fernandez,
& Nina, 2014), and multiple studies confirmed that collective teacher efficacy was a more
significant predictor of student achievement than socioeconomic status (Goddard et al., 2000;
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Hoy, Sweetland, & Smith, 2002; Moolenaar, Sleegers, & Daly, 2012). Four sources that shape
collective efficacy are mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, and social persuasion, with
the most powerful being mastery. When groups experience success and attribute that success to
circumstances within their control, collective efficacy increases and groups believe that they can
expect repeated achievement (Bandura, 1986; Donohoo, 2016; Goddard et al., 2000).
Staff’s collective efficacy enables the group as if it were a superpower. When collective
efficacy is high, it influences the level of effort and persistence that individual teachers put forth
in their daily work, strengthens tenacity and resiliency, and results in teachers attending more
closely to the needs of students who are not progressing well (Goddard et al., 2000; Ross &
Bruce, 2007; Tschannen-Moran & Barr, 2004). Collective efficacy strengthens teacher ability to
generate and foster positive behavior in students, and handle misbehavior in more positive and
productive ways than staff that have low collective efficacy (Donohoo, 2016; Sørlie & Torsheim,
2011). Like the influence on behavioral success, highly efficacious teachers convey high
expectations to students, and when they do, it is contagious. The same is true for low efficacy
groups as well. When teachers lack efficacy beliefs, they weaken students’ sense of efficacy too,
and students who are struggling academically will continue to experience difficulty if receiving
instruction from a teacher with a weakened sense of efficacy (Bandura, 1977, 1993). However,
when there is high collective efficacy among staff, it increases commitment and a willingness to
exert effort on behalf of the organization (Lee, Zhang, & Yin, 2011) as well as to the teaching
profession (Ware & Kitsantas, 2007).
In her book, Collective Efficacy (2016), Jenni Donohoo outlines six conditions that
organizations can intentionally create for collective efficacy to flourish and which share
connections with the PERMA, SEL, and Employee Engagement frameworks. They are:
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advanced teacher influence (teacher voice and input in decision-making); goal consensus (shared
vision); teachers’ knowledge about one another’s work (awareness of other teachers’ practice);
cohesive staff (shared purpose, sense of belonging, connectedness, meaningful relationships);
responsive leadership (feedback, recognition, resources to learn and grow, caring supervisors);
effective systems of intervention (systemic help to make sure that all students are successful). In
reviewing research for this study, themes emerged in the literature connecting elements that have
been shown to enhance well-being with factors that also boost employee engagement, SEL
competencies, and collective efficacy. When organizations set out to strengthen SEW, the SEW
outcomes can synergize and strengthen the capacity for success in these other critical areas as
well.
Stakeholder Knowledge and Motivation Influences
Knowledge and Skills
Conducting a gap analysis is critical to understanding whether stakeholders in an
organization have the knowledge to accomplish their goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). To cultivate a
caring climate and provide quality instruction to students, teachers should understand the impact
of stress on their health and instructional practice, and know how to utilize strategies for
strengthening well-being and stress-resiliency. Rueda and Dembo (2006) describe the
importance of not just acquiring expertise but moving beyond to transfer new knowledge and
skills to real-world situations. In order to meet ABC’s goal to strengthen the SEW of teachers in
100% of partner districts, it was imperative to assess the knowledge of teachers and their ability
to transfer their learning into practice. This portion of the literature review focuses on the
knowledge and skills necessary for teachers to strengthen their SEW and stress-resiliency.
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Knowledge influences. There are four types of knowledge: factual knowledge, which
includes specific facts needed to understand or solve a problem; conceptual knowledge, which is
more complex than factual and involves applying the information and understanding how that
information fits into bigger systems; procedural knowledge, which explores how to do
something; and metacognition, which is the awareness of one’s own thinking and cognitive
processes (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). This study analyzed knowledge in each of these
dimensions as they relate to teacher stress and SEW.
Conceptually, teachers need to know the effects of stress on physical and psychological
health, and how stress negatively impacts their teaching performance. Understanding these
conceptual knowledge pieces will increase their understanding of what the problem is. Teachers
need to understand the procedural knowledge of how to strengthen SEW and resiliency to better
cope with challenging situations and apply those strategies into daily practice. It is also critical
for teachers to use metacognitive skills to reflect on and assess their personal stress levels and
SEW.
Teachers need to know the effects of stress and well-being on physical and
psychological health. Once teachers are knowledgeable about stress and well-being and have
strategies for building resiliency, they can take steps to strengthen their SEW. Stress and well-
being can affect the social-emotional wellness of educators across physical, emotional,
behavioral, cognitive, interpersonal, spiritual, and professional dimensions (Hydon, Wong,
Langley, Stein, & Kataoka, 2015; Parker, Martin, Colmar, & Liem, 2012). Physical
consequences of stress can include: cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, intestinal problems,
headaches, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue (Hydon et al., 2015; Sneyers, Jacobs, & Struyf, 2016).
Well-being can reap physical benefits such as: improved attention regulation and executive
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function (Davidson et al., 2012; Hölzel et al., 2011); improved physical well-being (Jennings et
al., 2013); lower blood pressure, reduced inflammatory response and alterations in stress
responsivity (Field, 2011; Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 2010); and better sleep (Frank, Reibel,
Broderick, Cantrell, & Metz, 2013). Psychological symptoms of stress can include: anger,
depression, anxiety, increased irritability, hopelessness, and feelings of detachment from students
(Hydon et al., 2015, Sneyers et al., 2016; Yu, Wang, Zhai, Dai, & Yang, 2015), while
psychological benefits of well-being include: less stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression
(Roeser et al., 2013); and increased mindfulness, emotional regulation, self-compassion (Frank et
al., 2015; Jennings et al., 2013). Knowledge and understanding of stress and well-being can
assist individuals in lowering their perceived level of stress and strengthening well-being
(Seligman, 2012; Sneyers et al., 2016).
Teachers need to know how stress and well-being impact teaching practice. Educator
stress is not only physically and psychologically harmful to the educator, but also to the process
of teaching and learning (Steyn & Kamper, 2006). Stress can affect job performance as
demonstrated by: diminished concentration affecting the ability to teach, difficulty with decision
making, poor work effort in classroom instruction, reduced execution of teaching tasks and
responsibilities, low morale affecting relationships with colleagues, and a loss of passion for
education and teaching (Hydon et al., 2015; Yu et al., 2015). Stress impacts the way a teacher
interacts with students, causing them to become less tolerant of student misbehavior, have
ineffective classroom management, and maintain poor relationships with students, demonstrated
by apathetic or negative attitudes, all of which can lead to poor student academic performance
(Hydon et al., 2015; Sneyers et al., 2016; Yu et al., 2015). Teachers need to know that stress can
be contagious, negatively impacting their students’ stress levels as well (Oberle & Schonert-
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Reichl, 2016). Furthermore, stress affects teacher tardiness, absenteeism, turnover, and
performance, all of which affect not just the teacher and students, but the entire school
organization (Yu et al., 2015). Well-being, however, has been shown to improve occupational
engagement, classroom management, enhance student-teacher relationships, positive classroom
climate, and teaching efficacy (Jennings et al., 2013; Roeser et al., 2012).
Teachers need to know how to develop strategies for strengthening SEW and building
resiliency to stress. In examining the causes and effects of teacher stress, poor coping skills
were one of the primary factors that led to increased perceived stress (Montgomery & Rupp,
2005). Coping strategies can include addressing the problem or controlling the emotional
response to the stressful situation (Engelbrecht, Swart, & Eloff, 2001; Sneyers et al., 2016; Tosi,
Mero, & Rizzo, 2000). Popular coping strategies for teachers include physical activity, social
activity, and relaxation activities (Sneyers et al., 2016). When individuals have procedural
knowledge of and utilize coping, resiliency, and well-being strategies, they can perceive lower
levels of stress and increased well-being (Collins & Parry-Jones, 2000; Rout & Rout, 2007; Tosi
et al., 2000). Teachers who perceive stress as a cognitive function can switch from an automatic
neo-limbic brain response to a more thoughtful prefrontal cortex response, demonstrating more
flexibility, curiosity, empathy, and peace (Sneyers et al., 2016). Additionally, teachers who
utilize mindfulness techniques report greater resiliency to stress and anxiety, improved
mindfulness and well-being, and increased hope and gratitude (Benn, Akiva, Arel, Roeser,
2012). When teachers learn strategies to strengthen well-being, they report the following: lower
stress, more positive classroom climate, improved teacher-student relationships, decreased
problematic student behavior, and improved relationships with colleagues and administrators
(Sneyers et al., 2016). By helping teachers to understand the connections between stress, well-
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being, and health, and by providing them with training, districts will be able to support teachers
in building stress-resiliency and strengthening well-being.
Teachers need to be able to self-assess their stress and well-being. Stress occurs when
an individual identifies a situation as threatening to one’s ability to reach goals, and when
perceived demands exceed perceived resources (Rout & Rout, 2007). Therefore, stress levels of
educators depend not just on the event itself, but also on the perception of that stressor and the
perceived ability to cope (Abel & Sewell, 1999; Engelbrecht et al., 2001; Rout & Rout, 2007;
Wilson & Hall, 2002). As educators increase the ability to accurately self-assess their own levels
of stress, well-being, social-emotional competencies, and stress-resiliency, they will be able to
decrease their levels of stress. Mayer (2011) describes metacognition as having two
components: awareness, or knowing how one learns, and control, or knowing how to monitor
and control one’s learning. As individuals strengthen their metacognitive ability, they will be
better able to self-regulate, which can lead to enhanced learning and performance (Dembo &
Eaton, 2000; Mayer, 2011). In order for teachers to lower stress and reach their goal of
strengthened SEW, they will need to engage in metacognitive thinking to be aware of and self-
assess their stress and SEW, and learn how to self-regulate their response to stress. Table 2
illustrates the four knowledge influences identified along with the related literature.
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Table 2
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Teachers and Related Literature
Knowledge
Type
Assumed Knowledge
Influences on Teachers Related Literature
Factual Teachers need to know
the effects of stress and
SEW on physical and
psychological health.
Hydon et al. (2015), Parker et al. (2012),
Seligman (2012), Sneyers et al. (2016), Yu et
al. (2015)
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), Clark and
Estes (2008), Dembo and Eaton (2000), Mayer
(2011), Rueda and Dembo (2006)
Conceptual Teachers need to know
how stress and SEW
impact teaching practice.
Hydon et al. (2015), Jennings et al. (2013),
Oberle and Schonert-Reichl (2016), Roeser et
al. (2012), Sneyers et al. (2016), Steyn and
Kamper (2006), Yu et al. (2015)
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), Clark and
Estes (2008), Dembo and Eaton (2000), Mayer
(2011), Rueda and Dembo (2006)
Procedural Teachers need to know
how to develop effective
strategies for
strengthening SEW and
building resiliency to
stress.
Benn et al. (2012), Engelbrecht et al. (2001),
Montgomery and Rupp (2005), Seligman
(2012), Sneyers et al. (2016), Tosi et al. (2000)
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), Clark and
Estes (2008), Dembo and Eaton (2000), Mayer
(2011), Rueda and Dembo (2006)
Metacognitive Teachers need to know
how to self-assess their
stress and well-being.
Abel and Sewell (1999), Dembo and Eaton
(2000), Engelbrecht et al. (2001), Mayer
(2011), Rout and Rout (2007), Wilson and Hall
(2002)
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Motivation
Knowledge is critical for achieving goals, but just because an individual knows how to do
something does not mean they are willing to put forth an effort to actually accomplish it, and this
is where motivation comes into play (Mayer, 2011; Rueda, 2011). Motivation, a pre-requisite for
meaningful learning, is the internal state that initiates action and drives individuals toward goals
and is reflected by the amount of effort one exerts to engage in the process (Clark & Estes, 2008;
Mayer, 2011; Pintrich & Schunk, 1996). The three indicators of motivation are: (1) active
choice, taking action to choose a goal; (2) persistence, demonstrating perseverance in achieving a
goal; and (3) mental effort, the amount of mental energy extended toward goal achievement
(Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2008). These are critical factors for districts to consider when
exploring teacher motivation to address the issue of stress.
In conducting a gap analysis, it is critical to consider stakeholder motivation to achieve
the goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Motivation is an essential factor when examining cognitive
processing, and is the reason why a learner wants to use appropriate learning processes (Mayer,
2011). In order for teachers to reach their goal of strengthened SEW, they need to be motivated
to achieve this goal. Although there are many factors influencing motivation including interests,
beliefs, values, attributions, goals, and social partnerships (Mayer, 2011; Pintrich, 2003; Rueda,
2011), for the purposes of this study, attribution and self-efficacy were examined.
Attribution theory. Attributions are the beliefs that an individual has about the reasons
for success or failure at a task as well as the amount of control one has in affecting outcomes
(Rueda, 2011). Wiener (2005) describes three dimensions of attribution: stability, whether one
believes the attribution is temporary or permanent; locus, whether an individual attributes
something to an internal source or an external source; and control, whether an individual
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attributes events as something that can one can control or as uncontrollable events. Attribution
theory helps explain why people can respond differently to the same event, depending on
whether they perceive the event as permanent or temporary, internal or external, or controllable
or uncontrollable (Rueda, 2011; Wiener, 2005).
Teachers should feel that classroom climate is a result of their efforts and ability.
McCormick and Barnett’s (2011) research reveals that when teachers tend to attribute
responsibility for their stress to external factors, such as student misbehavior, this external
domain stress is a significant predictor of emotional exhaustion. When teachers attribute stress
to students, it can create a vicious cycle: teacher perceives students as the cause of stress which
prompts the teacher to respond to students with anger and depersonalization, which leaves the
teacher with a diminished sense of efficacy and accomplishment, which leads to a decreased
likelihood of teacher ability to manage student behavior effectively (McCormick & Barnett,
2011). However, when teachers can shift to a self-attribution perspective, increasing their ability
to recognize their role in classroom climate and regulating their own emotions to solve problems,
they increase job satisfaction and efficacy and decrease occupational stress (Akomolafe &
Ogunmakin, 2014).
Many researchers agree that similar situations may cause a stress reaction in one person
and not another, based on the individual’s personality, perception of the event, and perceived
ability to cope with the situation (Engelbrecht et al., 2001; McCormick & Barnett, 2011; Rout &
Rout, 2007). It is not what happens to an individual that leads to stress, but how an individual
chooses to interpret those events (Ellis & Harper, 1961). Teachers need to feel that their ability
to be mindful, stay calm in a crisis, model and teach SEL strategies, will cultivate a positive
climate. In order to reduce stress and improve SEW, teachers need to feel that their ability to
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maintain a calm and optimistic demeanor creates a positive classroom climate, rather than
attributing a chaotic environment to external factors such as misbehaving students.
Self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in their ability to accomplish
a task or impact their environment (Bandura, 1977). If people do not believe that they can
produce desired results, they can be unmotivated to act (Bandura, 2000). Motivation is typically
directed toward a particular goal, so it is possible for someone to have self-efficacy beliefs in one
area and not another (Rueda, 2011). Interventions designed to build collective efficacy such as
providing opportunities to have mastery experiences, learning from vicarious experiences of
others and support of a social group, can also help to cultivate individual efficacy (Donohoo,
2016). Individuals with higher self-efficacy are more motivated to engage in learning and persist
in working hard at practicing new strategies (Rueda, 2011).
Teachers need to believe they are capable of utilizing effective strategies for
strengthening SEW. Research reveals that diminished self-efficacy contributes to teacher
burnout and decreased well-being (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin, 2014; Aloe, Amo, & Shanahan,
2014; Shoji et al., 2016; Steyn & Kamper, 2006; Tang, Au, Schwarzer, & Schmitz, 2001; Yu et
al., 2015). Stress may be mediated if individuals believe they have the resilience to better
manage it (Sawatzky et al., 2012; Shen, 2009). There is a connection between having self-
efficacy toward coping with stress and actual coping effectiveness (Nicholls, Polman, Levy, &
Borkoles, 2010). In examining associations between teacher stress and self-efficacy, the
strongest associations indicated that teachers in particular benefit from interventions enhancing
self-efficacy beliefs (Shoji et al., 2016). Identifying individuals who may have limiting self-
efficacy beliefs toward stress management and offering support and resources may help them to
manage stress (Sawatzky et al., 2012). Teachers need to feel a strong sense of self-efficacy in
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their ability to learn effective strategies to strengthen SEW and build resiliency to stress. For this
study, motivational influences of attribution and self-efficacy were partnered and are illustrated
in Table 3.
Table 3
Summary of Motivational Influences and Related Literature
Motivation
Influence
Assumed Motivation
Influences on Teachers Related Literature
Attribution Teachers need to feel their
own demeanor affects the
classroom climate.
Akomolafe and Ogunmakin (2014), Ellis
and Harper (1961), Engelbrecht et al.
(2001), McCormick and Barnett (2011),
Rout and Rout (2007)
Bandura (1977, 2000), Clark and Estes
(2008), Mayer (2011), Pajares (2007),
Pintrich and Schunk (1996), Rueda (2011),
Schunk et al. (2008), Wiener (2005)
Self-Efficacy Teachers need to believe
they are capable of using
effective strategies for
strengthening SEW and
building resiliency to stress.
Aloe et al. (2014), Akomolafe and
Ogunmakin (2014), Nicholls et al. (2010),
Sawatzky et al. (2012), Shen (2009), Shoji
et al. (2016), Steyn and Kamper (2006),
Tang et al. (2001), Yu et al. (2015)
Bandura (1977, 2000), Clark and Estes
(2008), Mayer (2011), Pajares (2007),
Pintrich and Schunk (1996), Rueda (2011),
Schunk et al. (2008), Wiener (2005)
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Organizational Influences
Organizational influences make up the third component of the KMO Gap Analysis (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Rueda (2011) emphasizes that learning, motivation, and
organizational influences interact in complex ways and need to be considered as a dynamic and
unified whole. In addition to exploring the knowledge and motivational gaps that may hinder
goal achievement, it is necessary to examine the organization and how current culture, policies,
practices, and structures impact the attainment of individual and organizational goals (Rueda,
2011). This process allows for organizations to glean a broader and deeper perspective of the
gaps and address change at many different levels. Just as knowledge and motivation gaps are to
be explored and enhanced, the organization must also examine its own culture and embrace
making adjustments to fully maximize the impact of change (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011;
Schein, 2010).
Stress has an immense effect on individual well-being and also impacts the well-being
and effectiveness of the entire organization (Cartwright & Cooper, 2009). For example, if an
individual’s negative reaction to stress results in increased absenteeism, that would directly
impact organizational performance and functioning. Employees must have resources, structures,
and supports in place to help them accomplish goals (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011).
Organizations need to seek out solutions to address stress for the benefit of their individual
employees and the organization as a whole.
Schein (2010) states that when members of an organization review data that illustrates
how organization influences hinder goal achievement, this can increase anxiety or guilt and
create discomfort. When the organization realizes that there will be psychological safety in
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solving the problem, and hence, relieving that anxiety, they will be more motivated to undergo
change (Schein, 2010).
Cultural models and settings. Culture is defined as the values, norms, behaviors, and
shared meanings within a group (Schein, 2004). Culture is dynamic and created as the
individuals in an organization navigate their daily encounters and challenges (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001; Gutiérrez & Rogoff, 2003). Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) describe two
additional components of culture: cultural models and cultural settings. They define cultural
models as the shared mental schema about how things work or ought to work, and these models
help shape how an organization is structured, including the values, policies, and practices.
Whereas cultural models often provide insight to the invisible aspects and norms of an
organization, cultural settings offer the visible social contexts where the organizational policies
and practices are played out (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models and cultural
settings influence each other and are in motion — dynamic and changing, and once they have
been made clear it is easier to understand why people think and behave the way they do. Steps
can then be taken to change the factors that impede performance and strengthen the factors that
enhance performance (Rueda, 2011). This study examined the cultural models and cultural
settings of the districts to determine how they impact teacher stress and SEW.
Cultural model: There is resistance to seek out assistance for stress management.
Organizations need to cultivate a safe climate in which employees feel a sense of belonging.
Some teachers consider seeking help or assistance an admission of failure or inadequacy and are
reluctant to do so (Larrivee, 2012). Maxfield and Flumerfelt (2009) found that when teachers
encountered problems, four out of five teachers remained quiet and retreated rather than looked
for assistance. Although causes of stress are well researched and documented, the literature on
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people’s attitudes for seeking help for stress is less abundant, especially in education. Although
many school districts offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) as a resource for teachers, the
literature on EAPs primarily describes the availability of these mental health services for
employees, leaving a noticeable gap regarding whether employees actually understand and
utilize these resources since it is the employee’s responsibility to seek out services (Dewe,
O’Driscoll, & Cooper, 2012).
This is evident in the field of nursing. Literature in nursing stress shows there is evidence
that nurses are often reluctant to seek help for stress or psychological needs (Cankaya & Duman,
2010; Kernan & Wheat, 2008). Many nurses cope with stress by being quiet about it and use
avoidant coping strategies which raise the risk of burnout (Burnard, Haji Abd Rahim, Hayes, &
Edwards, 2007; Gibbons, 2010; Pines et al., 2012). In a study of nurses at two large U.K.
universities, 87% of participants reported that they would disclose stress to family/friends rather
than work colleagues or organization due to concerns about confidentiality, stigma, career
implications, and professional integrity (Galbraith, Brown, & Clifton, 2014). The same study
revealed that 47.9% of nurses would opt for social support as a first treatment preference for
stress. Larrivee (2012) reports that teachers are more likely to feel secure enough to be
vulnerable and ask for help when they are part of highly collaborative school settings, and
suggests that administrators look for ways to facilitate this process and put structures into place
to build a sense of community.
Cultural model: There is a culture of normalizing excessive teacher stress as an
expected condition of the occupation. Organizations need to encourage and create structures
for teacher voice in input, decision-making, and feedback. Occupational stress is defined as the
harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the demands of the job exceed the
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capabilities and resources of the employee (Sauter et al., 1999). Teachers are experiencing
occupational stress as a result of an increasing number of work assignments and a more
demanding workday (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011). Teachers report overloaded classrooms,
disruptive student behavior, high stakes testing, and lack of organizational support as some of the
contributing factors in this heavy workload, which in turn contribute to an increase in teacher
stress (Black, 2003; Boyle, Topping, Jindal-Snape & Norwich, 2012; Canadian Teachers’
Federation, 2011; Collie et al., 2012; Dibbon, 2004; Ekundayo & Kolawole, 2013; Fernet, Guay,
Senécal, & Austin, 2012; Fisher, 2011; McCormick & Barnett, 2011; McCready & Soloway,
2010; Rentner, Kober, Frizzell, & Ferguson, 2016; Schaefer, Long, & Clandinin, 2012).
A national survey given to public school K-12 teachers by the Center on Education
Policy found the following challenges: 80% of teachers report it challenging to lack certainty
about whether the content standards will come or go; 62% report spending too much time on test
prep for state mandated testing and 51% for district mandated testing; 46% of teachers cited state
or district policies as getting in the way of teaching; and approximately one-third of teachers
cited continually changing demands on both themselves and their students (Rentner et al., 2016).
Additionally, formal job descriptions rarely cover the entire range of expectations and behaviors
that are required to meet continuously changing demands. Schools must depend on teachers’
willingness to step up, take initiative, and exert extra effort to successfully achieve individual
and organizational goals (George & Brief, 1992; Somech & Ron, 2007). Most teacher education
and professional development programs do not adequately prepare teachers to meet these
demands (Hargreaves, 2000). Furthermore, teachers do not believe that they have a voice to
address these issues and collaborate in problem-solving efforts.
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In a 2014 Gallup poll (Gallup, 2014) among professional occupations, teachers rated the
lowest in feeling that their opinions count at work. In 2016, the Center on Education Policy
(CEP) cited increased job demands and limitations of teacher voice in decision-making as key
predictors of teacher stress (Rentner et al., 2016). The CEP data also showed that 76% of
teachers believe their voices are not factored into the decision-making process at the district
level, and 53% at the school level. Multiple studies show that teacher perception of whether they
have a voice in school-based decisions correlates with job satisfaction, and when opportunities
are available for teachers to share in decision-making, teachers feel empowered and report higher
job satisfaction (Greenberg & Abenavoli, 2016; Rentner et al., 2016). In a study of 664
participants from 17 school districts in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada, results showed
that as teachers perceived they had more significant input in decision-making and adequate
school resources, they experienced a decrease in workload stress (Collie et al., 2012).
Cultural model: There is a reluctance by district leaders to prioritize Social Emotional
Learning (SEL) and other climate initiatives. Organizations need to understand that SEL for
staff and students strengthens both individuals and the organization, and establish it as a
priority. School climate is determined by the quality of relationships between: individuals at a
school; teaching and learning; collaboration among teachers, administration, and staff; and
support present at the school (Cohen et al., 2009). Teachers are not separate from their work
setting — they are affected by their perception of the work environment and school climate, and
this influences their well-being (Collie et al., 2012). Positive school climate and social support
are positively related to teacher satisfaction and motivation (Day, Sammons, Stobart, Kington, &
Gu, 2007; Scheopner, 2010) and negatively related to burnout (Hakanen, Bakker, & Schaufeli,
2006; Leung & Lee, 2006). Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-
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Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are two common structures used by districts and school sites
to enhance school climate by offering multiple levels of prevention and intervention strategies
and resources (i.e., SEL, Mindfulness, Restorative Practices, etc.). Teachers implementing
MTSS and/or PBIS report lower levels of job-related stress and burnout (Ross, Romer, &
Horner, 2011).
SEL is a foundational component for enhancing both school climate and academic
success. Although most research on SEL has been focused solely on students, emerging research
is revealing that SEL is also associated with positive teacher outcomes and that teachers’ beliefs
about SEL influence their own social-emotional competencies and well-being (Collie et al.,
2012). Teachers trained and supported in implementing SEL have lower job-related anxiety and
depression, improved relationships and rapport with students, increased teacher engagement, and
greater perceived control in their work (Abry, Rimm-Kaufman, Larsen, & Brewer, 2013;
Castillo, Fernández-Berrocal, & Brackett, 2013; Tyson, Roberts, & Kane, 2009; Zhai, Raver, &
Li-Grining, 2011). Training and support during implementation are critical as research reveals
that when teachers report a level of comfort in implementing SEL, it is negatively associated
with stress and positively associated with teaching efficacy and job satisfaction (Collie et al.,
2012). Strong SEL practices demonstrated by teachers have also been shown to be negatively
associated with burnout (Ransford et al., 2009), and positively associated with job satisfaction
(Brackett et al., 2010). Conversely, limited SEL competencies of teachers may exacerbate their
levels of stress (Jones et al., 2013).
Despite this emerging evidence, the essential role of teachers’ social and emotional
competencies is often overlooked, and educators typically receive little training and support for
effectively supporting students in SEL development and implementation, and even less support
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and training on strengthening their own SEL (Jones et al., 2013). Although SEL has been
integrated into classes and taught in many schools, many district leaders and policymakers need
to understand the benefits of prioritizing social and emotional development and cultivating
effective strategies for district-wide implementation including developing policies, standards,
and guidance that support teachers and administrators in integrating SEL with academic
instruction, providing high quality Professional Learning, and aligning SEL with other district
initiatives (Dusenbury et al., 2015; Kendziora & Yoder, 2016; Yoder, 2015).
Implementation problems such as limited professional development or lack of
administrative support can lessen the positive impact of SEL (Durlak et al., 2011). Many schools
and districts are so intensely focused on putting a majority of human and financial resources
toward traditional content curriculum and training that they do not see the foundational role that
SEL plays in strengthening student and educator well-being, and academic achievement in
addition to cultivating a positive school climate (Jones et al., 2013). Teachers across the country
have endorsed SEL (Civic Enterprises, Bridgeland, Bruce, & Hariharan, 2013), but report that
they will be able to implement SEL most effectively when they have quality professional
learning, and administrative support from their schools and districts (Kendziora & Yoder, 2016).
Cultural setting: There is a lack of deep collaboration and sense of community among
staff. Collaboration and collegiality are determined and mediated by the organizational context,
or structural and cultural working conditions in schools (Kelchtermans, 2006). Although there is
a great deal of research on Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and their ability to
enhance teachers’ professional learning and student performance through a single focus on
student achievement, there is a gap of information in looking at the value of a more holistic and
deep-level type of collaboration among teachers (Vangrieken, Dochy, Raes, & Kyndt, 2015).
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Having teachers just meet together is not enough to build a sense of community. According to
Datnow (2011), a collaborative culture happens when teachers perceive collaboration to be
valuable, productive, and pleasant, while contrived collegiality results from administrative
regulations obliging teachers to collaborate. To take it a step further, a teacher community is
described as a group of teachers who are socially interdependent, participate together in
discussion and decision making, and share and build knowledge with a group identity (Brouwer,
Brekelmans, Nieuwenhuis, & Simons, 2012). Deep level teacher collaboration and community-
building seems to occur less frequently in schools, as collaboration is often restricted to a focus
on practical affairs, planning teaching activities, developing plans for testing, and discussing the
pace and content of teaching (Cheng & Ko, 2009; Plauborg, 2009; Visscher & Witziers, 2004).
Research shows that cultural settings that include a collaborative, collegial climate and
strong principal leadership are associated with increased job satisfaction (Johnson, Kraft, &
Papay, 2012). Conversely, poor relationships with colleagues, administrators, and students may
lead to increased teacher stress and lower job satisfaction (Kyriacou, 2001; Van Maele & Van
Houtte, 2012). According to the 2016 CEP survey (Rentner et al., 2016), 90% of teachers who
collaborate with teachers of the same subject and/or grade level believe this is a good use of
time, and yet, findings in an earlier study show 51% of teachers reported not having enough time
to collaborate (Scholastic & Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2013). Reviews of induction
studies with beginning teachers that included components such as peer mentoring, supportive
communication with administration, time management training, and team-building activities
have been shown to lead to increased job satisfaction (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). More research
needs to be done to see how these practices can continue with teachers beyond the one or two
years of the induction period to increase social support and sense of community for all teachers.
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Studies demonstrate the relationship between lack of perceived social support and
increased stress (Jonas, 2001). Although it has been well documented and understood that social
isolation has devastating consequences on resiliency, health, and well-being, there is often a
hesitancy to acknowledge that being part of a community and social network has a critical role in
overcoming a range of stressors (Jetten, Haslam, & Alexander, 2012). Social support is believed
to buffer the impact of stress on both physical and psychological health by strengthening one’s
perceived ability to cope with demands (Rosengren, Orth-Gomer, Wedel, & Wilhelmsen, 1993).
Teachers’ positive feelings about supervisory support, demonstration of appreciation, positive
relationships with colleagues, and positive school climate are predictive of a sense of belonging
and job satisfaction and can help teachers cope more effectively with job demands (Bakker,
Hakanen, Demerouti, & Xanthopoulou, 2007; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011).
Social identity refers to the sense of self that people have because of their membership in
social groups (Tajfel, 1978; Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Social identities, social support, and a sense
of community improve coping and well-being among individuals dealing with stress (Jetten et
al., 2012). By recognizing the power of the social network and facilitating the development of
and carving out time for community building and social support, organizations can reduce stress
and burnout (Greenglass, Burke, & Konarski, 1997). More research needs to be done to explore
the power of the organizational group in addressing teacher stress. Most of the previous stress
research focuses on clinical models that address the individual (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004).
If organizations encouraged employees to cope with stressors collectively, however, this
collective group could work to develop solutions to stress-causing factors which would result in
more than the improved well-being and lowered stress — it could produce positive
organizational change (Tajfel & Turner, 1979).
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Cultural setting: There are a lack of policies and structures in place within the
organization to specifically address stress or Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) of teachers.
Organizations need to create structures for strengthening staff SEW. Levels of teacher stress
are affected by policies, procedures, and programs that support or interfere with creating a
culture that values Social Emotional Wellness (Greenberg & Abenavoli, 2016). Organizational
neglect in this area does not just impact the individuals within the organization, but the
organization as a whole (van Dick & Haslam, 2012). A 2008 British study estimated that close
to 175 million work days were lost to sickness in 2006; although reported work-related ill health
costs were exorbitant, nearly half of all U.K. organizations had no policy for managing health
and sickness in the workplace, and no proactive steps had been put in place to minimize the
impact (van Dick & Haslam, 2012). Educational organizations also appear to be ill-prepared for
dealing with the rising problems resulting from teacher stress. Research on district-wide systems
and structures to address stress in the workplace is extremely limited. Hawk and Martin (2011)
report that districts do not typically have stress management or reduction programs, leaving
educators to suffer silently or get help on their own.
Gaining popularity in both corporate and educational settings is professional development
in mindfulness-based practices and strategies. Corporate institutions such as Aetna, Google,
Target, General Mills, Facebook, Eileen Fisher, and Ford Motor Company provide mindfulness
training, resources, and support to employees (Gelles, 2015; Hunter, 2013). Schools have begun
to offer training in mindfulness for teachers to address stress, yet the numbers are relatively small
(Flook et al., 2013; Flook, Goldberg, Pinger, & Davidson, 2015). Mindfulness programs in
schools have been shown to foster teachers’ ability to focus awareness on the present moment in
a responsive, non-reactive way, strengthening their capacity to relate to themselves and others in
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a more kind and patient manner (Bishop et al., 2004). Additionally, mindfulness training
programs for teachers have shown to decrease stress, anxiety, and burnout while simultaneously
increasing empathy, forgiveness, and personal growth (Jennings et al., 2013).
It is critical for educational organizations to prioritize the implementation of initiatives
and interventions that address stress management and workplace wellness, and employee
participation in this process is vital (Aust & Ducki, 2004; Cox et al., 2000; Schröer & Sochert,
2000). Including employees in the planning and decision-making process can optimize the fit of
the intervention to the particular organizational model and setting (Lamontagne, Keegel, Louie,
Ostry, & Landsbergis, 2007). Giving employees the opportunity to participate empowers them,
gives them a voice, and can be considered an intervention in its own right (Nielsen, Randall,
Holten, & Gonzáles, 2012). In a 2007 study, which reviewed controlled studies of occupational
health interventions using employee participatory methods, eight of twelve found improvements
in health and well-being (Egan et al., 2007). This study explored what district cultural models
and settings influence teacher ability to strengthen SEW. Table 4 identifies organizational
influences as well as the proposed assessments.
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Table 4
Summary of Assumed Organizational Influences and Related Literature
Assumed Cultural Model or
Setting Related Literature
Cultural Model Influence 1:
There is a general resistance by
faculty to seek out assistance for
stress management or well-
being.
Organizations need to cultivate a
safe climate in which employees
feel a sense of belonging.
Burnard et al. (2007), Cankaya and Duman (2010), Dewe
et al. (2011), Galbraith et al. (2014), Gibbons (2010),
Kernan and Wheat (2008), Larrivee (2012)
Pines et al. (2012), Larrivee (2012), Maxfield and
Flumerfelt (2009)
Cultural Model Influence 2:
There is a culture of normalizing
excessive teacher stress as an
expected condition of the job,
and teachers are not given voice
to address it.
Organizations need to encourage
and create structures for teacher
voice in input, decision-making,
and feedback.
Black (2003), Boyle et al. (2012), Canadian Teachers’
Federation (2011), Collie et al. (2012), Dibbon (2004),
Ekundayo and Kolawole (2013), Fernet et al. (2012),
Fisher (2011), George and Brief (1992), Greenberg and
Abenavoli (2016), Hargreaves (2000), McCormick and
Barnett (2011), McCready and Soloway (2010), Rentner
et al. (2016), Schaefer et al. (2012), Skaalvik and
Skaalvik (2011), Somech and Ron (2007)
Cultural Model Influence 3:
There is reluctance by district
leaders to prioritize SEL.
Organizations need to
understand that Social Emotional
Learning for staff and students
strengthens both the individual
and organization, and establish it
as a priority.
Abry et al. (2013), Brackett et al. (2010), Castillo et al.
(2013), Civic Enterprises et al. (2013), Cohen et al.
(2009), Collie et al. (2012), Day et al. (2007), Durlak et
al. (2011), Dusenbury et al. (2015), Hakanen et al.
(2006), Jones et al. (2013), Kendziora and Yoder (2016),
Leung and Lee (2006), Ransford et al. (2009), Ross et al.
(2011), Scheopner (2010), Tyson et al. (2009), Yoder
(2015), Zhai et al. (2011)
Clark and Estes (2008), Gallimore and Goldenberg
(2001), Gutiérrez and Rogoff (2003), Rueda (2011),
Schein (2010)
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Table 4, continued
Assumed Cultural Model or
Setting Related Literature
Cultural Setting Influence 1:
There is a lack of meaningful
collaboration among staff.
Organizations need to create
structures to build meaningful
collaboration and connectedness
amongst staff.
Bakker et al. (2007), Brouwer et al. (2012), Cheng and
Ko (2009), Datnow (2011), Folkman and Moskowitz
(2004), Greenglass et al. (1997), Ingersoll and Strong
(2011), Jetten et al. (2012), Johnson et al. (2012), Jonas
(2001), Kelchtermans (2006), Kyriacou (2001), Plauborg
(2009), Rosengren et al. (1993), Scholastic and Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation (2013), Skaalvik and Skaalvik
(2011), Tajfel (1978), Tajfel and Turner (1979),
Vangrieken et al. (2015), Van Maele and Van Houtte
(2012), Visscher and Witziers (2004)
Clark and Estes (2008), Gallimore and Goldenberg
(2001), Gutiérrez and Rogoff (2003), Rueda (2011),
Schein (2010)
Cultural Setting Influence 2:
There is a lack of structures in
place within the organization
that specifically address and
support the social emotional
wellness of staff.
Organizations need to create
structures for strengthening staff
Social Emotional Wellness.
Aust and Ducki (2004), Bishop et al. (2004), Cartwright
and Cooper (2009), Cox et al. (2000), van Dick and
Haslam (2012), Egan et al. (2007), Flook et al. (2013),
Flook et al. (2015), Gelles (2015), Hunter (2013),
Greenberg and Abenavoli (2016), Hawk and Martin
(2011), Jennings et al. (2013), Lamontagne et al. (2007),
Nielsen et al. (2010), Schröer and Sochert (2000)
Clark and Estes (2008), Gallimore and Goldenberg
(2001), Gutiérrez and Rogoff (2003), Rueda (2011),
Schein (2010)
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Conclusion
ABC set an organizational goal of improving their capacity to help school districts
strengthen teacher resiliency to stress and strengthen Social Emotional Wellness. The purpose of
this research project was to evaluate the BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 courses to determine if they
affect teacher knowledge about strategies to strengthen SEW, teacher motivation to use the SEW
strategies, and the organizational influences that affect the use of those strategies. This chapter
provided a review of the literature pertaining to the knowledge of well-being and stress,
including impact on individuals and the organization. Additionally, literature addressing
motivational influences, specifically attribution theory and the construct of self-efficacy as it
relates to teacher stress has been presented. Finally, organizational influences, described through
the lens of cultural models and settings, that could assist or impede a district’s ability to achieve
the stakeholder goal have been highlighted and validated by related literature and research. To
validate the assumed KMO influences among teachers, a mixed method study was utilized, and
data was collected through surveys and interviews. The validation process will be described in
more detail in Chapter 3.
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences and solutions necessary to reach the goal of strengthened Social Emotional Wellness
(SEW). This chapter will discuss: conceptual frameworks guiding the study, methodology, data
collection instruments and protocols, data analysis, validity and reliability, and ethics.
Purpose of the Study
Teacher stress affects not only the physical and psychological health of the individual
teacher, but also the students, and the well-being of an organization itself. The purpose of this
study was to conduct a gap analysis to evaluate the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences and solutions necessary to reach the goal of strengthened Social Emotional Wellness
(SEW) for teachers. This goal is part of a more extensive set of goals, set by ABC Educational
Solutions (ABC) and partner district leaders, to develop, produce, and implement a Social
Emotional Wellness framework designed to help 100% of teachers cultivate well-being and
stress-resiliency. Currently, ABC does not have an SEW Framework to offer districts, so the
performance gap is 100%.
The study also sought to gain a deeper understanding of teacher perceptions of stress,
well-being, efficacy, and engagement. Extensive literature from the private sector and emerging
data from the field of education has shown that mindfulness-based interventions (Bishop et al.,
2004; Chang, 2009; Jennings et al., 2013; Roeser, 2014), Positive Psychology interventions
(Aelterman et al., 2007; Hattie, 2009; Seligman et al., 2009; Siu et al., 2014), as well as various
strategies from the fields of Social Emotional Learning (Bracket et al., 2010; Chang, 2009;
Collie et al., 2012; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Tyson et al., 2009; Zins et al., 2004) and
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Employee Engagement (Harter et al., 2006); have been shown to reduce stress and strengthen
SEW.
All educators could benefit from strengthened well-being and resiliency to stress. For
practical purposes of this study, however, the stakeholders of focus were teachers from three
school districts partnered with ABC Educational Solutions. Teacher stress is widely documented
in the literature, but not generally addressed as an organizational practice in public education.
Examining the individual and organizational influences that act to lower teacher stress or
exacerbate it was necessary to develop strategies and solutions that would lead to improved well-
being of teachers. If not addressed, teacher stress levels could remain high or possibly rise,
continuing the outcomes associated with teacher stress including absenteeism, teacher turnover,
and efficacy in the classroom, all of which take a heavy toll on student learning.
As such, the research questions designed to guide this study were:
1. What are the knowledge and motivational influences that impact teacher use of
strategies to strengthen Social Emotional Wellness as a result of participating in
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness and/or SEL 2.0?
2. What organizational influences interact with teacher knowledge and motivation to
affect teacher application of strategies for strengthening Social Emotional Wellness?
3. What are the recommended solutions to improve the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences necessary to build teacher capacity for strengthening Social
Emotional Wellness?
Conceptual Frameworks
Conceptual or theoretical frameworks, often considered interchangeable terms, are the
concepts, theories, and models that provide the underlying structure of the study, influencing the
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research process (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Conceptual frameworks include the ideas and
beliefs of the researcher, the perspective through which the study is conducted, beginning with
the generation of the “problem” of the study to the specific research questions, then on to data
collection and analysis techniques, as well as the interpretation of findings. Additionally, the
conceptual framework can provide a lens to help anticipate and interpret events, which
researchers must be mindful of, because it can both spotlight and disguise meaning (Maxwell,
2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This particular study used two conceptual models to guide its
data collection and analysis.
To begin, from personal experience, the researcher in this study personally understood
from first-hand experience that there was a gap in addressing teacher well-being. The researcher
served 13 years as a teacher, five years as a secondary assistant principal, and five years as a high
school principal before becoming an educational consultant. In addition to having a B.A. degree
in Psychology, an M.A. degree in Educational Leadership, and her current enrollment in an Ed.D
program in Organizational Change and Leadership, the researcher has also completed several
certification programs, and is a Life Coach, an SEL Leader, and a Mindfulness Instructor. This
educational and experiential background, together with the extensive research done for the
literature review in this study, provided the researcher with two conceptual frameworks in which
to view and understand the problem and approach the study.
First, the concept of Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) is influenced by the research-
based practices and strategies that are primary constructs in mindfulness, emotional
intelligence/SEL, and Positive Psychology. BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social
Emotional Wellness (BT) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) 2.0 were developed, created,
implemented, and facilitated based on the foundational beliefs, practices, and strategies that
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support SEW. In exploring the themes that emerged in the literature, the researcher found that
many of the elements that result in well-being outcomes also result in positive outcomes in other
fundamental areas essential to educational agencies: SEL of staff and students, employee
engagement, collective efficacy, retaining quality teachers, improved behavioral and academic
success of students, and positive school and organizational culture. Based on this discovery, the
researcher developed a framework known as the Virtuous Cycle of Social Emotional Wellness
(see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Virtuous cycle of social emotional wellness
School personnel are often overwhelmed trying to meet the expectations of several
different initiatives going on simultaneously. Instead of having one or two primary areas of
focus, attention and resources tend to be scattered thinly across many targets. Rather than
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continue in this manner, it would benefit districts to braid initiatives together, and put the
primary focus on one or two pertinent areas that will give them the most return, as illustrated in
Figure 2. When district leaders and teachers put both an individual and organizational focus on
strengthening SEW, which the figure shows is heavily influenced by SEL, Mindfulness, and
Positive Psychology, it results in individual and organizational well-being. As discussed
extensively in Chapter 2, many of the outcomes that occur as a result of well-being positively
impact the other areas in the figure: employee engagement, collective efficacy, retaining quality
teachers, improved student success, positive climate, and improved social-emotional
competences of staff and students. Building strength in one area also builds capacity in the
others, causing an upward spiral of positive outcomes. The synergistic results of each of these
are caught in a virtuous cycle, with each positive outcome affecting the positive outcome of the
other. By focusing on Social Emotional Wellness, individuals and organizations will gain so
much more. This Virtuous Cycle of SEW framework guides the study in looking at what skills to
build and what to assess.
The Gap Analysis model (Clark & Estes, 2008), is mentioned in Chapter 1 as the
methodological framework guiding this study (see Figure 1), in the review of literature in
Chapter 2, and, since it served as the second conceptual framework in this study, is discussed
again in this chapter. Although the roles of knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO)
influences on the stakeholders were examined individually, it is also necessary to note that these
three influences do not operate in isolation from each other (see Figure 3). Figure 3 illustrates
the assumed knowledge influences, motivation influences, and organizational influences that
literature suggests would be beneficial in strengthening SEW. Teacher knowledge and
motivation are critical, but these influences are also embedded in the organizational culture that
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site and district leaders create. The cultural models and settings of the organization can serve as
either resources, supporting teachers in building stress-resiliency, or as barriers, negatively
impacting teacher resilience. The three districts represented in this study had already
demonstrated a step toward cultivating SEW and resiliency to stress by offering BT and/or SEL
2.0. In addition to the organizational influences, the teachers must be able to acquire the
knowledge necessary to understand the impact of both well-being and stress, and the motivation
necessary to take individual action to strengthen their well-being. This study explored how
teacher knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences could interact together to cultivate
a climate conducive to achieving the goal of strengthening the Social Emotional Wellness of
teachers.
Figure 3. KMO conceptual framework for strengthening social emotional wellness in teachers
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Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis is a small, relatively new, educational services consulting firm, with
its main office located in Southern California. ABC Educational Solutions (pseudonym), serves
educational agencies (i.e., districts, county offices, Special Education Local Plan Area [SELPA]
offices) throughout the nation, though most of their current work is primarily in California. In
California, ABC serves 32 educational agencies, the majority of which are school districts,
predominately in the overarching area of School Climate. These clients, or partner districts,
work with ABC to develop policies, practices, and structures that make strengthening school
climate systematic and sustainable. ABC’s mission is “to optimize the life outcomes and
trajectory of marginalized youth by partnering with educational and social service agencies to
establish sustainable programs and structures, and provide training in the areas of behavior,
mental health, equity and social-emotional wellness.”
Recognizing the positive impact that teacher well-being can have on students, colleagues,
districts, and teachers themselves, ABC has prioritized building Social Emotional Wellness with
district partners. In addition to ABC being the unit of analysis as the external organization, the
three districts represented in this study, considered as internal organizations, were also taken into
account. Evaluating how the cultural models and settings of an individual district influences
outcomes in this study provided valuable information not only to the districts in the study, but
also to other districts, who can use the vicarious experience to guide decision-making.
Furthermore, the data collected and analyzed in this study produced results and findings that
shed light on the role that teacher knowledge and motivation play in strengthening SEW and
stress-resiliency, as well as how organizational influences of the districts were shown to help or
hinder the goal of strengthened SEW for teachers. In Chapter 5, recommendations supported by
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the literature and the results and findings in Chapter 4 will be discussed, so that it will be
applicable and beneficial to similar educational consulting firms as well as school districts across
the United States and around the world.
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholders in this study were teachers from three school districts in California that
are partner districts of ABC Educational Solutions. This population was selected purposefully,
based on the fact that all three districts offered at least one of the ABC Professional Learning
courses, BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness and/or Social
Emotional Learning 2.0 (SEL 2.0), in their districts. Two of the three districts are located in
Southern California, and are K-12 unified school districts. The third is a high school district
located in Central California. The research design of this study is a mixed method study, with an
emphasis on qualitative research. Qualitatively driven designs are ones in which the research
study is primarily a qualitative study, where the qualitative data is emphasized, but also includes
some quantitative data to supplement and improve the study by providing an added value
(Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, & Turner, 2007). This study gathered data through surveys and
interviews.
Survey Sampling Recruitment Strategy and Rationale
For qualitative studies, the most common method of choice is nonprobability sampling
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This is often referred to as purposeful sampling, and is used based
on the researcher’s goal to uncover information about what is occurring, understand perceptions
and implications of those occurrences, and examine the relationships that link occurrences best
learned from a particular sample (Honigmann, 1982; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Patton, 2015).
Maxwell (2013) suggests that the best individuals to provide insight to the research questions
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should be experts in the area in which the study seeks findings. Since the information sought
concerns the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences of teachers in these three
districts, the teachers were the experts best able to provide this information. Thus, the sampling
strategy for this study consisted of nonprobability and purposeful sampling.
An email invitation (Appendix B) was sent to all participants of BT and SEL 2.0 from the
three districts. The email provided information about the research study and invited the
participants to take part in a survey exploring the Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) of teachers.
A link to the survey was embedded in the email, so those willing to take part in the study could
click on the link and begin. The survey window was open for ten days. Five days following the
initial email, a reminder email about the survey was sent to the teachers as a strategy to increase
participant response rate.
This qualitative research design looked to understand the knowledge of SEW benefits and
strategies that BT and/or SEL 2.0 participants gained as result of taking the course, the
motivation they have to use those strategies, and the organizational influences that affect the use
of those strategies.
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Must be employee of District 1, District 2, or District 3. This study was
conducted with district partners of ABC that have offered BT and/or SEL 2.0, therefore all
participants must be employees of District 1, District 2, or District 3.
Criterion 2. Must be a teacher or educator who teaches and is employed by District 1,
District 2, or District 3. Although other stakeholder groups within these districts may also
experience stress and need to strengthen their Social Emotional Wellness (SEW), for the
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practical purposes of this study, participants must be teachers within District 1, District 2, or
District 3.
Criterion 3. Must be a teacher or educator who teaches and is employed by District 1,
District 2, or District 3 and who has completed at least one full year of employment within their
particular district. This survey was administered in Fall 2017, within the first few months after
the commencement of a new school year. New employees, embarking on their first year of
employment within a particular district, would not be able to provide data based on experience in
the district.
Criterion 4. Must have participated in BT or SEL 2.0. This study identified the
knowledge learned as a result of course participation, explored whether teachers had the
motivation to use strategies learned in the course, and considered organizational components
necessary to support teachers in utilizing the strategies learned to strengthen SEW. In order to
gain information and insight into these components, the participants had to have had the
opportunity to register for either BT or SEL 2.0.
Interview Recruiting Sampling and Rationale
Interviews are critical to gathering information that goes beyond a survey question.
Interviews provide the opportunity to gain insight to how people interpret the world around
them, and detailed feelings, thoughts, and perspectives as to why an individual answered a
survey question a particular way (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The interviews in this study were
designed to gain a deeper understanding of respondents’ knowledge, motivation, and
organizational factors that help or hinder their ability to cope with stress and/or strengthen their
Social Emotional Wellness. Like the survey selection, purposeful sampling was utilized when
selecting participants for the interviews. The interview sample consisted of: teachers employed
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by District 1, District 2, or District 3; employed for more than one year in their current district;
participated in BT and/or SEL 2.0; completed the survey; and agreed to participate. In the email
invitation that was sent out about the survey, participants were notified that if they were
interested in taking part in interviews, they could indicate that on the last question of the survey
or they could send an email to the researcher. Both of these methods were used by participants
who opted in for an interview. Ideally, the researcher would have preferred to interview a
selection of elementary, middle, and high school teachers with a range of years of experience,
but due to the voluntary nature of the interview recruitment, there was no way to control this.
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. All participants must be teachers or educators who teach and are employed
by District 1, 2, or 3 for one or more years, with one or more years of teaching experience. To
answer the survey questions, the respondents needed to have both teaching experience in general,
and in teaching in their respective districts. The researcher wished to spark rich dialogue about
participants’ teaching experience within their district, and what district resources and/or
structures assist or impede their efforts to strengthen their Social Emotional Wellness and
decrease stress.
Criterion 2. All participants must have met Criterion 1 and participated in BT and/or
SEL 2.0. This study examine the knowledge, motivational, and organizational components that
need to be in place for teachers to enroll in, attend, and/or complete all sessions of a Social
Emotional Wellness course within the district. To gain information and insight into these
components, the participants needed to have had the access and opportunity to participate in the
course.
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Criterion 3. All participants must have met Criteria 1 and 2 and been willing to
participate in the interview as part of the study. The teachers who participated in interviews did
so voluntarily.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
In order to explore the individual and organizational factors that contribute to
strengthening Social Emotional Wellness of teachers, this evaluation study examined how
participation in BT and/or SEL 2.0 impacts teacher well-being and resiliency to stress.
Specifically, this study evaluated the impact of BT and/or SEL 2.0 on teacher knowledge of well-
being practices and strategies, on the motivation to use the strategies, and the organizational
influences that affect the use of the strategies.
In order to obtain data that is relevant to answering the research questions, this study used
a data collection process that included a combination of a survey and interviews. Both
quantitative and qualitative data collections have their strengths and limitations, but using a
mixed method study, the researcher can combine the strengths of each type to develop a deeper
and more complete understanding of the research questions (Creswell, 2013). This study
followed an Explanatory Sequential mixed method design with a nested sample. This approach
is one in which the researcher begins with collecting and analyzing the quantitative data first and
then builds on the initial quantitative results with more detailed information gathered from the
qualitative data (Creswell, 2013). Initial steps were administering a survey to gather quantitative
data. Next, interviews were conducted with a select group of participants. Mixed method
studies add challenge and complexity but also allow for the triangulation of collected data,
adding to the overall trustworthiness, credibility, and validity of the study (Creswell, 2013).
Surveys
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For the purposes of this study, an email was sent to all participants of the BT and/or SEL
2.0 courses. The email explained the research study, and invited teachers to participate in a
survey exploring individual and organizational factors that impact stress, well-being, and
efficacy in the classroom, as well as engagement in the workplace. Anonymity of participants
was assured because it was done via online anonymous data collection. The link to the online
survey was embedded in the email. Qualtrics was utilized to administer and collect data for the
survey. The survey was written in English, and consisted of 64 items collecting demographic
data and assessing individual knowledge and motivational perspectives and items designed to
assess perspectives of organizational influence. Each statement was evaluated on a four-point
Likert scale ranging from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree,” with the exception of the
demographic items, which were either drop-down or open-ended response. Before conducting
the survey, the researcher obtained permission from the University of Southern California’s
Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Aligned with the conceptual framework for this study, the 58 non-demographic
statements in the survey were designed to gather information about the three categories of
influence on performance popularized by Clark and Estes (2008): knowledge, motivation, and
organizational (KMO). The survey assessed the KMO related to teacher stress and well-being
including: teachers’ factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge about stress
and SEW; and factors influencing teacher motivation such as self-efficacy and attribution.
Additional survey items explored organizational factors shown to influence workplace well-
being and employee engagement, including opportunities to: collaborate with colleagues,
connect with peers on a more personal level, be part of a climate in which their voice is valued,
feel that their work has purpose and meaning, and be provided opportunities to learn, grow, and
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demonstrate their strengths. A table of the Assessment Summary of KMO Influences and the
Survey Protocol can be found in Appendix B of this document.
The survey utilized for this study has not been validated and therefore is subject to
limitations. It is important to establish content validity of the survey, which ensures that the
survey items are measuring the knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors of the respondent, as well as to
demonstrate the reliability of the survey, which indicates that the items consistently measure
what they are designed to measure. In order to do this, a pilot survey was field-tested with a
group of BT and/or SEL participants who were not part of the stakeholder group in this study.
Pilot participants were asked to provide survey feedback, so that if necessary, items could be
edited to improve clarity and construction of the questions, format, and scales (Creswell, 2013).
No significant changes were made to the survey based on the feedback from the pilot group
participants.
Teacher participants were provided a 10-day window to complete the survey, allowing
participants ample time to complete it and giving the researcher a window to close the survey
data collection phase, review the data, and then begin the interview collection phase. A reminder
email was sent five days after the initial email to encourage and support participants to respond
in a timely manner. Two copies of the survey responses and survey results were maintained for
back-up purposes, one on the researcher’s password-protected laptop and the other in a secured
cloud-based program. Two years after the study has been completed, all copies of the interview,
transcripts, and identifiable information will be destroyed.
Interviews
The interviews were conducted either in person or online via the Zoom platform. Each
interview was scheduled for 60 minutes and began with an interview protocol that included
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obtaining participant permission to record the interview for later transcription and coding, as well
as an assurance of confidentiality. The interviews were conducted using the mixed informal and
formal interview style. The first 10 minutes of each interview was informal, designed for the
purpose of establishing rapport and a strong comfort level for the interviewee. An interview
guide was created for the semi-structured interview, and consisted of a majority of open-ended
questions and possible follow-up probes. This guide helped to ensure that there was consistency
in the questions asked to each participant, and that all topic areas were covered (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). Two copies of the interview and the coded transcriptions will be maintained for
back-up purposes, one on the researcher’s password-protected laptop and the other in a secured
cloud-based program. Two years after the study has been completed, all copies of the interview,
transcripts, and identifiable information will be destroyed. An example of the interview protocol
can be found in Appendix F of this document.
Data Analysis
Once the stakeholder surveys and interviews were completed, an analysis was conducted,
turning the raw data into initial reports, followed by synthesizing the findings. A data analysis
(Pazzaglia, Stafford, & Rodriguez, 2016) plan was prepared to map survey and interview items
to the KMO (Clark & Estes, 2008) conceptual framework.
Surveys
Once the survey window closed and thus all surveys completed, the researcher examined
the results in the data software program Qualtrics, and a descriptive analysis was conducted.
Most of the data collected was derived from four-point Likert scale items with options of
“strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree,” and report frequencies were the
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mode of analysis. Since the survey was conducted online via Qualtrics, data entry error was
minimal.
Interviews
All of the interviews were recorded and transcribed through Rev.com. After each
interview, the researcher went back and drafted analytic memos to document her observations,
reflections, and initial themes that tied to the KMO and Virtuous Cycle of Social Emotional
Wellness conceptual frameworks described in Chapter 2. The researcher also drafted several
analytic memos throughout the interview phase of the study, documenting her reflections,
observations, and the initial themes tied to the KMO and Virtuous Cycle of SEW conceptual
frameworks. According to Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014), analytic memos are useful
tools to both make meaning of the data and synthesize it. Self-reflection notes were also used in
conjunction with the analytic memos to explore possible limitations and biases of the researcher.
After reviewing the transcription documents, the responses were coded using a three-phase
approach. During the first phase, the researcher went through each interview transcript making
notes and highlighting any segment of the data that might be useful. This is often known as open
coding (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The second, or grouping phase, frequently referred to as
axial coding (Corbin, Strauss, & Strauss, 2015), consisted of going through the highlighted text
and notes, sorting and grouping items that seemed to go together. During the third phase, these
axial codes were analyzed to uncover patterns and themes. The findings from the analyzed data
were then synthesized and are presented in Chapter 4. Implications and recommendations based
on these findings are offered in Chapter 5.
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Credibility and Trustworthiness
Ensuring the credibility and trustworthiness of the study is paramount. To address these
concerns, the researcher utilized a number of strategies to confirm that the data was valid
including: collecting rich data through verbatim transcripts of interviews; respondent validation,
also known as member checks, asking respected colleagues and experts in the field to provide
feedback on the conclusions as a valuable way to identify any research bias or check for flaws in
methods and conclusions, and triangulation (Creswell, 2013; Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). Verbatim transcripts of each interview were obtained through Rev.com, as these are
critical to providing a rich, detailed, and accurate reporting, as well as to reduce researcher bias
that can result in noting only what he/she thought was significant (Maxwell, 2013). The
interview questions consisted of open-ended questions and all interviews were recorded with
participant permission. Additionally, this study used the strategy of member checking, or
respondent validation, one of the most effective ways to rule out the possibility of
misinterpreting the meaning of participants’ responses and their perspectives. A highly effective
way to counter researcher bias is to solicit feedback about the data and conclusions from the
participants themselves (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Therefore, the interview
participants were provided with a copy of their interview transcript so that they could affirm their
statements, and provide checks and balances to ensure accuracy. The triangulation of the survey
questions and interviews provided a deeper understanding of the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences addressed in the study. Additionally, to address the concern of
researcher bias, experts in the field were consulted to review the data and conclusions and offer
feedback. This strategy, in addition to utilizing the strategies of transcribing interviews, member
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checking, and triangulation were utilized to ensure that this study was both credible and
trustworthy.
Validity and Reliability
Validity in a quantitative research study examines how well a survey measures what it is
supposed to measure, and the evidence of validity is the accuracy of the interpretations of the
survey scores (Kurpius & Stafford, 2005). As this study is a mixed-method, it addressed both
quantitative and qualitative validity. In constructing the survey, the researcher ensured that the
survey items were constructed to measure the Knowledge, Motivational, and Organizational
influences related to stress, wellness, emotional intelligence/SEL, efficacy, and engagement.
Each of these items was also aligned with the research questions that served to guide the study.
Appendix B illustrates the alignment of the research questions with the survey and interview
questions. The qualitative validity ensures that the researcher checked for accuracy by following
certain procedures, while qualitative reliability indicates that the researcher’s approach was
consistent across different researchers and projects (Gibbs, 2008). For this study, the researcher
used a survey that has not been validated by other studies, but was constructed on the foundation
of measuring the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences on goal achievement
(Clark & Estes, 2008), and employee engagement, adapting a small number of items from two
scientifically validated scales: Employee Engagement Scale (Shuck, Adelson, & Reio, 2016),
and Teacher Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer, Schmitz, & Daytner; 1999). To strengthen validity
further, the survey was conducted with a pilot group to ensure that the questions were clear and
solicited the information needed to answer the research questions. Another component of
validity and reliability is the extent to which a study can be replicated or generalized, and how
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the findings of the study can be applied to other situations with similar groups of people
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
In a mixed methods study, the other instrument is the researcher. The qualitative
component of this study involved interviewing, and in that role, the researcher was the data
collecting instrument. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) stress the importance of investigators
explaining their biases and assumptions regarding the research to that the reader can have a
better understanding of the researcher perspective and how he/she may have arrived at particular
conclusions about the data. The researcher in this study is also the creator and facilitator of the
BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 courses, which could raise questions among readers of researcher
bias. However, the researcher had no vested interest to find false positive findings, as the goal of
the study was to evaluate and improve both the individual teacher’s capacity as well as their
district’s capacity to strengthen Social Emotional Wellness. To address this concern of bias, the
researcher had colleagues with expertise in the area of education, cognitive psychology, and
social emotional wellness review the findings.
It is important for participants to know that the researcher conducted this study to
understand the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that help or hinder teachers
in strengthening their Social Emotional Wellness. Strong validity in mixed methods studies can
be confirmed with a detailed account of how the study was conducted, how the data was
analyzed, and the researcher’s ability to account for the processes (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Role of the Investigator
When utilizing any type of qualitative study, the role of the researcher needs to be
considered, particularly what assumptions, biases, values, and previous life experience affect the
lens through which the study is viewed. The researcher in this study was a doctoral candidate at
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the University of California and a Senior Consultant with ABC Educational Consulting
Company located in southern California. Her job includes coaching, consulting, and providing
Professional Learning for educators in districts and other educational agencies throughout the
nation. Her areas of expertise include Social Emotional Learning, Emotional Intelligence,
Mindfulness, Growth Mindset, Restorative Practices, Workplace Wellness, and Positive
Psychology. She created both the BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional
Wellness and the SEL 2.0 courses specifically for educators. She is passionate about increasing
teacher well-being and stress-resiliency so teachers can have a greater capacity for meeting
student needs.
The researcher’s life, work experience, and interest in the subject matter could suggest
that some bias may have been brought to the study. It is important to know that despite best
efforts to be objective, these values and experiences may have influenced the lens in which the
data was viewed and analyzed. Rather than viewing this as a negative component of the study,
however, her passion, education, and experience can be viewed as an asset. During the BT and
SEL 2.0 courses, the researcher had the opportunity to establish rapport and trust with
participants, which may have served as additional motivation for them to participate in the study.
The researcher truly wanted to know the true and accurate answers to the research questions so
that she could use that information to strengthen the capacity of ABC, the districts in the study,
and her own capacity to strengthen the Social Emotional Wellness of educators. Being mindful
of the possible concerns of researcher bias, however, the researcher sought input from experts in
the field on their interpretation of the findings.
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Ethics
Conducting qualitative research provides an opportunity for the researcher to examine
and improve an area of practice through the process of exploring the insights and perspectives of
those being studied (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). It is important to remember, however, that
although qualitative research is often participatory in nature, as the researcher and participants
interact, collaborate, and develop relationships with one another in order to gain a deeper
understanding, it is still to some degree an intrusion into the lives of participants (Maxwell,
2013). Being mindful of this, it is important for researchers to carefully consider the ethical
choices they make to assure participant safety (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Guidelines for ethical research need to be clear and explicitly explained to participants and must
include informed consent with participant awareness that they have the ability to withdraw at any
point without penalty from the study, the right to privacy and confidentiality, and an emphasis on
avoidance of harm (Glesne, 2015).
Prior to the commencement of the study, the researcher submitted the study description
plan to the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board (IRB) for review, and
followed all IRB requirements, protocols, and guidelines in order to ensure the safety of the
participants. A copy of the IRB approval for this study can be found in Appendix I. Informed
consent forms were given and thoroughly explained to participants before initiating the research
study. All participants were reminded their participation in the study was voluntary, that they
could withdraw from the study at any point without penalty, and that their identities would be
kept confidential.
An email survey was sent to teachers in the three stakeholder districts who had
participated in the BT and/or SEL courses in order to gather initial data on teacher knowledge
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about stress and social emotional wellness (SEW) the motivation to use SEW strategies, and the
organizational influences on stress and well-being in the workplace. This survey was voluntary
and participants chose to participate or not without any penalty. Included with the survey email
was a study overview detailing the purpose and intent of the study, the ethical considerations, the
methods for gathering and analyzing data, and the disclosure of findings. The survey itself also
included a request for volunteers to participate in interviews after the initial survey data was
collected in order to elicit a deeper understanding of teacher needs in the areas of stress and
SEW. Participation in the interviews was voluntary. Prior to conducting the interviews, the
researcher was granted permission from participants to record the interview and also let them
know that the sessions would be transcribed. The researcher reminded the participants that their
names would be removed from the transcription and their identities would remain confidential.
An explanation was given to participants that no incentives would be offered for participation in
order to avoid the appearance of possible coercion. At the conclusion of the study, however, the
researcher sent participants a thank you note and gift card to demonstrate appreciation for their
participation. Additionally, participants were reminded that their participation may help uncover
and understand what is needed to address teacher stress and strengthen Social Emotional
Wellness in their district and other districts.
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CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences and solutions necessary to reach the goal of strengthened Social Emotional Wellness
(SEW) for teachers. Specifically, this study looked to evaluate the outcomes of participation in
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness or SEL 2.0 to determine what
knowledge teachers would have to improve their SEW, what motivation they would have to use
the learned strategies and practices, and what organizational influences would interact with the
teacher knowledge and motivation to affect teacher application of these strategies. This
information will be utilized to develop, produce, and implement a Social Emotional Wellness
framework designed to help teachers cultivate well-being and stress-resiliency. Currently, ABC
does not have a SEW Framework to offer districts, so the performance gap is 100%. Stress and
diminished well-being is a global problem of practice and it is important to address because it
impacts teachers, the organizations they work for, and most importantly, the students they are
committed to serve.
During this study, two types of data were collected to validate the assumed influences.
Quantitative data was collected in the form of surveys, and qualitative data was collected in the
form of interviews. This chapter has been organized to report on the findings through the
categories of assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. Each section will
discuss and synthesize the results from the survey first, followed by the findings of the
interviews, and then the chapter will close with a summary. Chapter 5 will explore the
implications and provide recommendations.
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Demographics of Study Participants
The primary stakeholder group for this study was made up of teachers from three
participating districts who attended either BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social
Emotional Wellness or Social Emotional Learning 2.0. Both courses were open to all educators,
and had teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, as well as site and district administrators in
attendance. The email went out to all participants specifically inviting teachers to participate in
the study by taking part in the survey and/or interview. Of the 135 teachers who received the
email invitation, 57 participated in the survey, and 16 volunteered to take part in the interview
process. Figure 4 shows that a majority, or approximately 70%, of those taking part in both the
survey and interview had been with their organization over ten years, with 22 survey participants
reporting 11–15 years, and 18 participants reporting 16+ years. Figure 5 shows that 16 of the
survey participants were from District A, 30 were from District B, and 7 were from District C.
Of the 16 interview participants, 4 of the interview participants were from District A, 8 from
District B, and 4 teachers from District C. Figure 6 shows the breakdown of the survey
participants: 51% were BREATHtaking participants, 35% were SEL 2.0 participants, and 14%
reported participating in both courses.
To protect anonymity, each of the interview participants was referred to by the course
they took (either BT or SEL) followed by R+corresponding interview number (i.e., BT-R1, SEL-
R3). Quotes pulled from the interviews will be inserted into the appropriate section that
addresses that knowledge, motivation, or organizational influence.
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Figure 4. Number of years with current district
Figure 5. Course enrollment
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Figure 6. Survey participants by district
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
Surveys and interviews looked to examine what knowledge participants gained as a result
of taking either course. Specifically, questions were asked to discover what conceptual
knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge participants had in the area of
stress and well-being. Each of these three areas is addressed in this section and includes results
from the survey and interview as well as themes that emerged during the interview process.
Figure 7 shows the overall survey results for relevant questions correlating to knowledge
influences.
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Figure 7. Knowledge influences
Factual/Conceptual Knowledge: Teachers Need to Know the Effects of Stress and Well-
being on Health and Teaching Practice
In order to understand the importance of addressing stress and well-being, teachers need
to have knowledge of the impact of stress on their physical and emotional health as well as on
their professional performance. Figure 8 illustrates that 100% of responders on the survey
agreed with the following statements related to conceptual knowledge: I know how stress
impacts physical health; I know how stress impacts psychological health; A teacher’s ability to
cope with stress impacts his/her efficacy in the classroom. This confirms that after taking
BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0, 100% of teachers surveyed feel they have a strong knowledge
background on stress and well-being.
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Figure 8. Conceptual knowledge after BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0
Two themes emerged from the interview data: stress impacts teaching practice and
emotions affect student learning. Interview data supported participant knowledge of stress and
well-being as well, validating this influence.
Stress impacts teaching practice. Interviewees were asked about the impact of stress on
one’s teaching practice. The overall responses showed that 100% of interviewees understood the
effects of stress. The sub-themes related to stress impacting teaching practice included teachers’
emotions being contagious and negatively impacting students and teachers unable to perform at
their best when under stress. BT-R7 explained how her nervousness, anxiety and stress can
cause her eczema to flare up and then said, “BREATHtaking is one of the best strategies I’ve
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used to help manage my nervousness, my anxiety, my stress.” She added how since beginning
the BREATHtaking course, she has committed to ten minutes of daily mindfulness meditation to
focus on her well-being and manage her stress. Likewise, BT-R8, a teacher also suffering from a
chronic illness, said, “I know that it is incredibly important for me to learn how to handle stress
in the best way possible because stress hurts us both physically and mentally.” She added the
impact of stress on teaching:
Well I think if you go into the classroom and you’re stressed, I would hope that my
students wouldn’t pick up on that, but to say that they never would is unrealistic . . . you
can’t create a welcoming calming environment if students can already tell that you’re
upset. And sometimes when you’re upset, of course you’re short with people that don’t
deserve that, and I don’t think our students, any students deserve that.
SEL-R7 had a similar response, saying, “You have to take care of yourself. Because if you don’t
take care of yourself, it comes into your classroom. You become bitter. You become angry.
You pick on the kids.”
Several of the secondary teachers mentioned that when teachers are stressed out by one
period of classes, they too often take it out on the following period(s). SEL-R4 shared his
personal experience:
I know when I’m stressed, it manifests itself in a not productive way toward my students.
So let’s say my fifth period has really irritated me and so, now I’m triggered and I have to
go into sixth period and I haven’t had any time to decompress. Someone might make a
joke in sixth period, but it just rubs me the wrong way because I’m still mad at fifth
period. It’s like I take it out on them when they didn’t do anything wrong. But I know
when I’m kind of in that good place, it’s easy, free flowing.
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SEL-R2, a teacher with over 17 years of teaching experience, emphasized, “If you’re not
in a calm place, and you don’t have the skills to deal with it, and even with years of teaching
experience . . . there are times that I was, like, you know, lost it.”
SEL-R1 pointed out that it is difficult to help others when you aren’t able to help
yourself, saying, “If your life is falling apart, it’s hard to go and give to other people.” Similarly,
SEL-R5 said, “If you don’t have ways to calm yourself down, all that stress and all that craziness,
you take it to the classroom and the kids just feed off of it.” BT-R2 stated, “Stress impacts all of
your performance. The more stressed you are, the less well you perform.” BT-R1 shared:
I feel like the more stressed I am, the less patient I am. And when you’re talking about
being in a classroom with 32 eight and nine-year-olds, patience is important. Because,
they all need it and deserve it for different things. Whether it’s their own emotional well-
being or whether it’s their academic well-being. So, I would say it’s usually important.
Yeah, stress affects everything. It affects how I deliver things. My attitude. And then,
that then affects how they’re gonna learn something because when they see that I’m
excited about it, their more likely to learn it. So, there’s a big correlation between the
success of a child and the teacher’s well-being.
BT-R7 shared how emotional contagion takes place in the classroom: “The kids play off
of the teacher. If I’m having a good day, the chances are the students are gonna have a good day.
And, vice versa. So, it’s a big deal.” BT-R5 reiterated the danger of negative emotional
contagion, and stated the importance of taking care of self to be a better teacher:
If you’re stressed, then you’re usually flustered, running around, maybe not as organized,
and when you only have students for 53 minutes, every minute needs to be organized and
on target or the kids are going to suffer. If you personally have stress, then you can’t be
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as effective teacher as possible. If I have stress energy, they’re going to have stress
energy.
This sentiment was endorsed by every interview and survey participant.
In looking through the lens of well-being, participants understood the benefits and
positive impact it can have. SEL-R1 shared:
When a teacher understands the importance of social-emotional wellness, for themselves
and their students, they understand how to tap into that to engage that in their students.
Then, because you’ve done that, the students respond — they know that you care about
them just as a person first. So then, students wanna care more about your class and about
doing good.
Similarly, SEL-R3 shared how because teaching can be such a stressful job, having the
ability to manage stress is necessary. She added:
Also, to be as effective in your job as possible I think you need to have not just stress
management but I think it’s important to take care of yourself and be proactive. I think
wellness is a vital part of being a good teacher.
Although most interview participants had some prior knowledge about how stress negatively
impacts health, many of the interview participants were candid about how the course had helped
them develop a new, heightened awareness of how stress and well-being impact teaching
practice.
Emotions and stress impact student learning. Positive emotions such as joy,
contentment, acceptance, and trust can enhance learning, memory, and social behavior, and
conversely, negative emotional states such as anger and sadness can impair motivation and one’s
ability to learn. SEL-R1 shared how learning about the brain really helped her understand the
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impact of emotions on behavior and learning. After practicing the hand model of the brain as a
metaphor for when the amygdala gets triggered and “flips its lid” sending the brain into fight,
flight, or freeze mode, she was able to realize:
. . . how your brain doesn’t even logically think when you’re at such a heightened state.
That was super helpful for me in understanding my son, because he just flips his lid. And
then I get mad at him, he doesn’t logically think. That helps me with my own child.
SEL-R4 also described how helpful the neuroscience is, both for his own understanding and for
sharing with his students about how emotions are the driving force of the brain:
Seeing kids get triggered between one sentence and the next sentence and realizing, wait,
they’re so out of . . . the emotion has taken over so much right now, I can’t even address
it with them. I need to let them relax for a second before I bring it up. And so, being
able to teach that to the students like, ‘This is why sometimes, you make bad decisions,
because you’re overwhelmed and so, you just do whatever instinct feels good at the time
and it doesn’t always turn out.’
He went on to say how his students are really understanding the connection between their
emotions and behavior.
Procedural Knowledge: Teachers Need to Know How to Develop Strategies for
Strengthening Well-being and Stress Resiliency
Survey results indicate that 91% of respondents agree that they are able to effectively
cope with stress, and 86% of participants agree that they use research-based strategies to
strengthen their well-being (Figure 9). Interview participants were asked about the new
knowledge or strategies they had learned to strengthen their well-being and stress-resiliency as a
result of taking the course. Interview findings also confirmed a positive knowledge of strategies
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and how to use them, and the most common themes which emerged regarding strategies
included: learning how to be a “better human,” improving relationships (in general), improving
relationships with students, learning mindful breathing practices, learning to be present, learning
how to replace automatic negative thoughts, learning self-care and self-compassion practices,
learning how to strengthen positive emotions such as gratitude and kindness, learning how to
strengthen empathy, and finally, learning how to forgive.
Figure 9. Procedural knowledge
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Learning how to become a better human. An unexpected and interesting theme that
came out of the interviews around the knowledge influence, was that in addition to learning
strategies to help them improve their teaching practice, they learned to become a “better human.”
Four of the teachers specifically used the words “human” and “person” to describe how they had
grown, while others echoed the sentiments with less direct language. They shared how it was
different than most teacher trainings which primarily focus solely on helping students. SEL-R1
shared:
It’s unlike any other training where you go and you just learn a cool something. I don’t
think I’ve ever had a workshop that’s impacted me, personally. I feel like it helps you,
it’s kinda weird to say, but it kinda helps you be a better human being. So whether that’s
in your personal life or work, it’s necessary everywhere.
Similarly, SEL-R7 added, “I think it has purpose and meaning. I think this is something you can
take into your personal life.” SEL-R6 echoed that sentiment, saying about the course, “It
definitely taught me new things. It reminded me of things I had forgotten about being a teacher
and a person in general.”
Several of the interviewees made the connection between the courses and a direct impact
on their well-being. BT-R6 shared:
I think the course improved my well-being in a really huge way. Because I don’t think
really too effectively, even if we think we can, we can’t really compartmentalize personal
and professional life very well, and so this has increased my overall wellbeing as a
human and my ability to deal with the things that make life challenging, and help me to
deal with stress all around.
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BT-R3 drew the connection to her personal life as well, saying, “It improved my well-being a lot.
It helped me just kind of take care of myself first.”
Learning how to improve relationships. Poor relationships with colleagues,
administrators, and students may lead to increased teacher stress and lower job satisfaction
(Kyriacou, 2001; Van Maele & Van Houtte, 2012). Thus, learning how to improve relationships
would likely lower stress and build resiliency. Many participants shared that utilizing the
strategies learned in BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 enhanced their interactions and relationships
with others, evidenced by statements such as this one from BT-R6 when sharing about the
benefits she experienced from practicing mindfulness: “I just realized that there’s not really
much of a relationship, a close relationship that it doesn’t impact.” When SEL-R1 was asked
how she would describe the SEL 2.0 course to other teachers, she replied:
It helps you learn how to relate to your students, just as well as to other people. Co-
workers too. Just learn how to connect with them. So you can get to know them as a
person, which will in turn make your classroom instruction go so much more smoothly.
Just in general make your life as a teacher be more . . . I would say, easier, smoother,
more enjoyable.
SEL-R4 reflected on how he has shifted his thinking to better understand other people’s
perspectives and has realized that they may not handle things in the same way he likes to. He
shared how in particular, he has changed his thinking and response to others who are
experiencing difficult moments. Whereas in the past he would push them and continue to ask
them what is wrong because he enjoys solving problems, he now understands that they may need
a moment or two of space and solitude, and so he allows them to have that. He added that
having that new understanding about people has been very beneficial. The discussion about
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empathy for others, of learning to try to see things from another’s perspective came up from
several different participants in several different areas of the interviews.
Learning how to improve relationships with students. The importance of a positive
adult in a student’s life has been highlighted for years among educators. SEL-R1 describes how
since taking SEL 2.0, she has started doing check-ins with her students so that they know she is
interested in them and cares about them:
You often hear, ‘That teacher doesn’t care, or they don’t ever ask how I’m doing.’ I start
off my classes in French, but I say, ‘How are you doing?’ And I take a minute to listen to
what they say, and catch the vibe for the room, before I move on with my lesson.
She described how students answer in French and she may teach them new words to express
their emotions, and if they are stressed, she may ask them what the stress is about, and that this
quick display of interest, empathy, and interaction has meant a lot to her students. She stated:
I just take a minute, you know, not long, and I find out, they got five mid-terms that week
or whatever. I don’t change my lesson, usually, but I think just because I heard them say
they’re stressed and I’m like, ‘Yeah, that would be really stressful.’ And then we move
on. It’s fine. It took like two seconds, you know.
SEL-R7 also was drawn to building connections to students. She shared that in
describing the SEL 2.0 course to other teachers, she would say, “It would be avenues to get to
know your students. It’s getting to know your students but it’s not putting you, as the teacher, up
on a pedestal. Making you human.” Later in the interview, she came back to the same idea, and
described how on Veteran’s Day she brought in pictures of herself and her father during their
time in the military. She broke down crying in front of the students and they were surprised to
see her cry because they think of her as strong. She shared, “I think when a teacher does that, it
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makes the trust better. It makes it stronger. It makes it real. You’re not just this superficial
person.” She shared that SEL 2.0 has given her new strategies to build relationships: “I’m trying
to find other ways to get into the head of my students and find ways to open them up so they start
talking.”
Learning how to do mindful breathing practices. Both courses put an emphasis on the
importance of mindful breathing. Participants were taught simple breathing exercises like
inhaling as if they are smelling flowers, and exhaling as if they are blowing out candles. Another
strategy, called 4-7-8, involves inhaling for four counts, holding the breath for seven counts, and
exhaling slowly out of the nostrils for eight counts. Every interview participant commented on
the helpfulness of mindful breathing. Many said that the breathing helped them to get calm,
improve their focus, and their ability to stay in the present moment. BT-R3 shared how
important this skill would be for new teachers: “Teaching is stressful for me. So I can only
imagine a first year teacher trying to learn to juggle stuff, and so if they could just take time, and
you know, go in their room and breathe for two seconds.” A similar response came from BT-R5:
“Learning about deep breathing or taking ten for myself, even though I don’t do it on an
everyday basis, it’s there in the back of my head, which makes my day go better.”
Some teachers shared stories of how they use mindful breathing in the middle of
challenging situations, both at home and at work. BT-R1 uses the breathing techniques to deal
with stressful situations with her own kids:
I use the breathing techniques not to fly off the handle when I’m driving from one place
to the other. Like, ‘Mom, I forgot my baseball hat.’ And we’re on the way to the
baseball game and I want to lose my marbles. On the baseball hat. Take my deep
breaths. ‘Okay, being five minutes late is not going to be a big deal. We’re gonna go get
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it.’ Or, ‘You’re gonna have a consequence today. Let your coach know you don’t have
your hat.’
This statement shows how participants are able to generalize the skills they learn into their
personal lives, demonstrating that there is a clear transfer of learning. BT-R4 discussed how
when she gets anxious, she uses mindful breathing to help herself and the impact she will have
on her students: “You just have to let it go and just take some deep breaths. It’s just something
that you do for yourself and to help your kids even better.” SEL-R2 reflected, “If I don’t center
myself at the beginning of the day, then I’m not really ready for what’s gonna come at me on a
typical teaching day.”
BT-R9 shared she also uses the mindful breathing when she is feeling stressed: “Just
trying to take time to breathe and just do some of the deep breathing that you taught us, pausing
and clearing my mind because I do get super, super maxed out.”
Sharing how to do the mindful breathing practices with friends, family, and students
came up during several interviews. BT-R1 discussed the importance of mindful breathing: “The
breathing comes in with almost everybody that I come into conversation with. My son, my
middle son, who has a hard time sleeping at night. He lays in bed and you know, we have done
the breathing techniques together.” SEL-R1 also practiced the mindful breathing techniques with
her family: “The mindfulness, the breathing, I do that daily. I brought that to my husband, and
that’s . . . you know, there’s a lot of things I’ve learned that have affected my personal life and
work life.”
When asked what new knowledge or skills do you have as a result of taking the course,
several participants answered about the mindful breathing first. BT-R8 said:
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Okay so first and the easiest one is just to breathe, like breathing which seems so simple
but you know it’s not, like to stop and just breathe. And I can literally, when I start to
worry and I take that deep breath, and I slowly let it out, I can literally feel like the kind
of calm take over my body. So breathing and just being able to stop the wheels of panic,
stop them before they get going.
SEL-R4 disclosed how the mindful breathing has helped in learning how to respond rather than
impulsively react:
Mindfulness, first and foremost, ‘cause now it’s like when I interact with my husband and
he’s freaking out, I’m like, ‘Look, just take a breath. Think about it for a second, and
then move on.’ Or, if we’re having an argument or if he does something to annoy me, I
can take a breath before I just react. And the same with the colleagues, it allows me that
second to get my emotions in a spot where I’m ready to make an informed decision.
BT-R7 uses a cell phone app to engage in mindful breathing for ten minutes each day, and
describes how that has been beneficial:
I’ve got to focus back on what neuroscience says about if you’re going to dedicate at least
ten minutes a day you’re going to have your brain focused. It will eliminate stress and
anxiety and depression. When things are stressful, like a very challenging class, it just
really reiterates how important that mindset and BREATHtaking is as a teacher.
Teachers also verbalized that they have found it valuable to model and teach their students
mindful breathing. BT-R2 stated that teachers can model for students how to operate under stress
by showing them that they can pause and take a deep breath.
Learning how to be present. One lesson that is taught during both courses is learning to
be “where your feet are.” Participants reflected on how multi-tasking, technology, and a mind
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full of thoughts can often distract them from just being fully present in the moment at hand.
Multi-tasking can cause people to miss savoring moments of joy or happiness, and it can cause
them to be disengaged from conversations and/or experiences with students, colleagues, friends,
and family. BT-R7, who is diagnosed with ADD, shared how she has struggled with her mind
being “all over the place.” She said: “Being in the moment is really challenging for me, but I
really have taken that in, saying, ‘Enjoy this moment. Don’t wander.’” BT-R1 remembered how
the discussion on just fully enjoying a meal, or being present on the drive home stood out to her,
and how she has really worked on being fully engaged in the present moment:
I think what I brought back to the classroom, the biggest thing was the breathing
techniques . . . just refocusing our energy on what we need to be focused on at that time
and not be thinking about whatever else. I feel like the breathing really helps that. And
right now, our world is very unstable with a lot of people being very nervous about
everything that’s going on. It sure would be nice if we could just be mindful about the
given moment, right? All the time. All of us. But, it takes practice and you do a good
job of teaching us how to practice that.
SEL R-5 revealed how the practice of being fully present has impacted both her and her students:
I guess now I’m able to stop what I’m doing and to be present for them. I think that is the
hugest thing, is because I realize the importance of being present. I think that that is what
is challenging about teaching I’d have to say, because you can go in and you can do auto
mode, and you can go, go, go, go. The difference of being present and being actually in
the conversation with kids, and not just carry on . . . I believe that that’s made a huge
difference. Just being where my feet are.
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Learning how to replace automatic negative thoughts. Automatic negative thoughts,
also known as ANTs, cause us to ruminate about unhealthy, often untrue, thoughts. This concept
is discussed in both courses. Participants expressed that they are surprised at how often they
engage in these automatic negative thoughts, and just the awareness of them has helped them to
reflect and replace the ANTs with healthier, more positive, and more accurate thoughts, eliciting
far more positive results. BT-R4 shared her a-ha moment of learning that having a thought does
not necessarily mean that it is true:
I think one of the biggest things was the visualizations and then also the automatic
negative thoughts and thinking about those, just not even realizing that we have them and
they come in and they can consume us and I think that was one of the hugest things, is
understanding that just because you have a thought, that doesn’t mean that it’s true or just
because someone said something about you doesn’t make it true. It’s just words.
BT-R6 agreed that learning about ANTs as well as self-compassion had been beneficial to her:
I think self-compassion was really huge because I started to really over assign negative
traits to myself. So self-compassion was a big piece and then I know I mentioned ANTs,
but ANTs was huge for me, automatic thoughts was huge, it was huge, huge.
Learning how to prioritize self-compassion and self-care. The concept of self-care
and self-compassion really appeared to resonate with the BREATHtaking participants in
particular. In fact, 100% of them referred to self-compassion and/or self-care as being a primary
factor in building their stress-resiliency. BT-R3 said that when she notices a knee-jerk reaction
coming in response to continuous negativity from a couple of co-workers:
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I remind myself to breathe, and that I can’t fix it. And, that I need to take care of me
first, and once I can take care of me and control it, then I can help others with whatever
they need.
A similar response came from BT-R5 who simply stated, “I need to take care of myself.” SEL-
R3 also affirmed the importance of taking time to engage in self-care:
Overall I think I have a pretty good well-being. I’m a lot more aware of taking time for
myself now than I used to be. Where I probably didn’t think about it before, now I can
tell myself, ‘Okay, I probably could’ve taken a couple of hours for myself.’ I probably
would feel better if I did. I’m just more aware.
When asked how she would describe the BREATHtaking course to others, BT-R2 told the
interviewer that she would emphasize that it is about taking care of yourself first. She said, “I
would initially describe it as self-care. I’m a big believer in adult’s self-care and being able to
manage their own behavior, because they have a bigger impact on their students.” BT-R8
reiterated the importance of taking care of yourself as well as stressing that it is vital to take time
for yourself:
One of the things that I took away from your course was that you shouldn’t, and I have
learned not to . . . feel guilty to take time for myself. Taking this class reinforced that I’m
no good for anyone if I can’t and don’t take care of myself and that means to stop, and
that means to breathe and to consider my feelings instead of everyone else’s. And in the
end it really helps everyone else even that much more.
BT-R1 also discussed self-compassion as a stand-out strategy for strengthening well-
being. She revealed that she notices her ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) more now, and
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engages in self-reflection and positive self-talk to shift her thinking. When she was asked which
of the course topics stood out the most to her, she replied:
The self-compassion one. I’m pretty terrible to myself. And I remember you bringing up
like, ‘We look in a mirror all the time. And we say terrible things to ourselves that we
would never say to another human being. Yet, there we are.’ And I have consciously . . .
I still do it, I’m not gonna lie and be like, ‘Oh, I never do that anymore,’ but at least I
think about it now.
BT-R4 added how she appreciated the reminder of the metaphor of putting on her own
oxygen mask first, like she would during a crisis on an airplane. That, in order to take care of the
students, she must first prioritize taking good care of herself, “putting your own mask on before
helping everyone else was the big thing.”
Learning how to strengthen positive emotions such as gratitude and kindness.
Gratitude has been the topic of extensive research in the field of positive psychology. A report
released by Harvard Medical School supports the concept of gratitude as a strategy for resilience
and discusses the research that shows gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish
good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships
(MacDonald, 2011). Dr. Robert Emmons suggests that gratitude be added to the list of factors
that have been acknowledged as sources of resilience, including social support, a sense of
meaning and purpose, autonomy, and optimism, which were also highlighted in Chapter 2
(Emmons, 2007). Additionally, kindness has also been shown to strengthen well-being.
Evidence has shown that individuals who are encouraged to count the acts of kindness they show
toward others (Otake, Shimai, Tanaka-Matsumi, Otsui, & Fredrickson, 2006) and those who
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perform more acts of kindness (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005) report increased levels
of happiness and positive mood.
Interviewee responses aligned with gratitude and kindness as strategies for resilience and
well-being. When asked what course topics stood out to them, BT-R6 said, “Gratitude journal
was huge.” BT-R8 shared that during the session on character strengths, she discovered gratitude
was her top strength, and the impact of it really resonated with her. She described it as hitting
her like a thunderbolt, that all these years she knew she was appreciative of what was good in her
life and did not spend time focusing on the bad, but she did not realize that she was actually
demonstrating the strength of gratitude. She shared that now she feels gratitude is her secret to
well-being, and described that discovery as “huge.”
Several teachers also expressed how they took the lessons they learned about gratitude
into the classroom. SEL-R1 shared that not only was gratitude an important factor for her
personally, but that she has brought it in to use with her students, saying, “We’ve done a focus
on being grateful for the classified staff, trying to reach out and write staff who don’t seem to get
recognized as much.” BT-R7 had a similar response:
I took to the kindness and gratitude because I know when I was in a depression that what
got me out of it was doing daily gratitude journals. I took it and applied it in my
classroom. We did a kindness challenge last year. We did gratitude journals in my class.
SEL-R2 shared a story of a gratitude lesson that she did with seniors in her AVID class, a
college prep elective. She could not believe the emotional response and level of engagement that
the students had in the assignment. The students were asked to write a letter to someone that
they were really grateful for, explaining in detail what that person meant to them and what they
were grateful for, and reading the letter to them over the phone:
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So this is third period, in the middle of the school day, and kids started bringing out their
phones, and making these phone calls, and I had kids go outside the room, and it was
during class-time, so there was nobody else out. And there were kids crying all in my
room, out the door, but oh, my, gosh, it was such a profound experience.
Similar to SEL-R2, SEL-R6 shared her personal experience from an ongoing focus on
gratitude that she does with her college prep elective class called Link Crew:
We have thankful Thursday. So they’ve written a thank you note, I think with the
exception of twice since we’ve started school, every Thursday to somebody. Some kids
have even been, ‘Can I have this mailed to a teacher I had at another school?’ We’ve
done a lot of gratitude.
SEL-R6 also shared how she is always looking for ways to get students involved in
kindness projects and that she and her colleagues started a kindness club on campus to encourage
students to make kindness contagious. Another participant, SEL-R2, focused on kindness in her
class as well:
We did a lot of kindness projects, we made that a big unit in my class, and that was so
fun. Besides the kids being challenged to do five random acts of kindness, and photo-
documenting it, and sharing it, that was an assignment, each class had to do a
collaborative activity, and they all had to be different. So, we surprised a security guard
with a gift basket, and a big sign that they put on her little golf cart.
She also added that she started the first Kindness Club in the district last year, and that this year
new Kindness Clubs have started up at least three other district schools.
Learning how to enhance empathy. Empathy, or acknowledging the perspective of
another, can help a person make better sense of others’ behavior, resulting in a calmer mood,
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improved interactions with others, as well as more successful relationships and careers (Allard et
al., 2016). Emotional empathy toward others has been shown to strengthen well-being (Wei,
Liao, Ku, & Shaffer, 2011). BT-R9 recalled how the session which covered empathy had made a
powerful impact in her life:
I feel like it was kind of eye opening just to . . . I don’t know. I feel like in the class we
really talked about just other people’s feelings and, I don’t know, taking pause. I feel like
that’s something that was good for me. I feel like it gave me more skills to think about
where other people are coming from, and it caused me to not be so quick to react to a lot
of things, both at school and at home, and even in my marriage, and to just think about
the other person’s perspective and process for a minute before reacting. I think that’s
something that I can continually work on.
When asked if she had used that skill recently, she replied that she had used it the night before
after her and her husband got in a difference of opinion discussion about cleaning the house:
I think normally I would blow up at that and then it would just become a big fight. He
said it and I bit my tongue and I was like, okay, I think he’s feeling stressed about having
people over too. He walked outside to do something and I just breathed and let it go. We
were able to just resolve the issue without having it be a blowout.
SEL-R1 expressed an appreciation for the empathy-building strategies as well: “You know, the
idea of really trying to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. For a while, I didn’t . . . I would
just kind of react and be annoyed, be frustrated, be whatever.”
One of the key lessons on empathy shared in both courses involves the idea that it is hard
to hate someone once you know their story, and the lesson stresses the importance for people to
discover others’ stories. SEL-R5 shared how the sessions on empathy and kindness had been so
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powerful for her that she felt compelled to teach it to her students: “If they think we can
understand, if we know where somebody comes from, we know their story, we can’t hate them.
It’s hard to be mean to somebody that you know their story.” She went on to describe the impact
that empathy has had on her class: “The class is pretty protective of each other. It’s interesting,
and it’s just because they’re able . . . they can empathize. They just heard peoples’ stories, they
had no clue.”
Many of the interviewees became emotional when sharing personal stories about changes
they had seen in themselves, their families, and their students. When SEL-R1 shared about the
impact of empathy, she got very emotional when she recalled the memory of a student in her
class who had been crying in her class:
So, I had this girl crying in my class, and she was in the back corner. So, the moment I
had a break from instruction, I went back there and I was like, ‘Are you okay?’ And she
was like, ‘Yeah. I’m fine, I’m fine.’ And I was like, ‘Okay,’ and I said, ‘You can step
outside if you need a moment more, you know, like a bigger moment.’ And at the end of
class, she was like, ‘You know, I have been crying all day long.’ And I had her sixth
period. She’s like, ‘And you’re the first teacher to notice that I’ve been crying.’ And
she’s like, ‘You’re the only one who cares.’ She gave me a thank you note this week,
and when I’m doing anything, she is so attentive. I think it’s probably just because I met
that need for her and I understood.
Throughout the interviews, there was a common theme of participants taking to heart the
lessons on empathy, perspective-taking, learning others’ stories, and helping others to feel “felt”
or understood. The interviewer also observed that interviewees did not seem to want to give a
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quick response to any of the questions, but rather wanted to share their stories — stories of self
and students.
Another aspect of empathy that is discussed is based on the work of Brene Brown, and
teaches the idea of rather than trying to fix things people or find the silver lining, it is much more
beneficial to just be in the space with people and show them that you care. This lesson hit home
with many participants, including BT-R6, who said:
Obviously empathy is a huge piece of BREATHtaking. How to be a better friend to
others of . . . I think before as a fixer, as a doer, I wanted to fix people’s problems for
them, and just really understanding, having a wider breadth of understanding of what
empathy is and what that looks like, that has really helped me feel able and excited to be
better friends to people, now that I know just what that entails a little bit more that they’re
not looking for you to solve it. Just being there, showing up, expressing sincere concern,
and that is part of the fixing. That is just as valuable, as any solution or any right thing
that I could say.
BT-R2 wants to continue strengthening his empathy, compassion, and kindness. He disclosed:
Empathy, having true empathy and compassion and kindness are things that I think it’s
easy to kind of cursorily do, but to feel it and have it become more part of . . . they’re
interesting topics to me because part of me may be tied to how quickly I can snap a
judgment, and then, can I switch to the kindness? So the kindness thing, compassion
thing, and empathy are things that I’ve always wanted to better at.
Learning how to forgive. The science of forgiveness, backed by decades of research in
positive psychology, which is taught in both BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0, focused on the mental
and psychological benefits of letting go of anger and resentment. Dr. Bob Enright, who
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pioneered the study of forgiveness over thirty years ago, believes that true forgiveness also
involves offering something positive such as empathy, compassion, and/or understanding toward
the person who hurt you (Enright & Fitzgibbons, 2015). Research in this field has shown that
forgiveness is linked to reduced anxiety, depression, and major psychiatric disorders, as well as
physical health symptoms and lower mortality rates; the primary factor, though, in connecting
forgiveness and well-being is stress relief (Toussaint, Worthington, & Williams, 2015).
While other participants named self-compassion or empathy as stand-out topics in
addition to mindful breathing, several others found forgiveness to be the most impactful. BT-R2
reflected on the difference between the forgiveness discussed in church growing up and the
forgiveness discussed in class. He shared:
I did like the forgiveness one, because it was a different . . . I grew up in a church, so
forgiveness is talked about in a different way, rather than like a, ‘Hey, it’s mandated, and
you gotta do this,’ almost like the old school, ‘Hey, you need to apologize,’ like I don’t
really feel like apologizing right now, like that kind of stuff. But it was looked at from a
different lens, I liked that part a lot too.
BT-R4 remembered how emotional the participants in her session were the night that forgiveness
was the topic, as participants were encouraged to explore their capacity for forgiving others, and
also themselves:
I remember our night on forgiveness. That was really powerful, like letting yourself
forgive others even if they didn’t ask for it. It’s just like more for yourself. I think that
was a night where a lot of people were just like crying cause we were just feeling like we
never really get a chance to forgive ourselves for how we’ve treated ourselves, so I think
like that was really powerful and just forgiving others for what they’ve done to us in our
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life, sometimes we just need to let it go. It was kind of cool for just the forgiveness for
something for ourselves. I loved that.
Similarly, BT-R3 realized that forgiveness was not about letting the other person “off the
hook” or believing that they will act differently, but rather a gift of well-being to the self. She
shared, “The forgiveness was definitely, it’s helped me a lot deal with things, like at work, but
also in my personal life.” BT-R4 responded, “I think just learning to let things go. That was
really powerful, like letting yourself forgive others even if they didn’t ask for it.” Participant
SEL-R2 shared her new knowledge of forgiveness with her students by having them write a letter
to forgive somebody; even though they knew the other person would not read their letter, the
process was for them. She shared how she told her students, “Forgiveness is powerful and
cleansing for you. Forget about the other person, all you’re doing is releasing that power that
they have over you, to hurt you.”
Learning how to build a sense of belonging and connection in the classroom.
Research is clear that students benefit from a teacher’s efforts to build belonging and cultivate
connection in the classroom. A connected classroom climate has been linked to participation in
class (Frisby & Martin, 2010) as well as students’ increased preparedness for class (Sidelinger &
Booth-Butterfield, 2010). When a student experiences the combination of a supportive teacher
and supportive peers, there is an increase in attendance, study time, school satisfaction, and
academic achievement, leading to higher academic efficacy (Bowen, Richman, Bowen, &
Broughton, 2003). Interviewees had a similar experience. SEL-R1 shared that one of her biggest
“a-ha” moments in the SEL 2.0 class was when building relationships among students was
discussed. She shared that she would have students who would refuse to work together, and that
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her typical reaction to that situation would be to have them change partners. Since SEL 2.0, she
reports that:
Now, any time I switch seats, I have them talk with their partners and do some type of
get-to-know-you icebreaker. And then the first time they have to work in their groups of
four, I have them do the same thing. As the four of you, let’s get together, let’s talk about
these things, or whatever. Just, getting kids to connect with each other just as humans
first, before, just like, ‘Get this work done.’
She went on to share that for the past year, she has not had any problems with students refusing
to work together, and has seen a positive difference in the climate of her classroom and the
behavior of her students.
Another participant, SEL-R2, shared that she has always had a pretty good rapport and
relationship with her students, but it had never occurred to her to set up structures for them to
build relationships with each other. She confided that she had just assumed for all of these years
that since they were in the same class together they knew each other, but after exploring further,
she discovered that this was not the case at all, and described that as an “a-ha” moment. She
went on to say that SEL 2.0 taught her about how to strengthen students’ relationship skills and
create opportunities for the kids to get to know and respect each other, building “empathy for
each other, and doing assignments and projects that bring that to the classroom, instead of
expecting them to get it somewhere else, at home or out in the world.”
One structure that is an integral part of the course is community circles. Participants
engaged in community circle activities with a small “family” group as well as in a large
community circle with the entire class. The design was put into place not only to build
belonging and cultivate connection among the course participants, but also so that the experience
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itself positively impact participants, causing them to be highly motivated to take the strategy
back to their classrooms. SEL-R1 also recognized how circles encouraged belonging and
connection:
Circles was a huge one, too. The idea of just, in small groups, talking about crazy things
and deep things and whatever. I feel like that’s how my classes really bonded and made
deeper connections, through circles, so that was another huge one for me.
SEL-R2 shared how using circles has been a profound and powerful experience for her,
especially after realizing that although she had good relationships with her students, they did not
have good relationships with each other. She explained that did not necessarily mean that her
students were arguing, it meant that some students were lacking a sense of belonging, “But a lot
of times, it’s just kids in isolation, surrounded by people, but still in isolation.” She went on to
describe how she feels each time she does a classroom circle:
Oh, my gosh, that was so profound, I can’t believe the transparency and the vulnerability
that students are willing to share. And that tells me that students want to, they’re hungry
to have the opportunity to do that. So, as teachers, I think we need to create these
opportunities, because if they feel connected, and they feel like they can trust you, and
say things like that, it’s just gonna be a better experience for everybody.
SEL-R6 agreed that circles were one of the most powerful strategies she took back to the
classroom, because they create opportunities for students to find out what they have in common
with each other and talk to students that they normally do not interact with, “I like the activity,
the design behind it, how it gets kids engaged.” She described how it has impacted her class:
Letting all the kids experience getting to talk to each other and communicate, and kind of
breaking down the barriers or the stereotypes or misconceptions they might have about
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other people. So when we’ve done activities like the circles and the questioning, and
passing the talking piece, they love it. They just absolutely love it. ‘Cause it’s different.
It’s fun. They get to talk.
Metacognitive Knowledge: Teachers Need to Know How to Assess Their Own Stress and
SEW
The ability to engage in metacognition is critical to strengthening self-awareness and self-
regulation, both of which enhance the ability to strengthen stress-resiliency and SEW. Figure 10
shows survey results indicate 95% of participants agree that they are able to accurately assess
their level of stress, 96% agree they can accurately assess their well-being, and 89% take time
weekly to reflect on their teaching practice. Interview findings confirm the survey results, that
participants are able to self-assess their stress and SEW. This influence was validated.
Figure 10. Metacognitive knowledge
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Self-reflection. Engaging in self-reflection requires teachers to be more mindful of their
thoughts, feelings and behaviors, strengthening their self-awareness and their SEW.
Strengthened self-awareness is required to engage in self-management. When teachers begin to
utilize self-reflection as a strategy, they can use that knowledge to enhance positive behaviors,
and reduce unhelpful behaviors. BT-R3 described how engaging in self-reflection helped her to
recognize her own role in increasing or decreasing his stress in challenging situations. She
confided:
One of my big things last year, that I was working on, was having knee-jerk reactions
with certain people at work. And so, I’ve been working on that, and it’s helped. I think
it’s still kind of there, but at least I recognize it. So, I then I just kind of breathe, and I do
my 4-7-8 quietly.
SEL-R2 offered how self-reflection helps her to learn from experience:
What’s important is to be able to pull back and learn from that experience, and apologize
to your kids, and move forward from that. But, I think if you don’t have a pretty good
handle on your emotional center, and you’re going in there, day after day, after day,
you’re going to get beaten up emotionally, you will.
Likewise, BT-R5 made several references to utilizing the skills of self-reflection to help lower
her stress and increase her well-being. She used statements like:
I try to unscatter my head and be present. I try really hard to focus on what it is I need to
do. I think I feel better when I’m not so scattered, and I think I perform daily life better
when I’m not so scattered, as well as teaching better, when I’m not always thinking of a
million things. I recognized that and wanted to be a better person, less stressed out, and
more focused. It seemed just going through the process helped a lot.
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BT-R2 shared that he was a practitioner of self-reflection prior to taking BREATHtaking,
but that the mindfulness strategies he learned in class had helped him engage in this practice
even more. He described his introspection:
‘Why do I do things?’ Or checking yourself a little bit here and there of what my own
beliefs and patterns are, so that helped me a lot, because I think it allows you to enhance
your well-being. No matter where you’re at, you can always figure out something else to
do.
He then shared how he gets very annoyed with colleagues who don’t understand the value of
important things he is trying to share with them, and how he uses metacognition, the “curious not
furious” strategy and positive self-talk to lower his stress in those situations:
So there’s a little bit of self-doubt sometimes. I question myself, or question what I’m
doing when people do that. I usually will reflect on that and come up with a plan if I
know that that’s happening, so then I can have a controlled and structured conversation.
And if they don’t see it, then I’m ready to let it go and not have to worry about it or be
stressed about it. So what I’ve been trying to recognize with myself is if I judge a
situation really quickly.
SEL-R3 shared how self-reflection has been beneficial to her, helping her to respond
rather than react, and teaching her family members to do the same:
I feel like I’m a lot more patient. I’m a lot more reflective. I do a lot of deep breathing.
More than anything I think I’ve become more of that person that kind of helps my own
family to . . . instead of being that dictator in my house, I’m more of a question poser.
I’m constantly asking my kids, ‘How do you think that affected somebody else’ or ‘How
do you think your choices affected you and everybody else’ instead of shouting and
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whatever. I would say that’s probably the biggest thing in my personal life is I step back
a lot more and think about my actions more and how to respond.
BT-R3 confided that engaging in the self-awareness and self-reflection activities in class
improved her well-being and mental health: “It improved my wellbeing a lot. ‘Cause I was
considering going back to therapy, and I mean, I probably still need to go back to therapy, but it
helped me just kind of take care of myself first.” Later she admitted, “So, I know I’m less
stressed than I was, and I don’t want to burn out. I have seven to thirteen more years to go. So,
it’s helped me, you know, still like doing what I’m doing.”
BT-R1 used self-reflection to assess her stress and well-being, and affirmed that she
understood the lesson that emotions are contagious and that she knows the impact of stress and
well-being on her teaching practice. She confided:
I feel like the more stressed I am, the less patient I am. Yeah, stress affects everything. It
affects how I deliver things. My attitude. And then, that then affects how they’re gonna
learn something because when they see that I’m excited about it, they’re more likely to
learn it. So, there’s a big correlation between the success of a child and the teacher’s
well-being.
BT-R1 also was able to articulate her self-assessment of her well-being, sharing:
My well-being is better than it was, but I wouldn’t say, ‘Oh, it’s perfect.’ I would say
that I’m probably a seven and a half or an eight. I feel like mentally, I’m doing really
good. I’m able to focus on what’s important.
When BT-R9 was asked about how she would describe the BREATHtaking course to a
new teacher, her response emphasized the role of self-reflection: “It sort of gives you time to
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reflect on your own situation and think about how you’re interacting with your students and your
co-workers, and even at home. It just kind of gives you that time for self-reflection.”
The interviews themselves caused the participants to engage in self-reflection, several
shed tears as they recalled powerful moments, and many shared that the conversation was
beneficial to them. Based on the literature and the study results and findings, this influence was
validated.
Results and Findings for Motivation Influences
Motivational influences of attribution and self-efficacy were explored through the survey
and interview questions. Attribution questions on the survey were looking to discover if teachers
felt their SEW impacts the climate of their classroom, student behavior, and student
achievement. The survey questions around self-efficacy were designed to find out if participants
felt efficacious in their ability to teach students and have them be academically successful as
well as their efficacy in positively influencing student behavior and classroom climate. In the
interviews, although participants were not asked directly about their efficacy regarding student
behavior or academic success, their answers to other questions gave insight to their efficacy level
in those areas, as well as their ability to teach and model SEL/SEW strategies, and their ability to
strengthen their own SEW.
Motivational Influence — Attribution: Teachers Need to Believe that Their SEW Impacts
the Classroom Climate
When teachers attribute responsibility for their stress to external factors, such as student
misbehavior, this external domain stress is a significant predictor of emotional exhaustion
(McCormick & Barnett, 2011). When stress is external, one thinks there is nothing that can be
done about it, and that causes stress to increase. On the contrary, when teachers are able to shift
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to a perspective of self-attribution, they increase their ability to recognize their role in classroom
climate and regulate their own emotions to solve problems, resulting in increased job satisfaction
and efficacy, and decreased occupational stress (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin, 2014).
The results of the survey indicate that teachers who have participated in BREATHtaking
and/or SEL 2.0 have a strong sense of self-attribution. Figure 11 shows that the responses related
to attribution had 100% agreement including statements regarding: their own positive influence
on the personal and academic development of students; their ability to teach well despite system
constraints within the organization; and that the practice of continuously seeking out ways to
improve their teaching pedagogy. The data demonstrates that participants attribute their teaching
ability and success to their own efforts. Figure 12 shows other notable results including: 96% of
survey participants agree they are able to use their instructional practices to improve student
behavior in the classroom and 98% to improve academic success in the classroom; 87% disagree
with the idea that there is little that they can do to help unmotivated students learn; and 96%
actively seek out ways to improve their well-being. Additionally, 84% responded in agreement
to the statement, “When a student is not achieving in my class, my initial reaction is to reflect on
my own teaching practice.” The statements that specifically address the attribution influence
yielded very high agreement: 98% agreed with “I am able to impact the climate of the classroom
with my attitude” and 100% agreed with “A teacher’s ability to cope with stress impacts his/her
ability in the classroom.”
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Figure 11. Motivational influences: Attribution of student academic achievement
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Figure 12. Motivational influences: Attribution of student behavior and classroom climate
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Figure 13. Motivational influences: Attribution of student behavior
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Figure 14. Motivational influences: Attribution of personal development
Interview results yielded similar findings, with participants reporting that while taking
either BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0, they had learned a strategy described earlier in the chapter
called “Get Curious, Not Furious.” Interviewees reported that the strategies they learned in the
courses helped them shift their attribution, and instead of blaming students, they looked for what
they could do differently to help them. When asked how they would have handled a challenging
situation with a student or colleague before and after BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0, the majority of
participants shared that they had learned how to respond, rather than react. They used their
mindful breathing tools, their empathy tools, and the above-mentioned strategy taught in the
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class called, “Get Curious, Not Furious.” Some of the participants’ answers are shared below. It
is critical to share their full responses, because their stories provide evidence of all of the study’s
knowledge and motivation influences. BT-R1 described how her thinking has shifted to curiosity
as a result of BREATHtaking:
I’m constantly thinking like, how am I gonna address this situation in a positive way,
with a positive spin on it because I feel like negativity very rarely works and he’s
searching . . . he’s trying to be good and just not being good. I feel like in my best I am
definitely more compassionate. Maybe, looking at things through a different lens. Like,
you know, why is he not interested in what we’re doing right now? Why is he talking to
his friends? Like it might go to a different perspective.
SEL-R3 shared how she would handle a challenging student before taking SEL 2.0:
I was more ready to be frustrated and give him detention if he didn’t pull it together right
away. I didn’t think about the fact that this kid probably needs time and he needs
attention and he needs people in his life to support him.
She shared that now she is more reflective:
He needs somebody to understand. I’m more reflective. I think about what I’m saying.
Why I’m saying it. I’m thinking about all the possibilities when I’m talking. Above and
beyond that, how can we help you? What can we do? What do you need?
SEL-R5 recalled the story of a difficult student and said her usual behavior before 2.0,
would be to send him to the dean. Now she uses a new approach:
Because of BREATHtaking and because of 2.0, I told myself, ‘Just count, just breathe, it’s
not personal, don’t take it personal.’ I was able to cool down in a way that I could handle
him and I was able after 10 minutes of back and forth and this and that, to get him to
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come in and do what I asked. I talked to him about breathing. And about being able to
cool down from the inside and stuff, and I think before I just wouldn’t have gone there
with him. I would have just assumed that he couldn’t do it, because he wasn’t doing it.
SEL-R2 shared her story of how her behavior toward challenging students has changed:
“What has changed is just curiosities. More curiosity of like, ‘Where? What’s going on? Where
is the behavior coming from? What can I do to constructively deal with it?’”
BT-R7 passionately shared her story about a particular student, saying before the course
she would have called the office and not dealt with it: “I would have said, ‘This is more than a
General Ed teacher can handle.’” She added that the administrators would have responded to her
call by removing the student from the classroom. She then told a story about a recent encounter
with this student:
I have a challenging student. He’s non-diagnosed autistic. He tightens up instead of
breathing. I’m his trigger because I, with all my energy, I get real loud in the classroom.
You know how challenging that is? How do you not be loud, when you’re just so loud?
It’s kind of cool. We kind of have a system. The kids, they give me an ‘L,’ not for loser,
but for loud, so I can bring it down. It’s so funny. When he has triggers, I’ve got kids
now where they say, ‘Breathe, smell the flowers, and blow out the candles.’ It’s not me
telling him. It’s the students telling him. It’s just so amazing. He’s breathing. It kind of
tells you the challenge and what we’ve done to meet that challenge. We are together.
We learn together. I am so grateful that I get to say, ‘See? I’m 55 years old and I still
have to learn. I still have to focus. I still have to watch my loudness. I still have to
watch my snappiness.’ We learn together and that makes my heart melt when we’re
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learning together and they’re helping me as much as I help them. I can’t ask for anything
better.
BT-R8 shared that her outer behavior did not really change, it was her inner sense of calm that
shifted:
I’ve always been able to control my emotions on the outside, so I’ve never been one that
has to apologize or backtrack because I flipped out, I mean at least at school. It’s always
been easy for me to portray that everything’s fine, but the difference is with your class
really, not just acting like it’s okay for everyone else’s benefit but to also really calm
inside and to really feel inside how I portray outside.
BT-R5 described how she used to feel that her students behaved badly because they were
trying to get back at her. Now, her thoughts have shifted:
We have a lot of children of poverty. I don’t understand their life. I didn’t grow up that
way, but I do have empathy for it. They’re doing it because of something that’s going on
in their life, and I need to try to help them, as one of the adults that touches their life.
BT-R9 acknowledged how she has shifted her thinking as well:
I have a student this year who is a particularly challenging kid all around. He is in foster
care. He is designated Special Ed. He is super defiant and pretty much doesn’t want to
do anything that you want him to do, on top of being really low academically. So there’s
been a number of instances with him this year where I feel like, in the past, I might have
just reacted to him and played off of his, well, I’m not going to do this attitude. Before
BREATHtaking, I think I probably would’ve tried to win. I feel like I would have been
less patient and I would have probably taken it more personally and tried to one-up him
almost.
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Now she is able to look at those types of situations differently and described how she takes deep
breaths and reminds herself that she may not know the details of students’ backgrounds. She
realizes that a student may be “trying to get a rise” out of her, and reminds herself to “just
breathe and stay calm.” She added:
I think it’s not about me. He’s not acting like this because of me. He’s acting like this
because, in honesty, I really think he’s acting like that because he feels like mom is out of
prison now. I think he thinks that if he gets kicked out of this school, out of his foster
home, that he’s going to back with mom. It’s really just trying to think about his
perspective and not take it personally exactly.
SEL-R6 had a similar situation that she described of a student being disruptive in class. When
she asked him to step outside, he let her know that he would rather just go to the dean’s office,
but she insisted that she needed to speak to him:
So I let him go outside and just simmer down for a second. I got the kids going on
something else and walked out and it just was like I told myself, ‘Okay, be curious not
furious.’ When I went out to talk to him he was very respectful and he let me talk it
through to him and then just explain like, ‘Look, here’s what I need you to do to stay in
class.’ And at the end, I probably talked to him for 50 seconds, and at the end he was like
‘Okay.’ And he came back in and he did fine the rest of the period.
SEL-R3 reflected on how her thinking has shifted regarding how she would view a
student with chronic tardy issues before and after SEL 2.0:
Frustration. Even though I was still frustrated, maybe even a little bit more hopeless. I
think before I would’ve thought, ‘If I talk to this child, and I talk to his parents and his
counselor, and he’s still tardy next week. That’s it. I’m done.’
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When asked what has changed in her approach with challenging students since completing SEL
2.0, she replied:
My personal feelings. I became a little bit more concerned for the student versus being
frustrated. I think my feelings were more I guess . . . hopeful. That’s the only thing I can
think of because I don’t give up anymore. We’re saying, ‘Like okay dude have we
figured it out yet? Are we there? What are we working on now??’ More goal oriented.
I feel more like there is a solution. It’s just a matter of, have we gotten there yet?
SEL-R5 shared how, in the past, he usually handled situations with challenging
colleagues by just shutting down, and with students he would tend to lash out. He excitedly
recounted a story of how his attitude and behavior have improved when handling a class that
wouldn’t stop talking:
And so, I said, ‘You know what? I’m done, I need a break.’ And I just quietly walked
back to my desk, I kinda just put on some mindfulness music and I sat there for about two
minutes, three minutes just breathing. And I can hear the kids, ‘He’s mad. He’s mad.
You gotta stop.’ But, I just sat there and I just took a breath and then, I was like, ‘Okay,
I’m good.’
SEL-R5 continued, stating that at that point, he stood up in front of the class and told them, “I
just want you to know, I could’ve exploded on you but I felt my amygdala get triggered.” He
explained to the interviewer that in days prior, the class had been studying emotions and the
brain, and so students knew all of the terminology. He told his class that he had been triggered,
and that he knew he could not make any good decisions in that state of mind, so he stepped away
to do some breathing. He said to the class, “If you noticed, I didn’t yell at you, I just needed a
break. And I was able to take my break, collect my thoughts, and then come back and talk to
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you.” He was happy to see that when he looked out at the class, he was able to see it “click on
their face like, Oh, yeah. That was what he did.” He went on to say, “And so, it was a good kind
of in the moment example of what I was trying to teach them.”
He built on his discussion on how his attitude has shifted, disclosing how he has also
“definitely changed how I engage with my colleagues.” Whereas before, he would dismiss the
“negative Nancys on campus,” believing that, “they’re never gonna change,” now he chooses to
adopt a more curious perspective of, “Okay, you’re a negative Nancy and I’m gonna
acknowledge that you’re a negative Nancy, but now I wanna understand why. There’s that drive
in me to figure out why is it you feel that way.”
SEL-R1 described how before taking the course, she would have handled a tense situation
with an administrator by holding back her words and then later getting privately upset and
harboring “bitterness that I wouldn’t let go of for a long time.” She also confided that she would
probably make a conscious decision to be less engaged at work, thinking, “Fine, I’m just . . . if
you’re gonna not care about me and treat me that way, then I kinda don’t care about this place.
I’m just gonna clock-in, do what I do, and peace out.” She reported that, after learning SEW
strategies, she handled the situation with the administrator by speaking up “a little bit” and then
going back to her classroom to respond by email. She disclosed how she was very mindful to
share her feelings in a respectful way:
I read it over a few times just to make sure my words were not accusational, but just
honest, but focused on me, like I didn’t say YOU, I always said I. I do this. I do that. I
felt better, because I got to say what I wanted to say, kind of clarify . . . and, I am still
engaged at work.
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BT-R2 admitted that before BREATHtaking, his handling of a challenging situation of a
colleague was not ideal: “My first thought was usually to react, in what is a sense being able to
go and yell at that person, or have a confrontation with them.” Since taking the course, however,
he now takes more time, and has learned to “structure my thoughts and organize myself, and that
helps me be calm. It is a mindfulness technique of letting that feeling go, and now you’re
sidestepping onto something else that’s a little more constructive.”
These stories from participants clearly articulate the knowledge and skills they have
learned in the courses, their clear self-attribution that they create the climate in the classroom,
and self-efficacy is also evident in the confidence they displayed as they shared their new skill in
handling difficult situations. In addition to their responses about a challenging student or
colleague, participants referred to the fact that their SEW impacts the class climate several times
throughout the interviews. BT-R8 described how she tells others how BREATHtaking has helped
her strengthen her well-being and also her skills as a teacher. She stressed the importance of
modeling her new behaviors as well:
Ultimately it makes you a better teacher because I think that if as a teacher you can pass
these tips and these practices along to your students, it helps them in every way not just in
the classroom but literally in life. I just think students read us and hopefully we model
how to behave and how to interact with people. I feel like that that’s absolutely key.
Participants also touched specifically on how stress decreases patience, and how well-
being has increased it. BT-R9 shared:
I think stress is a huge factor in your teaching practice, because when you’re stressed the
kids feel it. I think it impacts my teaching practice a lot. I definitely, if I’m feeling
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stressed or maxed out, I definitely have less patience for my kids, and I have a shorter
fuse, I think than I would normally have.
In examining the survey data and findings, it suggests a large majority of participants
have a strong sense of personal attribution strengthened by strategies learned in the course such
as mindful breathing, being curious instead of furious, and empathy. This attribution would
likely motivate them to want to use the strategies they learn in BT or SEL 2.0 since they have an
understanding of how their own SEW impacts their teaching practice and the climate of their
classroom. This influence was validated.
Motivational Influence — Self-Efficacy: Teachers Need to Believe in Their Ability to be
Effective in Their Teaching Practice and in Building Their SEW
In order to be motivated to use the new strategies they learned to strengthen their SEW,
teachers need to feel efficacious in their ability to build their SEW. Figure 15 shows that just
under half of the teachers surveyed have days when they do not feel efficacious as indicated by
the following responses: 55% of participants disagreed with the statement “Sometimes I go home
from working feeling that I am not a very good teacher.” Based on the interview findings, one
would expect this percentage to be higher. The word ‘sometimes’ is vague and may have been a
poor word choice. It is unclear whether ‘sometimes’ would mean they feel like they are not a
good teacher once a week, once a month, or once a year.
The remaining survey data exploring efficacy suggests that they do feel efficacious, with
100% of teachers reporting agreement in their ability to help students learn and influence student
behavior. Additionally, 100% believe that with time, they will be able to become more and more
capable of helping to address student needs. Even if they get disrupted while teaching, 100% of
teachers agreed that they could maintain their composure and continue to teach well. In response
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to the statement, “I am able to be responsive to my students’ needs even if I am having a bad
day,” 96% participants reported agreement. A majority of participants also responded in
agreement with being able to use instructional practices to improve their students’ academic
success (98%) and behavior success (96%). The interview responses confirm the efficacy of the
survey respondents, and based on that and survey results, this influence is validated. Although
the study was originally only looking at self-efficacy in relation to strengthening SEW, several
themes emerged related to specific areas of efficacy, including self-efficacy in teaching practice,
in teaching SEW to students and family, and self-efficacy in relationships. Each are discussed in
this section.
Figure 15. Motivational influences: Efficacy in teaching for academic success
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Figure 16. Motivational influences: Efficacy in cultivating positive classroom climate
Efficacy in teaching practices. At the beginning of the chapter, the idea of teachers
becoming “better humans” through what they learned in the course was discussed. In this
section, participants share how their efficacy as a teacher was impacted.
SEL-R7, a current participant in SEL 2.0, has noticed that her students’ grades have
improved this year. She shared, “Maybe it’s the circle. I don’t know if it is, but I don’t have as
many kids failing my class.” She described her efficacy in connecting with one quiet student in
particular who had shared during an SEL activity in class that he gets picked on:
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I try to give him more compliments. I try to notice more things like, ‘Oh nice haircut
today.’ And I do notice, just thinking about this kid, he was very quiet, and I remember
he wrote, ‘I wish my teacher knew I always got picked on. I got bullied. And the only
one that I only trust is my mom. And I really don’t have friends.’ And that really got to
me because I got picked on and stuff like that. But long story short, this kid’s talking
more. He’s smiling more. He opens the door when we go. Because sometimes I do my
circle in the cafeteria because I have more room. He opens the door. And I said, ‘Well,
thank you.’ And he talks a little bit to me and stuff like that.
She went on to share how she is trying to absorb as much information and experience from each
training session as possible. She added, “All I’m doing with all this stuff and knowledge is I
really want to push myself to be a better teacher. And find ways where I can unleash the kids’
minds.”
BT-R7 described how her experience in BREATHtaking has helped her be a better
teacher, saying, “It’s so neat paying attention to my breath and paying attention to being in the
now. It’s helping me focus as a teacher.” She described how her ability to focus helps her to be
resilient and present for students. She shared about one of her students in foster care who
revealed during a circle activity the time she was called to the office and told she was not going
home. The other students were affected so much that they immediately gave her hugs without
any prompting. “We validated how that felt. That’s why I’m so passionate about making sure
that this is part of my instruction.” She then asked if she could share another story, providing an
even a clearer understanding of how her efficacy as a teacher has expanded profoundly:
I need to backtrack back to I was a first grade teacher two years ago. That’s when I went
back after your SEL 101 class and I applied it right away because I knew that’s what I
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needed as a teacher. The proof was when they started using the verbiage and started
walking the walk. That’s when I knew last year this is good stuff. This is, because I’m
not telling them. They’re telling each other. When a student cries and is upset, I’d have
four people helping that person. It was amazing to see as a teacher, to see what you . . .
The environment you created come to life.
Filled with passion and a visible sense of pride, SEL-R3 also wanted to share how her
teaching efficacy increased significantly:
I forget sometimes what was life like before SEL 2.0. I think how I approach students
just changed significantly. My patience with students changed. Just the way I
approached teaching. I guess I was a lot more patient with myself even in teaching. If
things didn’t work, I didn’t beat myself up over it. I just tried again. I think the fun part
too is to see other teachers implementing things and maybe even changing things just a
little bit and sharing how they’re working for them and learning from that. I definitely
feel like I’m well equipped to do this job.
SEL-R5 also shared about her efficacy, and said:
I just think that over the last year and a half, I have been able to be stronger with myself
in the classroom, as in, I just feel that I’ve been able to talk with my kids in a different
way.
Similarly, SEL-R4 shared how his teaching practice has improved:
For instructional purposes, I’ve gotten a lot better about reading my students. So, I might
be doing a direct instruction, but I can see on their faces they’re not into it, so I’m like,
‘Okay, we’re gonna modify this. Let’s be flexible, let’s do something else for a minute,
get you up on your feet.’
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In addition to the foreign language classes that he teaches, he asked his principal if he could
teach an SEL class this year. When his principal said yes, he was thrilled. The target population
were incoming freshmen who had failed all of their 8th grade classes and were not involved in
any other intervention. In discussing the incredible first quarter results of the SEL class they
have implemented, he shared that 100% of the students have met sports eligibility of 2.0. or
higher, and additionally, each of them has three or four As. The success of the SEL class has
prompted the principal to add another section to the master schedule for second semester.
Not all teachers feel efficacious all of the time, as evidenced by the survey results and
SEL-R7, who admitted that sometimes she has moments when she doesn’t feel like a “good
teacher” or that she is “doing enough.” She went to say that:
. . . at that moment, a kid comes in my classroom or I get a message or I get an email and
that’s just like they somehow know somewhere in the universe that I need that. Then that
gives me that extra ‘Okay, I’m doing the right thing. I’m still doing what I’m supposed
to be doing.’
Earlier in the chapter, SEL-R1 shared how she has been using the SEL strategies and
structures she learned in SEL 2.0 to intentionally build belonging in her classroom for the past
year and a half. She describes how those practices have created a climate of collaboration in her
classroom where students no longer resist or refuse to work together as partners. SEL-R1’s story
demonstrates the efficacy she feels as a teacher in creating those structures to build belonging
and connection, but also shows her efficacy in strengthening relationships with students. Several
people mentioned their relationships with students were strengthened as a result of taking one of
the courses, and this theme is explored further.
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Efficacy in relationships with students. Both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 discuss research
supporting the idea of student misbehavior being one of the leading factors in contributing to
teacher stress. Additionally, research shows that a teacher’s mental representations of teacher-
student relationships could in fact be a more powerful predictor of teacher well-being than
perceptions of students’ problem behavior (Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011). Thus, it is critical for
teachers to learn how to strengthen their relationships with students for the benefit of their well-
being, the benefits of the students’ well-being and academic success, and for the overall climate
of the classroom.
SEL-R5 describes her efficacy in developing deep connections with students, and how it
makes her feel empowered that some of the things that she intuitively did before completing SEL
2.0 or her current enrollment in BREATHtaking, are backed by science. She said:
You’ve empowered me on how I can take that deeper, so that there might be more, ‘Ah-
a’ moments with the kids. Instead of just skimming the surface, you’ve helped me to dig
down into there, so they can dig down into themselves. I see the science behind it and
how everything connects, and how it benefits others.
She also confided how she suffers from OCD, and although she is fond of having hands-on
activities in her classroom, one of the things she needs is straight rows. This year, she made the
decision to be open and honest in telling her students about her OCD and why she needs them to
straighten up the rows, whereas before 2.0 she would not have done that:
I don’t know if that’s because of the classes, just that it’s okay to be that human, there’s a
reason that I am that way and just to be okay with it. I mean it’s kind of quirky, but it’s
me. It also helps those other kids that have those same kind of things that they can’t
move past something until they have something. It helps them to, I don’t know, I think
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feel kind of normal. That’s how the sessions have empowered me, and also empowered
me just to realize that I can stop and I can breathe in front of my kids and that I can talk
about it, what’s going on. I just feel transparent with them more.
Teacher transparency and the positive impact it has on students is supported by research.
When teachers are transparent about themselves in class, using appropriate self-disclosure, they
help to develop rapport and communicate interest and concern to students (Hosek & Thompson,
2009), which results in students’ increased perception of a comfortable classroom climate
(Mazer, Murphy, & Simonds, 2007). Teachers often joke that students do not see them as human
until they see them at the grocery store, but Brookfield (2006) emphasizes that teacher self-
disclosure shows students that their teachers are human beings with real lives outside of the
classroom.
Earlier in the chapter, the importance of teacher-student relationships was discussed.
SEL-R6 shared how this, combined with mindfulness practice, has really helped her teaching
practice, “But I think something that I’ve learned from it and gained from it is just that slowing
down and taking time to get to know my kids even more. And letting them get to know each
other.” In a similar response, BT-R9 described how she is feeling efficacious and how learning
mindfulness has helped her stay calm and deal more effectively with her challenging students,
saying, “I’ve been really kind of proud of myself.” She continued, “It’s helped me a little bit
with dealing with my students, and dealing with each other, like when they’re having a conflict,
thinking about how they interact with each other.” She added that it has helped her students
think about the other person’s feelings and ask themselves to consider why the other person may
be acting that way. SEL-R7 confided:
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I don’t expect every student is going to like me. I know that. Because that’s just human
nature. I’m not gold for everybody. At least for majority of my students, I’m gold, and
that’s good. If you’ve got them like that, they’ll do anything for you.
SEL-R2 shared how the SEL strategies and structures helped her keep students engaged,
and helped strengthen the student-student relationships and sense of belonging and connection in
her classes. She shared that when she starting doing SEL activities in class, she was amazed to
discover how “many of the kids who’d been in the same class for months don’t know each
other’s names, don’t know anything about each other.” She expressed the need to make sure
every teacher knows that, and wants to tell them:
That if a kid is in your class, even if that kid has a great relationship with you, if you’re
the only one in the class, and you’re the adult in the class, and they don’t know anybody
else, or have a relationship with anybody else, then they still don’t feel very connected.
They feel connected to you, but they feel isolated from the rest of their peers. It’s
important not to feel that way. You should not feel alienated from your peers, because
your teacher’s not gonna walk from class to class with you, or sit at lunch with you. So,
these are just things that I really am passionate about, that I discovered through SEL.
Her passion ignited, SEL-R2 asked if she could share a specific story about an experience
with a particular student during an SEL passion and purpose activity using a computer. The
student did not have her permission form signed to use a Chromebook and so she was given the
instruction to do the assignment on paper, drawing symbols that were important to her and
writing three adjectives to describe her. SEL-R2 shared what she discovered on the student’s
desk at the end of class:
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At the end of the period, she left, and the paper was turned down, picture down. And
when I walked to her desk and flipped it over, there were three pictures of her and what I
guess would’ve been her father, all scribbled on, and the words, and there were three
adjectives that were scribbled out, and the words, ‘sad, sad, sad’ written on her paper.
That prompted SEL-R2 to explore the student’s situation and she discovered that there was some
trauma going on her life, and was able to connect her with resources to help. She smiled as she
finished the story: “And she’s turned the corner, too. She looks great now. She’s having a good
year.” When asked by the interviewer if she would have known about that student’s sadness and
trauma without that assignment, she replied, “No, I would not have known.”
Efficacy in handling challenging behavior from students and staff. In using the
strategies learned in BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0, many interviewees shared about the importance
of not just practicing the strategies, but modeling them for students and colleagues. SEL-R4, in
discussing how it felt to change his habitual reaction to challenging behavior from students in his
classroom, said:
It’s difficult because my natural instinct is to lash out, it was definitely hard and I really
wanted to do it, but I knew. I was like, I can’t. I can’t. I gotta teach these kids, I gotta
show these kids that you can do it. As hard as it is to do, you can take a breath before
you talk.
The idea of pausing to take that mindful breath, in order to respond more positively and
productively, was also shared by SEL-R5, as she recounted a particular situation with a
challenging student:
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I think because of the classes; number one I was able to be cool and not to explode, I
didn’t put fire on it. I just listened to him when he threw it back in my face. I was able to
stay calm through it, because I was able to have peace with myself through the breathing.
In the “Curious Not Furious” section of this chapter, SEL-R6 described a situation where
she handled a challenging situation with a student. When asked how she felt about how she
handled the crisis, she replied, “That was a win. It felt good. I think most of his teachers
probably would have picked up the phone and just said ‘Security come pick him up.’ He didn’t
yell at me or anything. He just listened.” She admitted that taking the “60 seconds to talk to him
instead of just make the phone call” made her feel empowered. She also understood how that
how she handled that interaction with him impacted the rest of the class as well, acknowledging,
“It was just business as usual. The kids were engaged again and he sat in his seat and he
participated.”
SEL-R5 has one period serving in the Dean’s office handling interventions. She shared
that sometimes she is able to set up sessions with her own students during that period:
Fortunately, I’m able to pull them out at my Dean’s period, and talk to them and find out
what’s going on and just kind of, ‘Hey, what does that look like to you? How do you
think I see that?’ This kind of perspective. It really has made a huge difference in some
kids, and even if they’re having issues in other classes. I would have to say that I left
each of the sessions feeling better, more comfortable with digging deeper with kids or
having the freedom of spending the time with them to help them, whether it’s their
passions or whatever. Just doing more in a way to maybe help kids understand
themselves before I try to teach them other things.
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The idea of empowerment was connected to efficacy earlier in this section, and BT-R6
also shared how her efficacy had enhanced her feelings of empowerment. She expressed
appreciation and gratitude for what she had learned in the class:
I think my feelings are gratitude, gratitude that I have tools, I have coping mechanisms, I
have ways to navigate life, which invariably is hard, and complicated. It involves people,
which is the most beautiful thing and the most challenging thing about life, so I’m just
really grateful. I feel empowered. I feel like when shit hits the fan, I have ways to
navigate the shit. So there really is an empowerment involved in that, a confidence that
comes with not only that I can do that for myself, but that I can be a better friend, a better
spouse, a better mom. That I can share that. I’m just appreciative that I have these tools
and excited to share them.
Even though she loves using SEL strategies, SEL-R2 admitted that she is not perfect and
there are days when she loses her patience with a student. The difference in efficacy has been
that she does not take the student’s behavior personally, she is quick to apologize when she loses
her temper, and she shows each student unconditional positive regard and love, despite their
behavior. She is able to separate the deed from the doer:
Well, in the moment, sometimes you get angry. I mean, I do. I wish I could say that I
never do, but sometimes, you do. But I think just the change is probably in, there is more
patience. There were times when I lost my temper. I’m quick to apologize the next day.
Actually told one girl I lost it with one day. Just one too many eye-rolls, and one to many
snarky comments. But, I came in the next day, and I said, ‘You know what, Margaret? I
love you. I’ve raised two daughters, and lived to tell about it. I’ve been through the
teens with two other girls, and I’ve seen that eye-roll lots of times, and I wouldn’t put up
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with that from them, and I will not put up with it from you. I love you too much to let
you treat me that way.’ And, I apologized in front of the whole class, because I yelled at
her in front of the whole class.
Similarly, BT-R7 also expressed her relentlessness and grit in pursuing success for all
students. In the “curious not furious” section, she discussed how she is passionate about
teaching an autistic student to practice mindful breathing when he gets triggered:
I believe it works. It works for me and that I know it will help him, so I don’t give up on
that idea. It can help him. I was at a point though, what do you do when the good stuff
doesn’t work? Then I found the answer, you keep doing it. We kept plugging away and
he’s breathing. He’s breathing.
BT-R7 added that some teachers give up right away when a strategy does not seem to be
working. She, however, realizes that sometimes the strategies are not an instant fix, but rather
one that must be mixed with persistence and patience.
Efficacy in strengthening SEW. In order for teachers to feel motivated to use the SEW
strategies learned in BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0, they have to feel that they can be efficacious at
using them effectively. Interviewees shared how they have been able to strengthen their well-
being, and how good it feels to have the ability to do so. SEL-R4 feels that her resilience to deal
with stress has improved. She shared:
I feel busier than I’ve ever felt in my 14 years of teaching, but I feel more at peace. Like
when I do get stressed, it’s not a bad stress, it’s more of that good stress. I think that’s
been a huge change. I’m a lot calmer. Things don’t bug me as much and when they do,
I’m able to bounce back from it quicker.
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Many of the participants shared how the skills they learned not only help them at work,
but in their personal lives as well, improving their overall well-being. BT-R9 said:
I feel like it gave me more skills to think about where other people are coming from, and
it caused me to not be so quick to react to a lot of things, both at school and at home, and
even in my marriage, and to just think about the other person’s perspective and process
for a minute before reacting. I think that’s something that I can continually work on.
Mindful breathing can improve sleep, and BT-R3 shared how the 4-7-8 breathing
technique has improved her well-being, and how she wants others to have the same experience.
“I told everybody about 4-7-8!” she exclaimed, and went on to tell how excited she is when she
tells others, “I can go to sleep!”
One of the participants, SEL-R5, took SEL 2.0 last year and is currently enrolled in
BREATHtaking. She feels efficacious about using the breath to improve her SEW:
Being able to breathe sometimes for the kids, and teaching the kids how to breathe, I
think that’s reduced my stress because I can put that back into perspective. I can calm
down, so that I can see really, the big picture. And I try to do that with the kids too, to
show them, we just need to take a break, we need to chill for a minute because if we
don’t, we’re gonna feel overwhelmed. By doing it and seeing it was safe, that gave me
the go, the green light to do it in my classroom and even to do it when I need to.
Improving Social Emotional Wellness is not the only health benefit that participant BT-
R7 received. She became animated as she shared how BREATHtaking strengthened her SEW,
and her desire, drive, and determination to improve her physical well-being as well. She shared,
“Well, it sparked me and I promised myself as a result of that class to help my physical well-
being. I lost 25 pounds in three months.”
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Learning about mindfulness and growth mindset, the belief that you can improve your
skills and abilities, has helped SEL-R3 learn how to strengthen her SEW and make her feel
empowered to take on new challenges. She confessed she is much calmer now:
I don’t let things get to me quite as much with my own kids because I’m just more patient
with them. I will never say I’m bad at something now. If I do I always say, ‘Okay, well,
I’m going to get though it.’ It’s an empowering concept for sure.
In addition to mindful breathing, BT-R4 shared how learning about ANTs, forgiveness, and self-
compassion have all worked together to improve her well-being, saying:
I feel like in so many different areas of my life I’ve been able to help my well-being. I
think personally, throughout the whole process from just speaking of the thoughts, to
forgiveness, to all the different topics, I think I’ve been able to latch on to those and use
them personally in my own life.
When asked if BREATHtaking met its goal of strengthening SEW for her, BT-R6 replied,
“I think it was met in a really huge way.” She emphasized that the skills she learned helped her
both personally and professionally, explaining, “This has increased my overall wellbeing as a
human and the ability to deal with the things that makes life challenging.” She went on to
describe how it has been transformational: “It helps me to thrive, to feel like I’m excelling in
ways I want to excel, to feel like I’m engaged in ways I wanted to be engaged, to feel like I’m
connected.”
BT-R9 discussed how she used the skills she learned to create boundaries between her
personal and professional lives, which strengthened her SEW. She pointed out how it gave her
more of an ability to separate work and home, stating, “I feel like it helped me make more of a
defining line between the two, and I feel like it helped me to not take stuff at work so
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personally.” She added that when work is challenging, what has been most helpful is, “having
just the skills to think about myself, and think about my own personal well-being and take time
for myself.”
BT-R9’s words above allude to a strategy that is discussed in both SEL 2.0 and
BREATHtaking: building a life vest. So often in education, the life preserver is thrown to those
staff and students who are “drowning” in feelings of stress and inadequacy. It is important to
save these people and not let them continue suffering. If, however, educators spend more time
focused on building the life vest, they will find that when adversity strikes, and they “fall in the
water” as they inevitably will, the life vest built up of SEW skills will give them resiliency, and
help them be better able to bounce back quickly.
Efficacy in teaching and modeling SEW. A strong majority of participants shared that
their new strategies were so valuable, they wanted to immediately teach them to their students
and families, demonstrating their high motivation to use the strategies themselves, and increasing
the likelihood that they will continue using them after the class has ended. By teaching their
students and family members, they have created built-in accountability partners that can hold
them accountable for what they have learned. BT-R3 found that the mindful breathing
techniques really worked for her, saying “I love 4-7-8!” She found even more enjoyment,
however, sharing that strategy with her students, and teaching them how to listen to each other,
and to “take a breath before they, you know, like if they’re gonna tattle. Or, if they have an
issue, I try to help them just take a breath, and before you say it, think about it.” She is still
amazed that it has been so helpful for her kindergarten students, acknowledging, “They’re five.
So, some days it works, and I’m like, Wow, that was cool.”
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Teaching students how to breathe to ease their anxiety about giving presentations made
BT-R4 feel efficacious in her ability to teach and model SEW. SEL-R4 discussed how learning
the science behind the strategies has reassured him that relationship building is valid and
important. He shared that the skill he uses most in his classroom is mindfulness: “I have that one
class that is just non-stop, so that’s where I really started to do it with them and it worked and I
was like, Oh, this is cool.” BT-R8 also shared her passion for teaching her students SEW skills
so that they can improve their well-being and success in school:
I meet with students every day one on one, we have appointments and I constantly will
remind them or talk to them about taking care of themselves and being present in the
moment and not getting too far ahead of themselves. I talk to them about first of all when
you’re in a situation make sure that you breathe and relax and let’s take on today. We’re
going to be ready and prepared so when you walk on that campus you’re going to feel
and you’re going to know that you belong there just like everyone else.
She also helps her students by showing them different mindfulness websites and encourages
them to try them when they need to relax. She added, “I talk about it all the time.”
Many of the participants disclosed what many teachers have discovered over the years —
that the more you teach something, the stronger it can become for you as well. SEL-R3 said:
I think it’s interesting when you are teaching other people how to have these
competencies or how to believe in themselves and how to communicate their own
concerns and their own perspectives, I guess it’s interesting how you kind of begin doing
it yourself. I feel like I empower myself as much as I empower the students. As I’m
empowering them, they’re empowering me. It’s constant growth really.
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In addition to teaching their students what they learned, several interviewees shared how
they went home and taught the skills to their families as well. Again, this shows the motivation
to continue using the strategies both at school and at home. SEL-R1 discussed how she has
shared the strategies that she learned in SEL 2.0 with both her son, who has ADHD, and with her
husband, who has a stressful job. With a great deal of emotion, she shared that the changes in
her home life after participating in SEL 2.0 have been profound for her:
In my home life, it’s been huge, because I have my kids, do the fun mindfulness —
absolutely enjoy it. With my oldest, he’s, just a hard kid. He’s got ADHD and he gets
angry. Teaching him, how to stop and breathe, just to think about those things before he
reacts. That’s huge. With my husband, he promoted, and his new position is pretty
stressful for him. I told him, ‘You should try mindfulness.’ And he, on his own . . . he’s
gone crazy, he’s reading books on it. He’s like, ‘I just did a 34-minute meditation.’ He
said that he has found his job to be less stressful, and he’s performing better, too. He’s
calmed his mind down. So he can focus more on the task and just really do it to the best
of his abilities.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique came up as a skill taught to family as well as students.
BT-R2 shared the technique with his wife to help her sleep better. He mentioned:
I talked about the positiveness of what I was learning, or how cool the techniques were. I
taught a couple of the breathing techniques to my wife, because sometimes she wakes up
in the middle of the night, can’t get back to sleep. So I was telling her how to do the 4-7-
8 breathing.
SEL-R2 shared how her 11-year-old granddaughter experiences a lot of anxiety before
her volleyball games, and so she has taught her how to use mindful breathing:
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I’ve been doing the ‘Smell the roses, blow out the candles’ with her before every game.
We just go off by ourselves for a minute, there’s still all this chaos going on, people are
practicing, yelling, and we just do it together. We take some nice, deep, deep breaths, so
that’s been really helpful. And I’ve been trying to teach her that, ‘You can do that.
Grandma doesn’t have to be here for you to do that, and it doesn’t have to be volleyball
that makes you anxious, to do that. You can do that anytime that you feel anxious, all by
yourself.’
She added that the mindful breathing has very successful in helping her granddaughter calm
down and focus her attention.
Awareness of the strategies, the ability to practice them during the course, and the
opportunity to enhance their efficacy via sharing the techniques with students and families,
increase the likelihood that participants will continue using the SEW-building strategies long
after they complete the course. Self-efficacy influences were validated.
Surprise Motivational Influence — Expectancy Value: Teachers Need to Have an
Expectancy of Being Successful in a Task and Believe that the Task will be Valuable
Although not originally selected to be a motivational influence to be explored in this
study, the impact of expectancy value emerged as a strong theme among interviewees, and thus it
seemed pertinent to share the findings here. Expectancy Value models are centered on the
importance of two components in promoting overall motivation: having an expectancy of being
successful in a task and having a value for engaging in the task (Hulleman & Barron, 2015).
Eccles (2006) likens expectancy value to what people expect to occur as a result of their applied
effort and to what degree they feel the outcome is worth.
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Every interviewee discussed how they felt that attending the course had high value to
them, and that factor motivated them and engaged them enough to attend an evening class after a
full day at work (BREATHtaking) or to miss work and have to create plans for a substitute (SEL
2.0). Common themes around value were: seeing the value after attending the introductory
workshop, SEL 101; having their family notice and appreciate the positive shift that was
occurring in them; and just believing that strengthening their SEW was going to be of high value
to them both personally and professionally.
Attending previous SEL trainings had shown the value. SEL-R1 reflected back on an
SEL 101 training she had previously attended, and that although she did not know it at the time,
that was the spark that ignited her passion for learning and teaching SEL and SEW. When the
opportunity came up to participate in SEL 2.0, she was one of the first teachers to sign up. She
disclosed what she had shared with the group in the closing circle of a summer SEL 101 training:
“I was just here for the money, but, actually, doing that little training, I actually feel excited to
start the new year.” The exposure to the information in SEL 101 also sparked expectancy value
for SEL-R4 as well: “After I did the two-day SEL 101 workshop, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. If
there’s anything else, I wanna go to it.’ So, then when they said they were having a 2.0, I was
like, ‘Sign me up.’” A similar response of attending SEL 101 came from SEL-R2 as well: “I
went to 2.0 because I’d already gone to SEL 101 the year before — and I loved it, and I’d
already brought some things back and tried it, so I was totally a believer.”
Family recognition and appreciation of the shift in me. Several of the participants
shared that their spouses noticed the positive changes in their mood and behaviors, and
encouraged them to keep attending class and strengthening their SEW. BT-R9 said:
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I would share with my husband when I would get home at night and just tell him what we
had talked about. I think he really appreciated that I was doing some self-reflection too.
I think that was a good thing just for us getting along in general.
A similar response came from BT-R1, speaking about her husband’s feelings about her
participation in BREATHtaking: “He knows me and my anxiety, and my worrisome tendencies,
and he even noticed a difference. I remember him saying, ‘I love this mindfulness stuff.’ He
appreciated it, a lot.” BT-R4 shared a response along the same lines:
It’s funny cause my boyfriend will tell me, ‘Mindfulness. Mindfulness.’ When I’m
starting to get stressed, I’ll come home and I would tell him the different things that we
did and I’d be like, ‘This is so awesome. So now he’ll start reminding me like, ‘You
need to be mindful.’ So I think with my personal relationship with my boyfriend, it
definitely has helped.
Seeing the value of SEW personally and professionally. In exploring what value
participants saw in attending the course and maintaining the motivation and perseverance to use
the strategies learned, some interviewees shared the value of having “me time,” a time set aside
where they could, without guilt, focus on themselves and self-care. BT-R3 shared, “It was my
time. It was my ‘me time,’ that I could just come and take care of me. I needed it. It was like
my time. So, it was like, I looked forward to going.” Similarly, BT-R9 disclosed that she
enrolled because she wanted to learn skills to “de-stress.” She confessed that having medical
issues and being a full time teacher with two young children causes her to frequently feel
stressed out, and that she appreciated BREATHtaking because “It gave me a time to, like an
appointment to think about de-stressing. Because I feel like if I don’t have the appointment set, I
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won’t do it.” Having “me time” and a chance to cultivate connections with others were also of
value to BT-R5:
Really it was a time for me, that I carved out of my schedule and said, ‘This is me time.
This is something that’s going to help me.’ Every single one of them made me feel
better, feel supported, and know that I was excited to go to the next class. I didn’t want it
to end. It was so valuable, that I wish I had a record button every session.
Getting rejuvenated through the sessions was also a common response. SEL-R5, who is
also enrolled in BREATHtaking this year, shared a similar value to attending the evening class,
even though it is held after work at the opposite end of town from where she lives: “I just know
that I’m going to come out with something that gonna benefit me. I always feel so much better
when I leave than when I went. You get something, you get filled up.” Likewise, BT-R4 likened
going to BREATHtaking like going to the gym, in that it is difficult after a long day, but you just
know the value of it — you know that once you get there, you will feel better. BT-R2 expressed
a similar sentiment about having more energy at the end of the evening session:
But what was interesting is even though it was in the evenings, that I was not tired when I
was driving home. I felt kind of refreshed and felt better, so that’s kind of cool, it’s
meeting the goal that you kind of think you’re gonna have, the payoff part of it.
A majority of SEL 2.0 interviewees shared that knowing they would learn something
valuable to bring back to their students and colleagues motivated them to attend the eight
sessions. SEL-R2 shared simply the value of the strategies on her teaching practice: “SEL is just,
really it’s just good teaching.” SEL-R5 shared the value of meeting with and developing
connections with other teachers across the district through the small family groups that are
embedded into the courses. She appreciated the value in boosting her own sense of belonging:
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I was able to do it, because I saw the benefit that it was having in my classroom and just
in my life personally. And it seemed like when I would come back I would always have
something more to share with my kids. Something more to have, or more courage to do
things, I always found something fun, something new to do with the kids that was
something different that I had done. Just sharing with other teachers was huge too,
because you kind of find out where you are or things that work. And sometimes it’s just
seeing a familiar face and being able to learn more about that person. I could just see the
benefit and I think my kids win by me going and getting a little bit more each time.
SEL-R3 shared the similar value it held for her:
I really enjoyed it for one. I was excited about bringing the new things that I had learned
back to my classroom so more than anything I just knew that it was benefiting my
students. They would get excited when I would come back to class with new activities
for them to try out and do.
SEL-R5 described the value of the strategies she had infused into her classroom, and how
she wants other teachers to take the course as well. She described what she would say to them
about the value of the course: “Just the freedom to bond with the kids and that you’re going to
get so much more outta your classroom by having going through this and trying and bringing that
stuff back in and putting it in your class.”
Other participants shared a more global view of the value of what they had learned in
their personal and professional lives. BT-R8 admitted what had originally drawn her to the class:
We get a lot of invitations to do things and usually because I’m a mom and I’m a full
time employee I just don’t have time, but as soon as I saw that like I knew instantly that
interests me. So it was kind of awesome because not only did I think I could maybe help
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my mentee who couldn’t make the classes because she’s a night school teacher as well, I
thought I could pass on my knowledge to her but also really apply these things to me and
to my daily life. If I went to this class and learned these ways to learn how to meditate
and to be calm, that it could only benefit me. I think when I was diagnosed with a
chronic illness, and I really realized how important stress was in a negative way to
making this worse for me. I just knew, I think of course that helped me to really
understand how important it was for me to take care of myself. So I think that that was
an extra motivator, I would’ve done it anyway because I made a commitment and that’s
what I do, but I loved it from the beginning.
In addition to discovering the value of BREATHtaking for herself, BT-R8 also
encouraged her sister to enroll in the course this year, and revealed that her sister had
experienced the same amazement at how relaxed she was able to feel during the class session.
Similar to BT-R8, BT-R1 also felt that she wanted to share the value and benefits with other
teachers and encourage other teachers to take the course, saying, “I think that every single
individual needs it. I think that it would change a whole lot of things.”
For many participants, the expectancy value was centered around just learning to
strengthen their well-being. BT-R7 shared that she found additional value in how the sessions
were facilitated: “Because I knew I needed more. I needed more strategies. I was so dedicated.
You had good stuff and I wanted it.” When asked what had kept her motivated to attend all eight
sessions of SEL 2.0, SEL-R6 responded, “Invaluable. I would say it’s probably be the best
training you’ll ever attend in your teaching career, for teaching.”
Although expectancy value was not an influence outlined in the original study, it emerged
as a huge motivational factor in keeping participants both interested in attending the sessions of
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the course, and in utilizing the strategies they learn in the course. The next section of this
chapter will explore what organizational influences interact with teacher knowledge and
motivation to affect teacher application of strategies for strengthening SEW.
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences
The final area of results and findings explores organizational influences in the area of
teacher application of strategies for strengthening SEW. Organizational influences were
explored through both the survey and the interview. These are critical to examine because
without effective organizational support, including resources, structures, and policies in place,
the organization can often create barriers to achieving performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Cultural Model: Organizations Need to Cultivate a Safe Climate in Which Employees Feel
a Sense of Belonging
Barsade and O’Neill (2014) describe companionate love as feelings of affection,
compassion, caring, and tenderness for others at work, and found that an emotional culture of
companionate love at work positively relates to employees’ satisfaction and teamwork and
negatively relates to their absenteeism and emotional exhaustion. In looking to discover whether
the organization creates a safe climate in which employees feel a sense of belonging, survey and
interview questions asked about both site and district leadership, as well as relationships with
colleagues. If teachers do not feel safe or a sense of belonging at work, it is unlikely that they
will seek help either for help related to stress or for ways to strengthen their SEW. Doing so
would require trust and a willingness to be vulnerable.
Figure 17 shows results to the item looking to see whether colleagues would likely feel
safe enough to ask for help. Responses indicate the feeling was split with 45% of respondents
agreeing their colleagues would feel safe, and 55% disagreeing. The response was similar in
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seeing if they themselves would be reluctant to ask for help, with 53% indicating that they would
be reluctant to ask for help. These findings show that there is work to be done within the
organization to make teachers feel safer in seeking support. Figure 18 shows survey responses
related to how the site leader creates a sense of belonging, while Figure 19 shows a broader view
of how participants feel at work. Again, these findings indicate that site leaders need to continue
working on specifically and intentionally creating space and structure for building belonging and
cultivating connection among staff. Although the responses show 61% agree that the site leader
sets aside time in staff meetings for staff to get to know each other, the 41% who disagree
illustrate that there is still work to do be done to help staff get to know each other on a more
personal level. Site and district administrators may appreciate knowing that 98% of teachers
who have participated in BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 report that they enjoy coming to work most
days, 90% believe their supervisor cares about them, and 96% believe that their colleagues care
about them. Many interview participants expanded on this idea, reporting that they had close
friends at work, usually within their department, but indicating a gap in having relationships with
colleagues outside of their department.
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Figure 17. Feeling safe enough to ask for help
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Figure 18. Site leader creates sense of belonging
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Figure 19. Site leader intentionally builds belonging
Site leader is supportive and creates a sense of belonging. Several participants shared
that their site administrators go out of their way to show support. BT-R6 said, “One way he likes
to compensate us, or show he appreciates us is, letting us leave from work early. He recognizes
that we work hard so I think he’s gracious in that regard.” A similar response came from BT-R4,
who shared how her administrators support the importance of taking care of herself. She also
appreciates that there is a growth mindset culture where it is safe to make mistakes: “There’s just
no pressure on like having to just be perfect all the time. They’re just really human and really
supportive. I think it’s just like a family.” SEL-R5 also mentioned that she appreciated that her
administrators support her ideas and her ongoing learning. She responded:
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I feel like I can go to them and say, ‘Hey, I want to do this.’ I can go to any conference I
want. I have the green light to do anything I want. I think that that helps. But then I also
have the relationship with them that I can tell them ‘No’ on this, or ‘I need help’ and they
support that. I just think that they support the whole person. I think that these guys
realize that we’re human and the importance of taking care of ourselves.
BT-R8 echoed SEL-R5’s appreciation of autonomy and self-care encouraged by
administration, saying, “We have the best administrators, they’re very supportive in every way,
and this is huge to me, they support us by letting us do our jobs and having confidence that we
can do them, there’s no micromanaging.”
Although SEL-R1 confided that a few of her administrators were lacking support skills,
she conveyed great appreciation for one of her assistant principals, who not only offers her
support, but works to intentionally cultivate connection and build belonging among staff. She
confided, “Thank God for her, she’s great. She’s the one who is our SEL person, which, I’m just
so grateful for her.” Staff morale has been low at their site and this administrator was
collaborating with her to create and support a club for staff: “My assistant principal told me, ‘We
need a way to make the teachers feel loved and connected.’ So, she’s helping me behind the
scenes. I really notice and appreciate her, and she’s trying.”
Site leader is unsupportive. Some participants were reluctant to speak about their
administrators out of some uncertainty that someone could read the study later and figure out
who they were. A few participants were willing to share very openly and honestly about the lack
of support they feel from their administrators. BT-R9 confided:
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To be completely honest, I feel like my administrator claims to be supportive, but is not
in fact actually supportive. So I get the ‘We’ll do anything you need. We’re here for
you’ spiel, but then when you actually need help, it’s not there.
SEL-R1 also shared her sadness and frustration with her principal’s lack of support, but even
more so with her perception that he intentionally says and do things to discourage a sense of
safety, belonging, and connection. She confided:
It’s frustrating, but he loves to be the one to make the joke, and it’s usually at someone
else’s expense. I don’t find him really supportive or encouraging about anything. We
had several teachers choose to transfer to other schools at the end of last year. That
should say something. Why do they wanna leave? You’d think there’d be a moment of
self-reflection, for the admin. If all the admin went through SEL 2.0, I think they’d have
a much better idea of just how to interact with staff. You know, like, how I interact with
my students. My principal has been there the whole time I’ve been there, and I don’t
think he’s ever asked me once about anything with my home life or personal life.
Safe climate of belonging builds engagement and efficacy for teachers. As discussed
extensively in Chapter 2, when teachers feel that they belong and are connected to others at work
as well as the site itself, efficacy increases. Both BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 have embedded
and explicit structures for building belonging and cultivating connection among participants.
Interviewees were asked if and how those structures had impacted them, and responses indicated
that these structures increased feelings of belonging in the sessions and helped motivate them to
attend on days when they have been feeling reluctant.
BT-R6 shared how having family group members that she considered accountability
partners motivated her:
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I felt like I wanted to make sure that we had made this pact together that we would go.
The positive bit of like, I want to say peer pressure, I want to show up for them, I don’t
want to let them down, because I feel like my absence will matter, not because of
anything I could say but like because people cared for each other well.
A similar response came from BT-R4 who attended the sessions with a colleague from her site:
We would also be like, ‘Oh, we just really need to go to Mindfulness today. We need to
go do BREATHtaking.’ We’d have conversations after or before, like okay, we’re
definitely going to need this today. I think just having that partnership, we were able to
get it for each other, for ourselves, and then now we’re able to do it at the school site so
that’s pretty cool.
Establishing meaningful connections proved to be a valuable component of the training
as well. Many expressed that part of the experience was unlike any other training they had
attended, and they wanted to recreate that experience in their classrooms and staff rooms. SEL-
R2 recalled, “Such close relationships, especially in my family group.” She shared about one
member of her family group in particular:
We have this bond, because you did this activity where you had to just stare into each
other’s eyes, and she was my partner for that. We just sat there, we kept getting choked-
up, as we were staring into each other’s eyes, and then she was also in my family group,
and we had shared some things, a memento, something special, during our family circle,
and she shared something super-deep, and so we just have this bond. We still, every time
we see each other, we just grab each other and hug tightly, because there is such a special
bond there.
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SEL-R1 displayed a huge smile as she shared a similar story, as she recalled how she got
so close with her partner in her family group that she would talk about him frequently with her
students. This year, she ran into him at a different training, and described the encounter: “He
walks in and the moment we saw each other, we just hugged each other, and it was just like, hey,
my old friend, here we are.”
Taking it even a step further, participants revealed that the family group structure made
them feel safe asking those they connected with for help and support. BT-R3 said:
I mean it was cool, we were there, cause we were all there for the same reason. And I
thought it was cool that we could all be open, and talk, and we were in a safe
environment, and so that, you know, it was nice.
SEL-R4 shared:
It strengthened the relationship that I had with the other PDL [Professional Development
Leader] on my campus. I think it gave us the same drive to spread SEL and make us
more effective PDLs on campus. But, even our family group, I really felt like I had a
support system. If I was struggling, I had eight other people that I could send an email to
and say, ‘Hey, what’s happening? What am I doing wrong? What could I do differently
next time?’ Or, ‘This is the problem, how would you handle it?’ And so making that
connection with those colleagues really has been huge.
A similar response came from SEL-R3:
I think there was a comfort level built in those little family groups that we were in. I felt
like we were all pretty open in that group. I think we all shared a lot of things that we
probably wouldn’t have shared normally but we did feel really comfortable in that group.
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I think it gave us an opportunity to be real with some of the things that we were doing
and so it made it a little bit more meaningful.
Similarly, SEL-R5 discussed how the personal sharing that they had done in the small groups
created a sense of safety, honesty, and a willingness to be vulnerable enough to ask for help from
others:
I think that teachers on our campus, they’re afraid to try something new because they
don’t know how to do it or they’re afraid of what could happen. It’s just out of their
norm. It’s something new. I think at our table, with our group, because we’ve shared
intimate stuff, we can talk without others thinking we’re getting crazy. I think that that
distance level is down and we’re open on whatever it is. It’s okay because then
somebody’s there and they pick it up and then they help that person. It’s different . . .
we’re a family. I just think that we share one-on-one, me-to-me. We’ve done more
circle things, I just think that’s been a huge plus, and it helps us. Sometimes you learn
from people and you don’t even realize that you’re learning until something clicks, and
you’re like, ‘Oh got it.’
SEL-R5 also discussed how she appreciated not only the family group time, but the time
was allotted in the sessions for participants to share how they had transferred their learning from
previous sessions into practice. She found it helpful hearing how different people adapted the
lessons in a variety of ways, which increased her courage and desire to try new things.
Many of the participants of SEL 2.0 in particular report taking the concepts of circles
back to their classrooms, and also their staff rooms to stress the importance of creating structures
to build belonging. SEL-R2 shared about being asked to lead a department meeting at a large
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high school, and setting the room up ahead of time with chairs in a circle. She chuckled as she
recalled that the staff were not initially receptive to the idea:
So, they came in and they saw, it was an after-school meeting, they came in and they saw
the big circle, and immediately, one guy says, ‘Oh my gosh, are we gonna hold hands and
hug?’ Their motto is ‘SPIRIT.’ So, basically, started the meeting in a circle, and we
said, ‘How have we seen this school spirit play so far this quarter, in either the staff or the
students?’ There were probably 20 teachers. By the time it got all the way around,
everybody had had a chance to share something really cool, that they were proud of about
their school, or their professional practice, or their kids, and everybody’s affect was way
down, and they were ready to learn. So, without telling them, ‘We’re gonna do this to set
you at ease,’ we kinda did it, and then after we worked through the structure and
everything, and taught ‘em all, for the most part, people had a lot of positive things to
say.
The research discussed in Chapter 2 focused on the importance of belonging and
connection in the workplace to strengthen both well-being, efficacy, and employee engagement,
and this influence was validated. The survey and interview responses confirm that this is
important and that there is still work to be done in this area.
Cultural Model: Organizations Need to Encourage and Create Structures for Teacher
Voice in Input, Decision-Making, and Feedback
Research presented and discussed in Chapter 2 revealed that teacher voice is an important
factor in lowering teacher stress. The opportunity to for teachers to express voice was explored
explicitly in the survey questions and came out in answers to other questions in the interview.
Figure 20 illustrates the responses to survey questions in the area of teacher voice, indicating that
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at the site level, 96% reported that they are encouraged to come up with new ideas, yet only 69%
reported that they are able to influence policies and practices at their school. In examining the
perception of the district’s priority on teacher voice, 65% reported that the district values teacher
input, while only 42% agree that the district asks for teacher input.
Figure 20. Teacher voice
Teacher voice. When asked what the organization could do to help strengthen teacher
SEW, a few teachers mentioned the importance of having input and being heard. BT-R1 shared
how teachers at her site feel a strong need to go explore their curriculum, and didn’t feel that
need was addressed:
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I feel like they need to ask the teachers, ‘What is the need that you have?’ Instead of
making something up on their own. I just feel like, they’re not as connected as they
could be with what’s going on with the teachers and in the classroom. And so, therefore,
they’re not providing us with what we need. I feel like they need to come to us a little bit
more instead of asking everybody else or making stuff up on their own.
BT-R9 agreed that district leaders could seek out teacher voice more, pointing out that
you are a not in a union position, you may not have the opportunity to express your opinion. She
expressed that administrators could “do a better job by taking an inventory of all the things that
they’re asking us to do, and not just piling on one more thing on all the time.” Although she
realizes that site administrators are getting pressure from the district and then subsequently
giving tasks to teachers, she wishes that principals would “just asked us how we felt. What’s
going well? What’s not going well? I wish that we could have a candid conversation.” She also
mentioned that even if she could express her opinion directly, she would be afraid of backlash
because she does not feel there is a level of trust between teachers and administrators. SEL-R3
expressed she also would like to see site principals solicit more input from teachers, saying:
I think that maybe principals could be more proactive in bringing things to their campus
more than just kind of letting it happen. Maybe be more deliberate about asking their
staff what they want versus the district doing it. I think staff might respond well if their
administrator would just come straight to them and say, ‘Hey what could we do?’
Other interviewees expressed frustration at the illusion of teacher voice, the idea that they
are asked for their voice in decisions, but there is a lack of follow through. BT-R3 shared, “We
decided as a staff, what our three goals were gonna be. And he [the principal] gets to pick one,
and then we get to pick the other two.” She shared that although the staff chose to work on PBIS
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(Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports), “It’s not happening, and we’re kind of tired of it.
It’s like, ‘Okay, you guys have 30 minutes at the next staff meeting,’ and then something comes
up, and it gets pushed to the side.”
Another way that teachers can have a voice is through becoming Internal Champions of
the SEW work. SEL 2.0 participants are explicitly called Internal Champions and are pressed
and encouraged by the session facilitators to champion SEL/SEW at their site and within their
district. Although the idea of Internal Champions is not explicitly addressed in BREATHtaking,
it was discovered through the course of the interviews that the encouragement and support to
prioritize SEW for themselves and their colleagues may have been a catalyst for participants to
initiate leading this work back at their sites.
Figure 21 shows how BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 participants responded to survey
questions related to having opportunities to lead: 100% of BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 recipients
agree that the work that they do each day is meaningful; 96% feel that they have the opportunity
to demonstrate their strengths at work; 96% agree that in their role at work, they are encouraged
to come up with new ideas, with 69% stating strongly agree; and 90% agree that their colleagues
show appreciation for their contributions in the workplace. This data indicates they feel they
have the opportunity to share with colleagues, are asked to come up with new ideas, and find
their work meaningful. However, when it comes to transferring the innovative ideas into site
structures, policies, procedures, and practices, they feel less confident about their ability to
influence change, with only 69% believing that they can influence site policies and procedures.
They also may have less opportunity to lead at the district level, with just 73% agreeing that the
district motivates them to go above and beyond their role.
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Figure 21. Internal champions — opportunities to lead
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Interview participants discussed how being able to share their voice, experience new
learning and develop their expertise, and have the opportunity to teach other teachers was a
valuable experience for them. BT-R8 proudly shared a story of how Mindfulness has now
become “contagious” and is spreading organically through teacher-led sharing and actions:
This teacher and I have this office together. So now we start off our day and put on the
10-minute mindfulness moments, and so he and I sit in our chairs and we close our eyes
and we start our day with this 10-minute practice. We have two huge windows that you
can look into our office. So we have a security guard who one day comes in and he’s
cracking up. He’s at the window and he happened to look in and [my colleague] and I
are sitting there with our eyes closed and he’s like, ‘Are you guys are sleeping on the
job?’ So I bring him in and he’s this big burly security guard and I’m like, ‘Sit down and
listen.’ Now every day he says, ‘Hey, are we going to do our meditation today?’ So we
really have applied it and it is kind of spreading, I tell everyone they need to do it.
The opportunity to share has empowered teachers to be leaders, and in the process, has
strengthened their efficacy. SEL-R3 shared how sometimes students tell other teachers about the
SEL practices she does in her classroom and how much they love it, and then they come to her
asking for help:
I did a math circle at one of the continuation schools and the little girl went in and told
her counselor and the interventionist that she loved the circle and now she knows how to
do math and she wants to do it again. They’re begging the teacher every day. Word gets
around pretty fast. It makes me feel amazing because this particular little girl had come
in at the very beginning of class before I started and she was in conversation with the
teacher and she was telling him how she wasn’t going to pass the test. Then she came up
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to me and told me, ‘I’m not going to be participating in this today because I don’t
understand it.’ I told her it’s okay. You don’t need to participate. It’s not a big deal.
Just really listen. I think you’re going to learn from it. By the time we got to her in the
circle, not only did she participate but she got it all right and she was super excited. I
think that’s the girl that went in and told them about how she wanted to do all kinds of
circles now.
SEL-R3’s words demonstrate that she feels empowered, engaged, and efficacious as a
champion of SEL, and that her voice and her work is valued. SEL-R2, who serves in a new role
this year supporting other teachers in the district on SEL, shared how she views her opportunity
to champion the work:
What I’ve carved out, and how I can be most useful, is creating relationships with
teachers on the site. I go to their school climate meetings, I’m forging networks with
them and I’m actually going into their classes and showing them how you can build and
teach a lesson with SEL strategies embedded in their content, so not leaving your content
at the door, cause that’s a big concern of teachers, but working with both. And, the really
cool thing that I’ve been doing simultaneously, while I’m in there modeling and teaching
in their classes, is showing them how they can pick a behavior target and hammer on that.
I’ll stay in their classroom for two full days, and teach every class.
Some teachers even ask to lead the work at their sites or in their departments, as
evidenced by SEL-R7, who shared, “One day I asked the department head, ‘Could you let me do
the circle?’ So I did it. So they really liked it, and I said to my department head, ‘This is what
we need to do school-wide.’” Similarly, SEL-R4 approached the other teachers at his site who
were SEL 2.0 participants, and asked them to join him in asking the principal if they could lead
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an SEL lesson or activity at every major staff meeting. He added that he loves taking what he
has learned and practices in his personal life and have it work in his classroom to help students
find calm has been incredibly rewarding, but that being recognized as a leader has taken it to a
higher level. He stated that because he has told staff how well it has worked in his classroom,
“People are like, ‘Hey, what do you do for mindfulness? How do you make it work?’ People
come to me to figure it out.”
Another teacher, SEL-R6 echoed the satisfaction gained by doing a presentation for
colleagues:
So all of the teachers went through the in-service session that we presented. It went
really well. I did have a couple teachers email me afterwards and ask me, you know,
‘Hey, can you send me that list of questions that you used with us?’ And you know, ‘Tell
me more about this.’
While leading a presentation for her staff, SEL-R5 told her personal story to colleagues,
sharing how she was a student in school who often felt disconnected, detached, and disengaged.
She expressed that she wanted them to understand why this work is so important:
I presented a couple weeks ago and before I did it, I gave my peers the why, and why I
believe in this system. Some of them came up afterwards and said, ‘That really helped
me to understand, because I know there are kids like you in my classroom and I don’t
want them to have those feelings like you did. To not feel connected and this and that.’
It was really sweet, but I get the opportunity now to share some of this stuff with more
people, so that’s kind of fun. Even the ones that say, ‘I can’t do that.’ I just work on
them. That part is fun — to see other people joining in on the excitement, and excitement
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is good. The excitement was putting something together and showing them how simple it
could be, with the bonus that could come out of it.
SEL-R1 told her story about championing SEL work at the site and district level:
I’ve had a lot of colleagues reach out to me and ask to come see me, or do I have an
explanation of what I do, or things like that. And I get observed a lot. And when my
school gets PBIS observations, like, we get a lot of visitors since we’ve won some gold
stars and whatever, so people know to come to us. So, usually I get asked if the group
can come see me. So, that’s how it gets shared, a lot. I also share a lot on Facebook,
both on my personal and then in the ABC group to let other people also be uplifted by the
moment.
She went on to share how she partnered with a colleague who had also attended SEL 2.0
to teach all of the Learning Team Leaders at their site how to do circles. Since SEL-R1 had
already been implementing circles in her classroom, she asked her students to lead the small staff
circles, and was happy to see how the staff responded:
I think it really moved them, that kids cared that much about it to teach them how to do it.
So, I think it just made those team leaders just a lot more open to the idea. And I did get
a lot more people asking about it, once we did do that.
When asked how it made her feel to have all of these opportunities to share her expertise and
efficacy, she responded:
I mean, good, really good. I guess sometimes you, maybe, just wonder, am I really
supposed to be doing this? Am I good at what I do? Is this where I’m supposed to be?
So, I guess it helps carry you through the negative times when you ponder that people
think you’re doing a good job and they care to see you and they care to learn from you.
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When organizations, both at the site and district level, reach out to solicit teacher voice,
demonstrate they value it, and provide time and opportunities for teachers to share their voice
with other teachers, it is a win-win situation. Research presented in Chapter 2, together with
survey results and interview findings indicated this influence is validated.
Site leader supports/prioritizes SEL/SEW. It is one thing for teachers to be champions
of SEL, but the power of positive change is magnified when the site leader is a strong supporter
as well. Survey results show 80% of participants in agreement that the principal prioritizes SEL
for students, and 78% agreeing that the principal prioritizes SEL for adults.
Figure 22. Site leader supports SEL
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Interviewees also shared their appreciation and enthusiasm toward site leaders who
supported what they had learned in SEL 2.0 and BREATHtaking. SEL-R6 recalled how her vice
principal would always check in and ask her how the session went, and she would tell how
perfectly it fits in with her class: “They were pleased to know that what we were learning and
doing was valuable and sparking new ideas and things for us to either use in our classrooms, or
that we could share with staff, and district as a whole.” SEL-R5 shared a similar experience and
mentioned that her administrators realize the power of the information coming from the teachers
to teachers rather than a top-down directive, and so they have been very supportive of teachers
leading the charge. She shared how exciting it is to present to her colleagues, “because my
administration, they love it. They believe in it. They see the importance of it.”
SEL-R4 described his administrator as being a believer in SEL: “My principal is very
much in the belief that you have to love on our students. That’s his key. He says it at every staff
meeting, ‘Love on our students.’” SEL-R4 then told the story of how he approached his
administrator with his passion to do more with SEL, and was excited to find his idea for a new
SEL class received with unwavering support. The principal agreed to the class, supported the
teacher both with encouragement, resources, and on-going Professional Learning, and the
students have flourished. At the end of the first quarter, 100% of the students, who were selected
based on their high number of 8th grade failing classes, were earning a 2.0 or higher in all of
their classes. The principal now wants to add more sections of the SEL class so that more
students have the opportunity to learn successful strategies and build belonging to school and to
each other.
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Some interviewees indicated that some leaders still have work to do to strengthen teacher
SEW. SEL-R2 shared how teachers:
. . . kind of really have to self-advocate for our own wellness. At our site our
interventionist provides a mindfulness time after school, I think, twice a week. And he
has a pretty cool little room where he does that. So, I think that’s good.
BT-R6 shared that if principals really want to lower stress and boost SEW, they should
provide their teachers with more feedback specifically designed to strengthen their skills as well
as enhance engagement and efficacy:
It’s just really cool to think about the framework of well-being. I think a lot of times
many people might not see it as growing to your fullest potential, right? And I see a lot
of teachers at my school wanting more feedback from administrators. Administrators,
who even though at the beginning of the year said they would be in classrooms, have not
been. And so teachers are like, ‘They don’t know if I’m doing well or not.’ I think it’s
demotivating. But I think that would really engage and excite a lot of teachers to get
feedback and then to work at it. We’re really trying to hold kids to higher academic
standards and apply academic press. But I don’t know is if it could be done I think at a
much more rapid rate if there are people in there creating a culture of feedback and
growth, and that’s not happening right now.
Another suggestion to help site leaders better support and prioritize SEL was to have site
leaders go through training themselves. SEL-R1 expressed her frustration at the gap in
knowledge and understanding that her site leaders have about their own SEL skills, as well as in
how to support SEL for students and staff:
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I think that all admin needs to go through SEL 2.0. I think that’d be my first thing.
Because, I feel like a lot of them forgot what it’s like to be a teacher, they’ve been out of
it so long. I know they get bogged down. I wouldn’t wanna be an administrator because
it seems like you deal with a lot of negative shit. But, you know, if they want their staff
to care and be involved and whatever, they need to understand us as a human before an
employee.
The literature, survey results, and interview findings validate that the need for site leaders
to increase their ability and deliverability of support for SEL/SEW is important.
District support of SEL/SEW. A majority of survey respondents were in agreement
that their district supports SEL for students and staff and offers access to programs that address
stress and SEW. The fact that survey participants had the opportunity take part in courses that
promote SEW may have influenced the strong agreement. Figure 23 illustrates results that 80%
of participants believe that the district supports SEL for students, 79% believe the district
supports SEL for staff, 73% believe the district offers ongoing access to programs to address
stress, and 71% believe the district offers ongoing access to programs that address well-being.
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Figure 23. District support of SEL/SEW
Interviewees were asked what district structures were in place to support SEL/SEW.
Many teachers expressed that having SEL 2.0 and BREATHtaking available to some teachers was
a step in the right direction. BT-R8 shared: “I don’t know like how this came about that our
district offered this, but I feel like they’ve taken a great first step, in that bringing you in was
huge.” SEL-R5 agreed:
Just the importance that BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 . . . just the benefits that it’s
allowed . . . I just think of myself and the tools just a few different things that you’ve
shared and how it helps me as a person. And I would think that if they would continue
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that, and if we can reduce some of the stress, then you’re going to reduce some of the sick
calls that people being out. I think that there would be a decline in that.
A couple of teachers specifically mentioned how their districts have been very supportive
of PBIS and are now beginning their support of SEL. SEL-R6 shared that her district “has been
very supportive, just with the implementation of all the PBIS strategies. The incorporation of
that and the support system that’s behind that has fed and led straight into what we’ve been
working on and doing with the SEL.” BT-R7, however, shared his hope for a stronger focus on
SEL: “I think the PBIS support that they have through the district is great. However, I think
there’s only a sliver of SEL. We need to expand it because that’s what’s going to change
environments in our district.”
Two of the three districts offered an incentive for taking BREATHtaking — participants
were paid for attending. To BT-R4, this demonstrated that the district was placing a high priority
on SEL and mindfulness by putting their money behind it, and voiced her appreciation:
I think just offering this course was huge cause I hadn’t experienced that anywhere else,
like where you actually just are going to pay people to just go somewhere and just work
on themselves and just help themselves just be a better person. I think that just shows
how much they care.
Other participants reported that their district gives teachers opportunities to learn, grow,
and lead, which provides a chance to boost SEL/SEW. BT-R6 explained how the district offers
leadership seminars and extends the invitation to teachers in order to build capacity. Having
participated in these, she expressed the impact on her: “When it’s not just administrators in there,
when it has a lot of teachers, there’s ways to excel and feel like you’re growing as a
professional.” BT-R3 discussed how two other teachers who have been through SEL sessions
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and are BREATHtaking course graduates approached the school board and teachers’ union and
were granted permission and support by district leaders to teach mindfulness classes to district
teachers. She said that she believed their new class would be held over six months and include
topics like gratitude and forgiveness. She added that they had been so successful using the
strategies learned in BREATHtaking with their students, they wanted to offer it to teachers.
BT-R2 shared how there has been an increase in the number of teachers in the district
going out on stress leave. The district is hoping that with a new and intentional district focus on
SEW, SEL, PBIS, and Restorative Practices, this number will go down. He described how one
of the district leaders supports the work: “He is very excited about our social/emotional PD that
we’re trying to get structured. His whole department is very supportive of techniques being
taught for teacher wellbeing and staff wellbeing.” He explained that many district leaders have
an understanding that “adult behavior, and adult mindsets, and that kind of stuff helps the big
picture.” He went to share that staff stress has had a large impact in their district, resulting in an
increase in mental health diagnoses among staff, and they have had more people in the last
couple years taking mental health breaks prescribed by their physician. He stated, “It’s one thing
we wanna track, staff sick days and staff mental health breaks, if they go on them. We can
anonymously track that information to see how much money that’s saving our district on the
backend for subs.”
Cultural Setting: Organizations Need to Create Structures to Build Meaningful
Collaboration and Connectedness Amongst Staff
Earlier in this chapter, the importance of belonging and connection to engagement and
efficacy was discussed, as well as in Chapter 2. If organizations want to strengthen SEW, it is
necessary to intentionally create structures to cultivate connection and build belonging. Figure
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24 illustrates the responses to questions regarding opportunities to connect and collaborate in
meaningful ways. Survey results indicate that 75% of respondents agree that district leaders
provide structured opportunities for collaboration with colleagues from district sites, 73% agree
that that it is easy to collaborate with other departments at their sites, and 60% agree that their
principal creates time in staff meetings for staff to get to know each other better.
Figure 24. Site and district structures for meaningful collaboration
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District needs to provide processing time with colleagues. Several participants
stressed the importance of the district allowing time for processing and collaborating with
colleagues, both from their site, and from other sites. Although many mentioned site-specific
collaboration, they believe this would need to be supported by the district office so that site
administrators could feel they had permission to prioritize it. Participants suggested it would be
ideal to have a full day, but thought even a half-day offered shortly after each training to go
through the material they learned, discuss it again, and use the time for collaborating and
planning lessons would be valuable. BT-R3 shared her frustration with her principal, who sends
staff to trainings, but gives them no time to discuss and collaborate on what they have learned:
We said it to his face, it’s like, you want this to work. You want us to do this, but you
have to give us the time to train the teachers. You have to give us time to learn how to do
this. We can’t just go to one little meeting, and say, ‘Okay, we’ve been trained.’ They
gave us a mindfulness book. Have we done anything with it? No. It’s just sitting there
collecting dust.
SEL-R1 also shared the importance of having processing time with colleagues at the site:
We want time to just come back to the site and go like, ‘Okay. So, what do we get from
that? What do we wanna do? Do we need to make lessons to go with it?’ Where you
can kinda talk it out . . . get ideas.
SEL-R4 had a similar response:
I think this is the standard teacher response, but more time. Teachers are going to
trainings non-stop, all the time, but we don’t really have the time to just sit and talk and
figure out a plan of how we’re gonna incorporate it. And that’s what I liked about the
2.0, is that we had those increments thrown in there, ‘Just talk to your people. Figure out
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what you’re gonna do this month, figure out what you’re gonna do this week to get it
going.’
He explained that once teachers get back to the site they fall into the same familiar routine of
teaching content and preparing students for tests, and getting so caught up in the busyness that
they do not take time to collaborate on new ideas. He emphasized wanting more post-training
time to talk with colleagues.
Several participants shared that although they have time to collaborate in PLCs, they
don’t often get to collaborate on the topics they choose. SEL-R4 said:
We have to look at the data or we have to give out this information because that’s what
they told us to give out. And so, we don’t get that time to just sit and like, ‘Oh, I went to
this training. Here’s what I learned, what do you think?’
SEL-R4 agreed that PLC time does not always give them the collaboration or connections that
they seek, “Even the time that we do have, like our PLC time or our department time, a lot of
time gets taken up by looking at other things and not planning for things to come, new things.”
BT-R1 also expressed that although the district does give them some time to collaborate,
teachers do not get to use the time in the way that they believe would be most beneficial: “I think
that our district gets caught up in maybe, the numbers or whatever. And forgets about the
students.” She explained how they had a new textbook adoption but have not been given the
training or time needed to explore it. She suggested that the district promises time, but does not
follow through: “They say, ‘Oh, you can have a day whenever you want a day.’ But, yet when
we have a whole staff day, together, an in-service day . . . they don’t do anything for that.” She
added: “If they made our time more meaningful, when they have our time, that would be helpful
organizational wise.”
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Having opportunities to get together with SEL 2.0 colleagues from other sites to work
together to create lessons, share best practices, and develop strategies and structures was also
suggested. SEL-R6 shared:
I think even on the district end, some additional session development time would be
beneficial to pulling in teachers; whether its networking, and sharing what they’ve done,
to how they’ve done it, to talking to other teachers in the same subject area that have tried
things and how those have worked out.
SEL-R3 shared that district leaders may be concerned that teachers would waste time, but felt if
a structure was created to make good use of the time, it could be successful:
The feedback I get from other teachers is that they want that kind of time. They want
time to do all that kind of stuff and it’s not provided. There was somebody who just said
that the other day he feels like there’s always great ideas but there’s no time to implement
or to put anything together specific to what they’re teaching. I think one of the concerns
is that their thinking maybe teachers are going together and they’re not going to know
where to start. Maybe the ToSAs [Teachers on Special Assignment] need to come up
with or other teachers could also bring some ideas to the table and have a plan. Maybe a
little bit structured ahead of time.
BT-R2 agreed that the processing time should be structured, and maybe offered during the
summer when teachers were not feeling so overwhelmed with other obligations:
I find it very frustrating that when I go to presentations, that you have all this great
information, and you have a day to get it, but you’re getting it the middle of a school
year. It’s October, it’s been 40 days since anybody had a vacation. I just had three
curriculum roll-outs, and I’m supposed to get something from the training I’m at, and
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take it back and be able to implement it, where I might be one of five people at my site
that’s doing it. I find that that’s not very conducive to great, long-term change. I wish
we could structure some of our professional learning in summer, or in downtime when
people . . . their mind was more clear to be introspective with, ‘How am I gonna use
this?’
Organizations need to provide space and structure for staff to develop meaningful
connections. SEL-R1 shared how helpful it was to have a support network within the SEL 2.0
cohort after experiencing a challenging situation at work:
I called and reached out to them for support from other people who I know really know
me, plus, know my priorities, know what I do and just give me honest feedback to also go
through and just follow up with.
She went on to share how she is trying to take what she learned through her experience in SEL
2.0 to build meaningful connections among colleagues at work:
I want to just make our school a fun place for all: where everyone enjoys coming and
being there; where all students feel loved and appreciated; where kids don’t fall through
the cracks. I want that perfect, utopian kind of school, you know. I’m like, ‘Yeah, you
know, let’s get this staff connected!’
Learning the value of building belonging and cultivating connection in SEL 2.0 was
acknowledged by other interviewees as well. They shared that the discussions during the
sessions were more meaningful, and they felt more comfortable sharing because a safe space and
setting were created. BT-R8 said:
I feel like because you created this safe space that was not intrusive but allowed people to
feel safe, but it wasn’t in a weird like you’re sharing too much, it was just a very safe,
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calm atmosphere so we were able to kind of share things with people that normally I
wouldn’t have.
Several interviewees shared that their department or grade-level groups will sometimes
have an organized happy hour or dinner, but they didn’t find these types of get-togethers
meaningful, because people tend to talk and sit with the same people they already know. There
is no structured strategy in place at these types of events for getting to know people you don’t
know, or getting to know the ones you do in a more meaningful way. Many of them voiced
concerns that many social gatherings end up being complaining sessions, and often end up more
stressful than relaxing. BT-R5 summed it up like this:
We have a lot of social gatherings. They’ll pick a restaurant, and everybody goes for
social hour. Well, first of all, people start drinking alcohol and then they start bashing,
and it’s negative, so I don’t find those things as helpful. There are a lot of teachers that
get together and they socialize together in the lunchroom, but I find that a lot of it is not
supportive. It’s more negative, bash-y kind of thing, and I just try to stay away from it.
SEL-R2 also shared her frustration with the negative, complaining, culture in place that
sometimes happens when teachers get together: “I think, teachers, sometimes we talk ourselves
into having a bad day. We seriously do.” She suggested that to help prevent that negativity,
staff meetings should be held in circles, and could start off with a question to the group asking
them to share about positive interactions with a student or staff member:
When people start talking about the positive things, and they start focusing on what is
good, and why, they might start to realize, we have it pretty good, we have good kids, we
have good friends, we have a good life. But you have to focus on those good things. If
you’re focusing on the bad things, you’re blowing them way, way out. So, I would like
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to see, I mean, for me, that’s the most powerful thing, maybe training site administrators
and then district administrators, too, for their staff, in the structures that they could
provide for their staff to build positive emotions, to build relationships. And not even
telling them, ‘Well, we’re doing this so you can go do it to your class.’ Nope, ‘We’re
doing this for you, for us.’
SEL-R2 went on to report how after negative events such as fights or community crises,
teachers get scared and cynical, but there is no positive structure in place for staff to come
together to talk about how they feel, or a formalized structure to make sure there is community
building among students to reduce the likelihood of fights in the first place. She wants things to
be different, in order to create safety and trust, strengthen well-being, and elicit different
outcomes:
You know what? We need to pull back, we need to get our kids in our classes, we need
to do a circle, and we need to talk about safety and conflict and how we manage things.
It’s a crazy world out there, so I think it’s a good budget of time, to do those practices,
even away from content, and maybe teachers need to understand that a little better. But,
on days that are hard, or days when something happens in the world that there are no easy
answers, sometimes, staff just need to get together and we need to share and be
vulnerable enough to say, ‘I’m afraid.’ Or, ‘I don’t understand.’ And we need to have a
safe place to do that.
Cultural Setting: Organizations Need to Create Sustainable Structures for Strengthening
Staff Social Emotional Wellness
In order for SEW to be addressed in a way that is both successful and sustainable, district
structures need to be created that intentionally focus on building the well-being of teachers.
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Interviewees were asked what current structures the district has in place to address teacher well-
being.
Current well-being structures in place. SEL-R3 responded, “We do have our wellness
program and I was a part of that the last couple of years. They offer a lot of proactive type of
health fairs and whatever.” Although this participant utilized the service, others shared that they
believe most teachers do not access the wellness services, either out of lack of awareness that
they exist, or out of inconvenient time/location issues. SEL-R7 replied, “I know that they [the
district] have a girl that does a lot of fitness stuff and all that. I don’t know how many teachers
overall do it.” A similar response came from SEL-R2:
As a district, we have a well-being person, or a wellness person, and she’s at the district
office. So, she provides opportunities for Yoga, nutrition, health clinics, things like that.
The big district wellness thing, you have to go somewhere to take the class, usually, it’s
on the opposite side of town, so, I’ve never done any of them.
SEL-R5 added:
I do believe that our district is changing some things because we do have like yoga
classes. I think that they understand but there’s still in progress. I think that they want to
do what’s right for the employees and for the kids but I think sometimes they just don’t
know how that looks. Or it’s uncomfortable because they haven’t done it.
The majority of participants were not aware of any wellness programs other than BREATHtaking
or SEL 2.0.
District needs to provide more SEL/SEW training. Another structure that participants
specifically suggested was more SEL 2.0 and BREATHtaking training for teachers and
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administrators. Some participants were looking for the district to provide additional training for
them in particular. BT-R1 shared:
I just wanna come more. I just wanna come more and be able to do it. It’s almost like a
class I need to keep going too. Because, like I said, it’s been several months and I don’t
practice it like I should. I’m aware of it, but I don’t practice it like I should. I need that
reminder.
A similar response came from SEL-R6, who also stressed the importance of all teachers
receiving training:
SEL 2.0 is something that I think all teachers need. In my opinion this type of curriculum
should be embedded in the credentialing programs at this point. I feel there should be a
3.0. Maybe that will be in the works? A refresher something like that?
Attending a refresher or retreat style training came up multiple times. BT-R7 suggested:
We need a 3.0 in BREATHtaking. I would like to see again you come back and expand
more, and see how we can apply it to our environment at our sites. That’s what we need.
We’ve got some basics. I would like to have some kind of BREATHtaking course in the
summer where we’re not so stressed with all the kids and we can just do a retreat and just
camp out in the gym. Make it social and fun for us, but yet still learning the things we
need to learn and take that with the mindset that we’re going to take it back to our class,
like a planning. Maybe if our district does an SEL 2.0, we’ll be the SEL ambassadors and
take it back to the district and to each site. I know there’s people who want to do that
besides just me. It has shown proof in my class how it changes the students’ mindset. I
want to share that with everyone!
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BT-R6 added that more training would be beneficial to her district as well:
I think we should hire [ABC company] to do the social emotional, the deep dive into
SEL. I may be a little biased, but I think our district is healthy on many levels and I think
this will just be such a cool extra layer of continued support. You already have so many
committed teachers, I can’t even imagine if you had really large comrades of teachers
going through like an SEL 2.0, or a large number of them going through
BREATHtaking . . . I think employee engagement would just continue to go through the
roof, when we already have such a good baseline to work with.
BT-R8 shared similar thoughts about offering BREATHtaking:
I think every teacher at our school should take BREATHtaking so that they can pass it
along to our students, who would benefit so greatly by learning about how to control their
emotions or at least know what to do instead of just panicking in a situation or lashing
out. But how to just think and breathe and then focus on whatever the issue is. I truly
believe that this practice, mindfulness, I think it’s key. Like I honestly think every
teacher in our district should be introduced to it and should practice it in whatever way
they’re comfortable. Because there’s not a negative side to this. I feel like every teacher,
not just in our district, could benefit from this personally. Just as important is to bring
this to our students and to bring it early on so they can practice this and understand the
importance of taking care of themselves and being kind and compassionate to others. I
truly feel like it should be like a course in school, like you have English, you have Math,
but let’s start our day off with mindfulness.
BT-R4 agreed that mindfulness should be integrated school-wide for all staff and
students: “I think if you could embed more of that school-wide and teaching more teachers on
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how to do different strategies, use mindfulness strategies, like I think it would just change a lot
of culture.” SEL-R5 would also like to see a space on school campuses that supported
mindfulness for both staff and students: “It would be nice to have a room on every campus that
you can just go and it’s a calming room.” Other interviewees shared the importance of teaching
students SEL skills. SEL-R3 said:
I think, especially at the high school level, to have more content specific circles and
opportunities for content teachers to kind of collaborate and come up with ways that they
can incorporate it into their content or as part of their curriculum.
SEL-R7 expressed her concern that society, but especially students, are losing their ability to
communicate and have empathy for one another. She feels that taking the time to teach SEL
skills is critical:
I’ve noticed over the fourteen years that my students are not as communicating with me
as much as they used to. I know sometimes a lot of these kids don’t talk to their parents.
They don’t have that communication. They don’t sit down and have dinner. They don’t
have the familial bond. I think it is so crucial. And I ask kids, I said, ‘Do you guys sit
down and have dinner?’ And maybe one or two hands. And I said, ‘Every day?’ And
maybe one hand stays up. I think that’s what we are really facing. We are facing a crisis.
There’s no empathy. There’s no feelings. I don’t think people are sensitive. I think
people are almost zoned out, and like, ‘Oh, there’s another shooting. Okay. That’s
another shooting. Oh, there’s another one. Oh okay.’ There’s no emotion. That’s what
I’m dealing with.
Participants were in agreement that districts need to intentionally and explicitly create
structures for strengthening SEW including: mindfulness programs at each site, additional
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trainings to continue their continued growth in BREATHtaking/SEL 2.0, and a roll out of
trainings for all staff and students that would teach skills to strengthen SEL and SEW. Thus, this
influence was validated.
Additional Organizational Influence: Organizations Need to Intentionally Seek to Create a
Virtuous Cycle of SEW and Employee Engagement
Although it was not included in the KMO influences selected at the beginning of the
study, it became apparent throughout data collection that participants who had completed
BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 experienced an increase in factors that have been shown to strengthen
employee engagement. Several themes emerged during the analysis, including: love of job;
feeling a sense of meaning, passion and purpose at work, taking the initiative to create change,
and that the course was life-changing.
Enhancing engagement by strengthening the love for the job. Figure 25 shows that
98% of participants reported enjoying coming to work on most days. When asked how she feels
about going to work, BT-R7 responded, “I love my job. SEL makes me love my job.” SEL-R6
shared, “I feel like I get paid to have fun every day.” Similarly, SEL-R1 responded:
I definitely love it. I love my classroom and my students. That’s just a dream, you know,
it’s so smooth. They respond so well to it. They get it. They’ve really risen and even
surpassed what I was expecting for them. So, I love going to my classroom.
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Figure 25. Enjoy coming to work most days
BT-R7 described how incorporating kindness into her classroom has reignited her spark
for teaching:
Every other Friday we do a friendship activity. Then we’re doing a kindness activity next
month. It’s just all those good character traits, bringing it to the classroom has really
sparked me to make sure that the kids do that. I take that excited energy to make them
excited.
SEL-R5 shared how she feels like her involvement in SEL 2.0 has re-ignited her passion
for teaching. When asked how she would describe SEL 2.0 to another teacher, she replied:
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I would describe it as something that would just change their view about their classroom
and about the kids in it. Maybe set them on fire . . . I love what I do. I love my job. I
love the opportunities I have with the kids, talking to them about their behaviors, ‘Why
are you doing this? What’s going on?’ Helping them to peel their layers back, that is
exciting. I love that. I love to go to work! I love my co-workers; I think it’s fun.
SEL-R3 discussed how when she is focused on SEL, she is in a state of flow, not even
knowing what time it is when she is working, because the time seems to fly by:
We talk about everything we do and we share it and try everybody’s new stuff. It’s
exciting. I love all of this stuff. I love SEL. I love our SEL practices. I love all of it.
For me to be able to go around and spread my love for that. It’s very engaging. The days
fly by. I don’t even know what time it is anymore. I love it and I just feel like the more I
can get out there into different classrooms and build that love for other people and just
seeing the impact it has on the students. It’s a wonderful feeling. I’m very, very happy
to do it.
SEL-R2 confided that she has always enjoyed her job, but that SEL 2.0 took her love for
work a step further, increasing her appetite for reaching and teaching students:
I always liked my job. I knew instantly that I am right where God wants me to be. But,
with the SEL practices, I describe it sometimes as ‘eating peanuts.’ The more you eat,
the more you want to have. It just was really fun for me. It just really kind of breathed
an extra kind of energy into my teaching, cause I saw how excited the kids were getting,
and they took it outside of the classroom, and they started doing things. It really kinda
just became this big movement of kindness on my campus that my kids went crazy with.
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Enhancing engagement through passion and purpose. Several of the interviewees
shared how being involved in SEL 2.0 or BREATHtaking has not only improved their own
personal well-being, but has ignited a sense of passion and purpose at work, and given their job
new meaning. Figure 26 shows the results of the survey questions related to meaning, passion
and purpose at work. It illustrates that 100% of participants believe that the work they do each
day is meaningful. That is worth re-stating. Every single survey participant reported that they
believe the work they do is meaningful, and considering that 87% of them also selected strongly
agree, that is indicative of powerful engagement. Additionally, 96% agree that they have the
opportunity to demonstrate their strengths at work, 90% feel that their colleagues appreciate their
contributions at work, and 98% feel proud of the work they are doing at work with their
colleagues. The survey also asked participants if their principal provides connections between
the work they do and a deeper meaning and purpose, emphasizing the why of what they do, and
81% answered affirmatively. Having access and support to engage in ongoing learning and
leading can also increase meaning and purpose, and 88% of respondents said that their site leader
provides them with opportunities to learn and grow.
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Figure 26. Employee engagement — connecting passion and purpose
Interviewee responses also supported the survey data. When asked her thoughts about
her job, SEL-R3 said simply, “It’s so rewarding. It’s unbelievably rewarding.” BT-R7 shared
how she has taken it upon herself to be a leader of SEL at her site. She has set a goal to change
the entire climate of her campus and is determined to get there in the next five years:
I just designated myself as the SEL girl at our school. I send anything mindfulness,
anything growth mindset, anything breath, anything, character traits, I send it to staff,
because I . . . remember that video that you showed about changing the climate of the
school? That is my goal is to get there, is to get a whole school in that same climate. I’m
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going to do it. It just may take a while, but that’s my goal. That’s how I share it with
colleagues because they see my enthusiasm. I want to make our school climate so SEL
that you will know it once you step on campus. I’d say within five years.
When SEL-R5 was asked how the SEL 2.0 course impacted her teaching, she replied:
To tell you one thing it’s done I can’t do that, because it just set me back on fire. I work
with kids cause I love kids. They generally aren’t afraid to come along with you.
They’re not afraid to try things and so to bring some of the stuff back and to give it to the
kids and say, ‘Let’s run with that.’ To bring that back and to see the kids go with it, I
mean it’s the greatest job ever, just to see the kids light up when they figure stuff out.
And I know that, that’s teaching, but I think it’s more. I’m not just teaching the content,
I’m teaching them life, or I’m teaching them about themselves, because that I think is
going to have more impact on them and help them get that other stuff. I really see that.
SEL-R4 shared that SEL 2.0 affirmed him for important work that he was already doing:
I think that the biggest shift is that it’s kinda given me an understanding of why I knew
some things to be true. I’ve always strived to have that sort of classroom environment
where kids wanted to be there. They liked coming to my class and that sort of stuff, but I
never really knew why I wanted it.
He explained that learning the factors that strengthen SEL and SEW helped him pinpoint the
“why” behind what he was doing, and gave him a renewed sense of purpose:
It’s helped to motivate me in that way and it engaged me more in my classroom
atmosphere. It used to be, I want my kids to learn French. But, now I feel I want my
kids to learn themselves, and if they learn French, that’s a plus.
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SEL-R2 reflected on how seeing the success of a former student also confirmed her purpose:
It’s extremely rewarding to see how she’s flipped a switch and I don’t like to use the
word ‘precious’ too often, because it’s over-rated, but that’s been kind of a precious thing
for me, is walking away knowing, if nothing else, maybe they’re not any better writers
than they were when they came in, I hope they are, but even if they’re not, someday they
can look back and, you know, say, ‘There was someone who loved me, cared about me,
and listened to me.’ Well, my smile says it all, right? It makes me feel like I am doing
good stuff because it’s just . . . it’s indescribable, really, to see how they take it. I cry
sometimes because I’m just so touched. I’m so touched that something that I know
works is working, and that I get to share it. It just feels so good. It feels like this is what
I was called to do and I know it. I know this is what I was called to do.
SEL-R7 described the importance of having purpose as a teacher, and knowing your why:
I think it’s really trying to find your purpose of why are you a teacher. Why you get up
in the morning, get dressed, get showered, get dressed, eat, and go to school? I think a lot
of teachers lose that. They lose why they became a teacher. When you teach, you have
to teach with passion because kids see it. Kids know it. I ask kids, I say, ‘Well how
many of you have teachers that you feel teach with passion?’ Not too many. ‘How many
of you feel that teachers come to school wanting to be with you?’ Not too many.
She continued and shared that the relationships with students is what makes her job feel
meaningful:
I think that’s part of the beauty of teaching. You have that bond with that kid. And then
sometimes I have kids come up and they say, ‘You’re like the best teacher. I look up to
you. You’re like my role model.’ And stuff like that to me, when I hear that, that means
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a lot. That means more than what my pay is. It means more valuable than what I get
paid. Because at least I know I’m making a difference in some child’s life. I’m hoping
that I’m guiding them and showing them the way to be the better self than they believe
they can be.
SEL-R7 also shared how helping students discover their passion may be her purpose:
I wanna find out what is really important to them. What drives them? What interests
them? I can’t imagine just a phone is your only interest. If your phone is your only
interest, then you really don’t have a life. I want to find what issue really means
something to them. And that’s what I really wanna push them to think about it and figure
it out. So that maybe this is something that will drive them and motivate them.
Employee engagement: taking the initiative to be a “changemaker.” In addition to
sparking their sense of purpose, participants also shared stories that illustrated that they have
become “changemakers” on their sites as a result of taking either BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0.
Some of have just become advocates for SEL in their own classrooms, like SEL-R6, who shared:
I’m constantly searching and looking for other ways to incorporate or use SEL in my
classes; with [my] kids, on campus as a whole. I think overall it’s definitely been
something at work that’s improved; just kind of state of being and being at work too.
SEL-R4 described how taking the initiative to create an SEL class at his site has impacted him:
“Having that class I think that’s definitely where it has been met. My personal goal of getting it
infused everywhere is a work in progress. This little brilliant idea I had is actually making a
difference.”
SEL-R1 shared a story of how her engagement at work has done a complete turnaround.
She described her previous school site as stressful and cut-throat among staff:
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I would just stay in my bubble of my classroom, and then peace out. I was miserable any
time I had to interact with admin or my other teachers, but, I did enjoy my students still.
I didn’t find much satisfaction in my job at that point, so it affected me a lot, because I
wasn’t really that excited to go to work.
She was then forced to transfer to her current school. For the previous six years at her current
school, she tried to stay under the radar, not make a fuss, get in to work, and get out, making
only a few friends in her immediate department. Since attending SEL 2.0, however, she has
shifted from someone avoiding connection with others, to someone who is actively seeking to
build belonging and cultivate connection among staff at her site. She saw the change that a sense
of belonging created within her own engagement in work, and with her students, and wants to be
a changemaker to help other teachers experience that too:
Now, I’m running the staff club trying to get the staff to get together and hang out and
make friendships and stuff. Our staff club has taken over teacher recognition, because
our admin doesn’t really do it. I’m just trying to make them feel loved and appreciated.
Life-changing. Two participants described the impact that the course has had on their
personal lives and their engagement at work as “life-changing.” BT-R8 shared how the
mindfulness and other SEW practices she learned in BREATHtaking transformed her own life,
and now she is committed to sharing the information with others to transform their lives as well:
I not only think about it and try to practice a lot of the tips that you’ve given us, but I start
my day almost every day trying to meditate. And so for me without sounding dramatic, it
truly was life changing because it changed the way I start my day which I think affects
my whole day. And also, I know that because now I try to share this information with my
students, I truly think it has such a ripple effect, not just with our students but our
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students have kids. And I think that, I really feel like it’s affected so many more people
than just me. Not to say that I just changed the world, but I feel like you’ve given me so
many tools and such good information to help so many people.
SEL-R2 also described how SEL 2.0 impacted her teaching practice in a transformative
way for herself and her students:
That was life changing. Seriously. It really breathed kind of a fresh wind into the
excitement of coming into the classroom and being with my students every day. Seeing
them light up as they got to know each other, and seeing them have experiences.
She then discussed an experience that happened during a circle in her classroom near the end of
last year, of two girls coming to terms in the classroom circle with inaccurate assumptions and
misperceptions of each other. She described the conversation that the girls had was raw and
honest, and ended in tears and hugs among many students in the circle. SEL-R2 was visibly
emotional as she remembered the lesson that everyone in the circle had learned that day. She
recalled:
That was one of those times where I felt like, whew, we all needed that. Jane needed to
be heard. Mary needed to know how here attitude affected someone in a profound way.
Everybody needed that experience, and that wouldn’t have happened before. So, those
kinds of experiences really affirmed what I was doing, and fueled my excitement about
what I was doing, and I know that those experiences helped our kids be better people.
By connecting teachers’ work with greater purpose and meaning, organizations can see
outcomes of greater employee engagement and well-being. Based on the literature, the survey
results and interview findings, this influence is also validated.
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Summary
The survey and interview data presented in this chapter provided important insights
related to the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to strengthening
SEW. The data validated all influences. Participants from both courses, in survey and/or
interview responses, indicated that the influences are both important, and that they had the
knowledge and motivation as a result of their participation in the course. Key gap areas that are
not currently addressed as part of BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 are the organizational influences,
since the courses were targeted at teachers, and not district level decision-makers. Chapter 5 will
explore how to address these areas specifically to further deepen the knowledge and motivation
for those who have already taken the courses, and to enhance the experience for future
participants. These organizational influences are critical to making the strengthening of SEW
systematic, successful, and sustainable.
In Chapter 2, Seligman’s PERMÅ (2011) framework for well-being was introduced,
indicating that Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment or
Achievement are the five factors that collectively strengthen well-being. This chapter addressed
each of these factors, including the impact of strengthening empathy, gratitude, and forgiveness
(positive emotions), the enhanced enjoyment in their work that teachers described (engagement),
the foundational practice of building belonging and cultivating connection both for and with staff
and students (relationships), the igniting of passion through helping teachers understand the why
behind what they do and help them make connections to a deeper purpose (meaning), and finally
the strengthening of attribution and efficacy among teachers both in their practice, their ability to
strengthen their own SEW, and the ability to teach SEW to others (accomplishment or
achievement). Throughout the survey and interview responses, participants indicated that that
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well-being factors were indeed strengthened as a result of participating in BREATHtaking and
SEL 2.0.
Table 5
Validated Influences
Assumed Influences
Validated:
Yes, Partially,
or No
Knowledge (Factual/Conceptual):
Teachers need to know the effects of stress on health and teaching practice.
Yes
Knowledge (Procedural):
Teachers need to know how to develop strategies for strengthening SEW and
developing resilience to stress.
Yes
Knowledge (Metacognitive):
Teachers need to be able to self-assess their stress and well-being.
Yes
Motivation (Attribution):
Teachers need to believe that their SEW and demeanor impacts the classroom
climate.
Yes
Motivation (Self-Efficacy):
Teachers need to believe in their ability to be effective in their teaching practice
and in strengthening their own SEW.
Yes
Cultural Model 1:
Organizations need to cultivate a safe climate in which employees feel a sense of
belonging.
Yes
Cultural Model 2:
Organizations need to encourage and create structures for teacher voice.
Yes
Cultural Model 3:
Organizations need to establish SEL as a priority for students and staff.
Yes
Cultural Setting 1:
Organizations need to create structures to cultivate meaningful collaboration and
connectedness among staff.
Yes
Cultural Setting 2:
Organizations need to create structures for strengthening staff SEW.
Yes
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CHAPTER 5
RECOMMENDATIONS
This dissertation was organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 discussed the current
problem of practice: the epidemic of teacher stress and why the problem is important to address,
and understand the factors that strengthen or sabotage teacher well-being. Chapter 2 reviewed
relevant literature on teacher stress, research-based practices and strategies for strengthening
well-being, and introduced the Gap Analysis Framework (Clark & Estes, 2008). Chapter 3
discussed the two conceptual frameworks that guided this study in more detail. The first
framework was developed by the researcher, the Virtuous Cycle of Social Emotional Wellness
(SEW), and explores the factors and relationship between individual well-being and
organizational well-being. The second framework utilized was Clark and Estes’ (2008) KMO
model, which examines the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that affect
learning, performance, and organizational change. The remainder of Chapter 3 was dedicated to
explaining the design and methodology utilized in this mixed-methods study. Chapter 4 used the
KMO framework to present and discuss the results and findings of the data gathered during the
survey and interview process, and answers the first two research questions guiding the study:
1. What are the knowledge and motivational influences that impact teacher use of
strategies to strengthen Social Emotional Wellness as a result of participating in
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness or SEL 2.0?
2. What organizational influences interact with teacher knowledge and motivation to
affect teacher application of strategies for strengthening Social Emotional Wellness?
This chapter addresses the third research question: What are the recommended solutions
to improve the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences necessary to build teacher
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capacity for strengthening Social Emotional Wellness? Using the KMO framework (Clark &
Estes, 2008) to guide the discussion, this chapter provides specific recommendations of practice
that ABC and its partner districts can utilize to strengthen teacher well-being by ensuring that
teachers are provided with the validated knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
that have been shown by the research to be most effective. Next, an integrated implementation
and evaluation plan based on the four-level framework of the New World Kirkpatrick Model
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) will be presented and discussed. The results and findings,
together with the recommendations and implementation/evaluation plan, can also be used as a
foundation for creating a district-wide framework designed to make strengthening well-being of
all employees systematic, successful, and sustainable. Chapter 5 closes with a discussion of the
strengths and weaknesses of the study, limitations and delimitations, and recommendations for
future studies.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. Conducting a gap analysis is critical to understanding whether
stakeholders in an organization have the knowledge to accomplish their goals (Clark & Estes,
2008). This study focuses on three types of knowledge that contribute to learning:
declarative/conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive (Krathwohl, 2002). Drawing from the
review of the literature, each assumed knowledge influence was validated. Table 6 represents
the complete list of validated knowledge influences determined in Chapter 4, as well as the
recommendations for addressing these influences, based on theoretical principles, that can help
guide the organization to positive, productive, and long-lasting change.
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Table 6
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Knowledge
Influence: Validated? Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Declarative/
Conceptual:
Teachers need to
know the effects of
stress and well-
being on physical
and psychological
health.
Yes Procedural knowledge increases when
declarative knowledge required to
perform the skill is available or known
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Knowledge and understanding of
stress and well-being can assist
individuals in lowering their perceived
level of stress and strengthening well-
being (Seligman, 2012; Sneyers et al.,
2016).
Provide information to teachers
that helps them understand the
impact of both stress and well-
being on their physical and
psychological health.
Declarative/
Conceptual:
Teachers need to
know how stress
and well-being
impact teaching
practice.
Yes Information learned and meaningfully
connected with prior knowledge is
stored more quickly and remembered
more accurately because it is
elaborated with prior learning (Schraw
& McCrudden, 2006).
Social interaction and cooperative
learning facilitate construction of new
knowledge (Scott & Palinscar, 2013).
Provide experiential Professional
Learning for teachers in a setting
that encourages social
interaction and cooperative
learning, and that will help them
understand the relationships
between the neuroscience of
stress, emotional contagion, and
how teacher well-being affects
one’s teaching practice.
Procedural:
Teachers need to
know how to
develop strategies
for strengthening
SEW and building
resiliency to stress.
Yes Learning is highly dependent on
“goal-directed practice” and “targeted
feedback” (Ambrose, Bridges,
DiPietro, Lovett, & Norman, 2010).
To develop mastery, individuals must
acquire component skills, practice
integrating them, and know when to
apply what they have learned (Schraw
& McCrudden, 2006).
Social interaction and cooperative
learning facilitate construction of new
knowledge (Scott & Palinscar, 2013).
Provide experiential Professional
Learning for teachers in a setting
that encourages social
interaction and cooperative
learning, and that gives teachers
the opportunity to engage in
hands-on practice of research-
based strategies from the fields
of positive psychology,
emotional intelligence, and
mindfulness that strengthen
well-being and decrease stress.
Metacognitive:
Teachers need to
be able to self-
assess their stress,
well-being, and
social emotional
competency levels.
Yes As individuals strengthen their
metacognitive ability, they will be
better able to self-regulate, which can
lead to enhanced learning and
performance (Dembo & Eaton, 2000;
Mayer, 2011).
Social interaction and cooperative
learning facilitate construction of new
knowledge (Scott & Palinscar, 2013).
Provide training and
opportunities for teachers to
engage in self-reflection
practices such as journaling and
participating in pair share or
small circle structures where
they can share their reflections
on stress, well-being, and social-
emotional learning.
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Declarative/factual/conceptual knowledge solutions. Teachers need to know the
effects of stress and well-being on physical and psychological health, as well as the impact of
stress and well-being on their teaching practice. Declarative knowledge can be factual,
consisting of terminology, elements, or details; or it can be conceptual, depicting relationships
between factors (Krathwohl, 2002). Conceptual knowledge happens when one understands the
interrelationship among the basic elements within a larger structure that enables them to function
together (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). When declarative knowledge required to perform a
skill is available or known, the procedural knowledge increases as a result (Clark & Estes, 2008).
If teachers know more about the impact of stress on their health, they will be better equipped in a
later step of the process to apply the procedural knowledge of how to cope with it. Knowledge
and understanding of stress and well-being can assist individuals in lowering their perceived
level of stress and strengthening well-being (Seligman, 2012; Sneyers et al., 2016), and this was
validated in the results and findings of the study. Thus, providing teachers with information on
the impact of both stress and well-being on physical and psychological health would support
their learning. The recommendation is to provide teachers with information and experiential
learning that helps them understand how stress and well-being affects their health.
Additionally, teachers need to understand how stress and well-being impact teaching
practice. After receiving information about the impact of stress and the benefits of well-being on
physical and psychological health, they will have a better understanding of that specific
knowledge, but that is not enough. Gaps in conceptual knowledge will continue until teachers
learn about the neuroscience of stress and emotional contagion, and understand the relationship
between the effects of stress, teacher efficacy, and classroom climate. Although teachers may
know the impact of stress on health, they may not connect that with the elements of teacher
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efficacy and their performance in the classroom. Research shows that many learners do not
make the connections between what they learn in a classroom setting and how that interacts with
the larger system of constructs they may have in the knowledge of their discipline (Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001). Teachers have knowledge of their discipline, and know the elements that
make up positive pedagogy, so as they learn about how stress and well-being impact the teaching
practice, they will be able to make connections with prior knowledge. Information learned and
meaningfully connected with prior knowledge is stored more quickly and remembered more
accurately because it is elaborated with prior learning (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).
Additionally, social interaction and cooperative learning are known to facilitate construction of
new knowledge (Scott & Palincsar, 2013), which was validated in the study as interviewees
conveyed that their learning via BREATHtaking and/or SEL 2.0 was done in a meaningful way
involving connection and collaborative discussion with others that related to both their personal
and professional lives, and 100% of survey participants reported agreement in knowing the
impact of stress on physical/psychological health as well as on teaching practice.
Therefore, the recommendation is to provide experiential Professional Learning to help
teachers recognize the symptoms of stress, understand the concept of emotional contagion,
differentiate between the characteristics of high quality and low quality teaching, and determine
the relationship between all of those elements. It is also recommended that the experiential
learning take place in a setting that encourages social interaction and cooperative learning.
Procedural knowledge solutions. Teachers need to know how to develop strategies for
strengthening SEW and building stress-resilience. Procedural knowledge involves knowing how
to do something, methods of inquiry, and criteria for using those skills, techniques and methods
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Survey results indicated that 91% of respondents agree that
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they are able to effectively cope with stress, and 86% of participants agree that they use research-
based strategies to strengthen their well-being. Once teachers learn the procedural steps and
strategies for addressing stress and strengthening well-being, it will be important for them to
practice those skills. Learning is highly dependent on “goal-directed practice” and “targeted
feedback” that is learned by organizing and rehearsing the modeled behaviors and then using
them overtly (Ambrose et al., 2010; Mayer, 2011). To develop mastery, individuals must
acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to apply what they have
learned (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006).
When individuals have procedural knowledge of and utilize coping, resilience, and well-
being strategies, they are able to perceive lower levels of stress and increased well-being (Collins
& Parry-Jones, 2000; Rout & Rout, 2007; Tosi et al., 2000). Teachers who perceive stress as a
cognitive function are able to switch from an automatic neo-limbic brain reaction to a more
thoughtful prefrontal cortex response, demonstrating more flexibility, curiosity, empathy, and
peace (Sneyers et al., 2016). Study findings gathered through analysis of interviews supported
this. Additionally, utilizing mindfulness techniques has been shown to help teachers achieve
greater resiliency to stress and anxiety, improved mindfulness and well-being, and increased
hope and gratitude (Benn et al., 2012), which was also validated by the study. Furthermore,
Sneyers and colleagues (2016) report that when teachers learn strategies to strengthen well-
being, they report more positive classroom climate, improved teacher-student relationships,
decreased problematic student behavior, and improved relationships with colleagues and
administrators, which was also validated in the study (Sneyers et al., 2016).
Training is any situation where people must acquire “how to” knowledge and skills, and
need practice and corrective feedback to help them achieve specific work goals (Clark & Estes,
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2008, p. 58). By providing opportunities for teachers to learn how to use research-based
strategies to boost their well-being, districts will be able to support teachers in strengthening
their SEW. Therefore, the recommendation is to provide experiential Professional Learning in
which teachers learn steps, strategies, and practices to strengthen well-being and are given the
opportunity to engage in hands-on practice of research-based strategies from the fields of
positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness that have been shown to strengthen
well-being and decrease stress. Scott and Palincsar (2013) emphasize that enhanced learning can
occur through the use of social interaction and cooperative learning, and Schraw and McCrudden
(2006) stress that mastery happens as a result of both practice and knowing when to apply what
they have learned. Therefore, it is also recommended that the Professional Learning be done in a
setting that cultivates a sense of safety and belonging so that participants feel safe being
vulnerable enough to share stories of how they have applied the strategies they have learned
outside of the training sessions.
Metacognitive knowledge solutions. Teachers need to be able to self-assess their stress,
well-being, and social emotional competency levels. Metacognition is the knowledge of
cognition in general as well as awareness and knowledge of one’s own cognition (Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001), and is sometimes explained as thinking about one’s thinking. The use of
metacognitive strategies has been shown to facilitate learning (Baker, 2006). Mayer (2011)
describes metacognition as having two components: awareness, or knowing how one learns, and
control, or knowing how to monitor and control one’s learning. Research has shown that as
individuals strengthen their metacognitive ability, they are better able to self-regulate, which can
lead to enhanced learning and performance (Dembo & Eaton, 2000; Mayer, 2011). These results
were validated in the study, as survey results revealed that 95% of participants agree that they are
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able to accurately assess their level of stress, 96% reported being able to accurately assess their
well-being, and interview responses indicated that participants were using metacognition
strategies to self-regulate their behavior. An effective learning practice is to have teachers
engage in guided self-monitoring and self-assessment, and to have them debrief the thinking
process as they examine their well-being and the strategies they use to strengthen stress
resiliency and well-being (Baker, 2006). Baker (2006) also emphasizes the benefits to learning
when learners talk out loud to assess their strengths and weaknesses.
Stress occurs when an individual perceives a situation as threatening to one’s ability to
reach goals, and when perceived demands exceed perceived resources (Rout & Rout, 2007).
Therefore, teacher stress levels are related not just to the event itself, but also to the teacher’s
perception of that stressor and their perceived ability to cope (Abel & Sewell, 1999; Engelbrecht
et al., 2001; Rout & Rout, 2007; Wilson & Hall, 2002). As teachers increase the ability to
accurately self-assess both their own perception of stress, well-being, social emotional
competencies, and strengthen their ability to self-regulate, they will be able to decrease their
perceived stress and strengthen their well-being. Without an opportunity set aside for teachers to
intentionally engage in and learn to accurately self-assess their stress and well-being, their ability
to meet the goal of strengthened SEW may be impeded. Teachers in the study shared about
engaging in intentional practices of self-awareness and self-reflection, and using the “Curious
Not Furious” questions helped them self-regulate from knee-jerk reactions to more thoughtful
responses. The stories they shared also demonstrate a synthesis of learning: how stress impacts
health and their teaching practice (e.g., choosing to yell at a student or colleague or thoughtfully
respond), learning a procedural strategy for lowering stress (e.g., mindful breathing, Curious Not
Furious), then transferring that learning into real-life practice, and engaging self-assessment/self-
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reflection about how they were able to impact their well-being by choosing a new mindset and
behavior. Thus, the recommendation is to provide experiential Professional Learning in which
teachers have the opportunity to engage in social interaction and cooperative learning, and self-
assessment and reflection practices such as journaling, participating in pair share activities,
sharing of struggles and successful experiences around self-reflection, self-regulation, and
strategies to strengthen SEW, and small circle or “family group” structures where they can share
both their reflections and their learning through others’ reflection.
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. Knowledge is critical for achieving goals, but just because an individual
knows how to do something does not mean they are willing to put forth an effort to actually
accomplish it, and this is where motivation comes into play (Mayer, 2011; Rueda, 2011).
Motivation, a prerequisite for meaningful learning, is the internal state that initiates action and
drives individuals toward goals and is reflected by the amount of effort one exerts to engage in
the process (Clark & Estes, 2008; Mayer, 2011; Pintrich & Schunk, 1996). The three indicators
of motivation are: (1) active choice, taking action to choose a goal; (2) persistence,
demonstrating perseverance in achieving a goal; and (3) mental effort, the amount of mental
energy extended toward goal achievement (Schunk et al., 2008). These are critical factors for
districts to consider when exploring teacher motivation to address stress and well-being. Both of
the assumed motivation influences, attribution theory and self-efficacy theory, were validated by
the study’s data. As the results and findings from the data were analyzed, another motivational
influence surfaced that was quite profound. Expectancy value, which was not in the original
study design, emerged as a factor in 100% of interviewee’s motivation. Due to that
unanticipated discovery, it was included in the findings of Chapter 4 as well as added to Chapter
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5. The motivation influences in Table 7 represent the complete list of assumed motivation
influences, their validation status, and the context-specific recommendations based on theoretical
principles.
Table 7
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Motivation
Influence Validated? Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Teachers should
feel that classroom
climate is within
their locus of
control, primarily
influenced by their
SEW and efforts,
rather than
external factors
(Attribution
Theory).
Yes Motivation, learning, and
performance are enhanced
when participants attribute
success or failures to effort
rather than ability (Rueda,
2011).
Internal locus of control
generates positive emotion,
which bolsters future
efforts (Meece, Anderman
& Anderman, 2006).
Provide experiential
Professional Learning that:
(1) gives teachers
opportunities to explore
attribution, growth
mindset, and learned
optimism principles,
helping them understand
that how they interpret an
event determines how an
event impacts them;
(2) provides opportunities
for those teachers to assess
and modify, with feedback,
their beliefs about how
they attribute success and
failure.
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Table 7, continued
Assumed
Motivation
Influence
Validated
? Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Teachers need to
believe they are
capable of utilizing
effective strategies
for strengthening
Social Emotional
Wellness (SEW)
and building
stress-resilience
(Self-Efficacy
Theory).
Yes Individuals with higher self-
efficacy, greater belief in
their own competence, and
higher expectancies for
positive outcomes will be
more motivated to engage in,
persist at, and work hard at a
task or activity (Rueda,
2011).
Feedback and modeling
increases self-efficacy
(Pajares, 2007).
Interventions designed to
build collective efficacy such
as providing opportunities to
have mastery experiences,
learning from vicarious
experiences of others and
support of a social group, can
also help to build individual
efficacy (Donohoo, 2016).
Provide experiential
Professional Learning that
provides opportunities for
teachers to:
(1) successfully perform
and receive feedback on
challenging tasks and
strategies designed to
strengthen SEW and build
stress-resilience;
(2) build and develop a
strong sense of community
in which successes and
struggles are frequently
shared so that participants
are able to learn from the
vicarious experiences of
their peers in a supportive
environment.
Teachers need to
see the value in
strengthening their
SEW and believe
they can be
successful in doing
so (Expectancy
Theory).
Rationales that include a
discussion of the importance
and utility value of the
learning or behavior can help
learners develop positive
motivation (Eccles, 2006;
Pintrich, 2003).
Provide experiential
Professional Learning
opportunities that:
(1) address the “whole
learner” and human first,
teacher second; (2) have a
foundation built on
principles of SEL,
Mindfulness, and Positive
Psychology, and fortified
by the “why” before
“what”; (3) prioritize the
building of belonging,
cultivating of connection,
and sharing of stories.
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Attribution. Attribution refers to the beliefs one has about the reasons for success or
failure at a task or activity, as well as the degree of control they have in affecting that outcome
(Rueda, 2011). Wiener (2005) describes three dimensions of attribution: stability, whether one
believes the attribution is temporary or permanent; locus, whether an individual attributes
something to an internal source or an external source; and control, whether an individual
attributes events as either something that can one can control or as uncontrollable events.
Motivation, learning, and performance are enhanced when individuals attribute success or failure
to one’s effort rather than ability, and when they are provided feedback emphasizing the process
nature of learning, including the importance of effort, strategies, and the self-control of learning
(Rueda, 2011).
Teachers should feel that classroom climate is within their locus of control, primarily
influenced by their SEW and efforts, rather than external factors. As discussed in Chapter 2,
when teachers feel that their stress is a result of external factors such as student misbehavior, that
perspective of external domain stress is a significant predictor of emotional exhaustion
(McCormick & Barnett, 2011). However, when teachers are able to change to a self-attribution
perspective, increasing their ability to recognize their key role in cultivating classroom climate,
and regulating their own emotions to solve problems, they experience increased job satisfaction
and efficacy, and decreased occupational stress (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin, 2014).
Study data results indicated that the majority of BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 participants
attribute their teaching ability and classroom climate to their own efforts: The statement
specifically addressing the attribution influence, “I am able to impact the climate of the
classroom with my attitude” yielded an agreement of 98% of survey participants; 96% of survey
participants reported that they are able to use their instructional practices to improve student
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behavior in the classroom; 98% are able to use their instructional practices to improve student
achievement; and 84% responded in agreement to the statement, “When a student is not
achieving in my class, my initial reaction is to reflect on my own teaching practice.”
Based on the literature and the results and findings from the study, the recommendation is
to provide experiential Professional Learning that: gives teachers opportunities to explore
attribution, growth mindset, and learned optimism principles, helping them understand that how
they interpret an event determines how an event impacts them; and provides opportunities for
those teachers to assess and modify, with feedback, their beliefs about how they attribute success
and failure.
Self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in their ability to accomplish a task
or impact their environment (Bandura, 1977). If people do not believe that they are able to
produce desired results, they can be unmotivated to act (Bandura, 2000). Teachers need to
believe they are capable of utilizing effective strategies for strengthening Social Emotional
Wellness (SEW) and building stress-resilience. Individuals with higher self-efficacy, greater
belief in their own competence, and higher expectancies for positive outcomes will be more
motivated to engage in, persist at, and work hard at a task or activity (Rueda, 2011).
Teachers need to feel a strong sense of self-efficacy in their ability to learn effective
strategies to strengthen SEW and build resiliency to stress. As discussed in Chapter 2, decreased
self-efficacy contributes to teacher burnout and decreased well-being (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin,
2014; Aloe et al., 2014; Shoji et al., 2016; Steyn & Kamper, 2006; Tang et al., 2001; Yu et al.,
2015). However, when individuals feel that they have self-efficacy toward coping with stress,
there is a connection with actual coping effectiveness (Nicholls et al., 2010). Additionally,
interventions designed to build collective efficacy such as providing opportunities to have
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mastery experiences, learning from vicarious experiences of others and the support of a social
group, can also help to build individual efficacy (Donohoo, 2016). Furthermore, identifying
individuals who may have limiting self-efficacy beliefs toward stress management and offering
support and resources may help them to manage stress and improve well-being (Sawatzky et al.,
2012). Study data showed that 100% of teachers reported agreement in their ability to influence
student behavior, with 96% reporting they are even able to be responsive to students’ needs even
if I am having a bad day. Additionally, 96% of teachers agree that they seek out ways to
improve their well-being. Interview findings supported this as well, with participants sharing
their feelings of efficacy in strengthening their own SEW, in teaching SEW to others, as well as
renewed efficacy in their teaching practice.
Based on the literature and the study results and findings, the recommendation is to:
provide teachers with experiential Professional Learning in which they have the opportunity to
successfully perform and receive feedback on challenging tasks and strategies designed to
strengthen SEW. Based on Donohoo’s (2016) research on collective efficacy, it is also
recommended to create opportunities during the learning sessions to build and develop a strong
sense of community in which teachers feel safe enough to openly share best practices in order to
learn from the vicarious experiences of their peers in a supportive environment.
Expectancy value. Expectancy Value models are centered on the importance of two
components in promoting overall motivation: having an expectancy of being successful in a task
and having a value for engaging in the task (Hulleman & Barron, 2015). Eccles (2006) discusses
expectancy value as the motivation influence behind what people expect to occur as a result of
their applied effort and to what degree they feel the outcome is worth. When individuals are
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provided rationales that include a discussion of the importance and utility value of the learning or
behavior, it can help learners develop positive motivation (Eccles, 2006; Pintrich, 2003).
Teachers need to see the value in strengthening their SEW and believe they can be
successful in doing so. Although expectancy value was not included as a motivational influence
in the original design of the study, the need to include it presented itself when 100% of
interviewees expressed some sort of expectancy value related to their motivation for enrolling
and participating in either the BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 course, as well as their motivation for
utilizing the strategies they learned from the courses. The themes that emerged related to
expectancy value were: participation in previous SEL trainings, family recognition and
appreciation of participant shift during time involved in training, and an understanding of the
value of SEW personally and professionally. Based on the literature and the findings from the
study, the recommendation is to provide experiential Professional Learning opportunities that:
address the “whole learner” and human first, teacher second; have a foundation built on
principles of SEL, Mindfulness, and Positive Psychology, and are fortified by the “why” before
“what;” and that prioritize the building of belonging, cultivating of connection, and sharing of
stories, so that participants can share about the value they experience as a result of the learning,
and also see and hear stories of the value of SEW from others.
Organization Recommendations
Introduction. Organizational influences make up the third component of the KMO Gap
Analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Rueda (2011) emphasizes that learning,
motivation, and organizational influences interact in complex ways and need to be considered as
a dynamic and unified whole. In addition to exploring the knowledge and motivational gaps that
may hinder goal achievement, it is necessary to examine the organization and how current
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culture, policies, practices, and structures impact the attainment of individual and organizational
goals (Rueda, 2011). Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) describe two additional components of
culture: cultural models, or the mental schema about how things ought to work, and cultural
settings, the visible contexts where organizational practices are seen in action. Policies and
procedures, as well as cultural models and settings, must align throughout the organization’s
structure to achieve the mission and goals. Table 8 represents the complete list of assumed
organization influences, all of which were validated based on the results and findings of the
study and supported by the literature review, as well as the specific review of organization and
culture theory. The table also includes the context-specific recommendations for these
influences, based on theoretical principles that can guide the organization toward systematic,
successful, and sustainable change.
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Table 8
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Organization
Influence:
Validated
? Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Cultural Model Influence
1:
There is a general
resistance by faculty to
seek out assistance for
stress management or
well-being.
Organizations need to
cultivate a safe climate in
which employees feel a
sense of belonging.
Yes Larrivee (2012) reports that
teachers are more likely to
feel secure enough to be
vulnerable and ask for help
when they are part of strong
collaborative school settings,
and suggests that
administrators look for ways
to facilitate this process and
put structures into place to
build a sense of community.
Provide experiential
professional learning for
district staff that covers the
science of belonging and
how to cultivate a climate of
connection.
Intentionally create space
and structures within the
organization designed to
develop trust, build a sense
of belonging and cultivate
connection collaboration,
and community.
Cultural Model Influence
2:
There is a culture of
normalizing excessive
teacher stress as an
expected condition of the
job, and teachers aren’t
given voice to address it.
Organizations need to
encourage and create
structures for teacher
voice in input, decision-
making, and feedback.
Yes When teachers perceive that
they have greater input in
decision-making and
adequate school resources,
they experience decreased
levels of workplace stress
(Collie et al., 2012).
Provide space and structures
within the organization for
teacher voice to be heard,
especially in the area of
workload and work
practices.
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Table 8, continued
Assumed Organization
Influence:
Validated
? Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Cultural Model Influence
3: There is reluctance by
district leaders to
prioritize SEL.
Organizations need to
understand that Social
Emotional Learning for
staff and students
strengthens both the
individual and
organization, and
establish it as a priority.
Yes The essential role of teachers’
social and emotional
competencies is often
overlooked, and educators
typically receive little training
and support for effectively
supporting students in SEL
development and
implementation, and even less
support and training on
strengthening their own SEL
(Jones et al., 2013).
Teachers trained and supported
in implementing SEL have lower
job related anxiety and
depression, improved
relationships and rapport with
students, increased teacher
engagement, and greater
perceived control in their work
(Abry et al., 2013; Castillo et al.,
2013; Tyson et al., 2009; Zhai et
al., 2011).
Prioritize SEL
implementation across
all departments within
the organization.
Provide experiential
Professional Learning
and support for teachers
to develop and
strengthen their own
SEL, and learn how to
integrate SEL into their
instruction and content.
Cultural Setting Influence
1: There is a lack of
meaningful collaboration
among staff.
Organizations need to
create structures to build
meaningful collaboration
and connectedness
amongst staff.
Yes Deep level teacher collaboration
and community-building seems
to occur less frequently in
schools, as collaboration is often
restricted to a focus on practical
affairs, planning teaching
activities, developing plans for
testing, and discussing the pace
and content of teaching (Cheng
& Ko, 2009; Plauborg, 2009;
Visscher & Witziers, 2004).
Cultural settings that include a
strong collaborative, collegial
climate and strong principal
leadership are associated with
increased job satisfaction
(Johnson, et al., 2012).
Create opportunities,
space, and structures
within the organization
to develop social
support, community and
connectedness.
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Table 8, continued
Assumed Organization
Influence: Validated? Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Cultural Setting Influence
2: There is a lack of
structure in place within
the organization that
specifically addresses and
supports the social
emotional wellness of
staff.
Organizations need to
create structures for
strengthening staff Social
Emotional Wellness.
Yes Levels of teacher stress are
affected by policies,
procedures, and programs
that support or interfere
with creating a culture that
values Social Emotional
Wellness (Greenberg &
Abenavoli, 2016).
Employees must have
resources, structures, and
supports in place to help
them accomplish goals
(Clark & Estes, 2008;
Rueda, 2011).
Create and implement site
and district-wide structures
that are explicitly designed
to strengthen SEW for all
staff, including experiential
Professional Learning with
a focus on mindfulness and
SEL available for all staff.
Furthermore, the
recommendation is that a
district-wide Social
Emotional Wellness
framework be developed
and implemented that
specifically designs
policies, procedures,
strategies and sustainable
structures for strengthening
staff SEW.
Additional Cultural
Influence (not in original
study design):
There is a culture of silos
within district
organizations, with
different departments
working independently to
meet goals.
When organizations
intentionally create a
district-wide focus on
strengthening the Virtuous
Cycle of SEW, they will
experience a positive
impact on employee
engagement for teachers
that positively impacts all
departments in the
organization.
All major departments in a
district (i.e., Student
Services, Instructional
Services, Personnel,
Business, etc.) will meet
together to collaborate on
an ongoing basis to design,
discuss, and develop
structures to strengthen
SEW.
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Cultural models and settings. Culture is defined as the values, norms, behaviors, and
shared meanings within a group (Schein, 2004). Culture is dynamic and created as the
individuals in an organization navigate their daily encounters and challenges (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001; Gutiérrez & Rogoff, 2003). Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) describe two
additional components of culture: cultural models and cultural settings. They define cultural
models as the shared mental schema about how things work or ought to work, and these models
help shape how an organization is structured, including their values, policies, and practices.
Cultural model solutions — build belonging and strengthen social support among
staff. One cultural model explored in the study is the resistance among employees to seek out
assistance for stress management. Research shows that teachers are often reluctant to ask for
help because they consider seeking help or assistance an admission of failure or inadequacy and
are reluctant to do so (Larrivee, 2012). Maxfield and Flumerfelt (2009) found that when teachers
encountered problems, four out of five teachers remained quiet and retreated rather than looked
for assistance, using avoidant coping strategies that may raise the risk of burnout. Study survey
data showed that 54% of teachers agreed that they would feel reluctant asking for help. This
number actually seems higher than normal, but provides insight that this needs to be addressed at
the organizational level.
Organizations need to cultivate a safe climate in which employees feel a sense of
belonging and social support. Larrivee (2012) reports that teachers are more likely to feel secure
enough to be vulnerable and ask for help when they are part of strong collaborative school
settings, and suggests that administrators look for ways to facilitate this process and put
structures into place to build a sense of community. Thus, the recommendation is for the
organization to provide experiential Professional Learning for district staff which covers the
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science of belonging and how to cultivate a climate of connection. An additional
recommendation is to intentionally create space and structures within the organization designed
to develop trust, build a sense of belonging and cultivate connection, meaningful collaboration,
and a strong sense of community.
Cultural model solutions — teacher voice. Another cultural model examined in the
study is normalizing increasing job demands, heavy workloads, and excessive teacher stress as
an expected condition of the occupation, and not giving teachers ample voice in decision-making
to address this. Increased job demands and limitations of teacher voice in decision-making are
key predictors of teacher stress, and a 2016 study revealed that 76% of teachers believe their
voices are not factored into the decision-making process at the district level, and 53% at the
school level (Rentner et al., 2016). However, multiple studies show that when teachers believe
that they have a voice and opportunities to share in decision-making, they feel empowered and
report higher job satisfaction (Greenberg & Abenavoli, 2016; Rentner et al., 2016). Study results
show that there is still room for growth in this area, as 66% agree that the district values teacher
input, 58% agree that the district asks for input, and 68% agree that they are able to influence
policies on their site. These results aligned with interview findings. Thus, based on the literature
and the study results and findings, the recommendation is for the organization to provide space
and structures within the organization for teacher voice to be heard, both at the site and district
level, and especially in the area of workload and work practices.
Cultural model solutions — prioritizing SEL. The final cultural model addressed in this
study is the reluctance by district leaders to prioritize Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The
essential role of teachers’ social and emotional competencies is often overlooked, and educators
typically receive little training and support for effectively supporting students in SEL
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development and implementation, and even less support and training on strengthening their own
SEL (Jones et al., 2013). Yet, there is evidence that when teachers receive training and support
and report a level of comfort in implementing SEL, it is positively associated with teaching
efficacy and job satisfaction and negatively associated with stress (Collie et al., 2012).
District leaders and policy makers need to understand the benefits of prioritizing social
and emotional development and cultivating effective strategies for district-wide implementation
including developing policies, standards, and guidance that support teachers and administrators
in integrating SEL with academic instruction, providing high quality Professional Learning, and
aligning SEL with other district initiatives (Dusenbury et al., 2015; Kendziora & Yoder, 2016;
Yoder, 2015). Survey results indicated that 77% of teachers believe that their site principal
prioritizes SEL and 79% feel that the district prioritizes it. Interview findings, however, show
that teachers feel there needs to be more effort and progress made by the district in this area.
Based on these research findings, the recommendation is to prioritize SEL implementation across
all departments within the organization, and provide training and support for teachers to first
develop and strengthen their own SEL.
Cultural settings. Whereas cultural models often provide insight to the invisible aspects
and norms of an organization, cultural settings provide the visible social contexts where the
organizational policies and practices are played out (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural
models and cultural settings influence each other and are in motion — dynamic and changing,
and once these cultural models and settings have been made clear, it is easier to understand why
people think and behave the way they do, and what steps can be taken to change these factors if
they impede performance or strengthen the factors if they enhance performance (Rueda, 2011).
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Cultural setting solutions — creating structures for building belonging and cultivating
community. One cultural setting explored in the study was the lack of deep collaboration and
sense of community among staff. Although there is a great deal of research on Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs) and their ability to enhance teachers’ professional learning and
student performance through a single focus on student achievement, this type of collaboration
often lacks a deep level of connection and sense of belonging (Vangrieken et al., 2015). In fact,
deep level teacher collaboration and community-building seems to occur less frequently in
schools, as collaboration is often restricted to a focus on practical affairs, planning teaching
activities, developing plans for testing, and discussing the pace and content of teaching (Cheng &
Ko, 2009; Plauborg, 2009; Visscher & Witziers, 2004). Having teachers just meet together is not
enough to build a sense of community. A teacher community is described as a group of teachers
who are socially interdependent, participate together in discussion and decision making, and
share and build knowledge with a group identity (Brouwer et al., 2012).
Cultural settings that include a strong collaborative, collegial climate and strong principal
leadership are associated with increased job satisfaction (Johnson et al., 2012). Although it has
been well documented and understood that social isolation has devastating consequences on
resiliency, health, and well-being, there is often hesitancy to acknowledge that being part of a
community and social network has a key role in overcoming a range of stressors (Jetten et al.,
2012). Teachers’ positive feelings about supervisory support, demonstrating appreciation,
positive relationships with colleagues, and positive school climate are predictive of a sense of
belonging and job satisfaction and can help teachers cope more effectively with job demands
(Bakker et al., 2007; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011).
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By recognizing the power of the social network and facilitating the development of and
carving out time for community building and social support, organizations can reduce stress and
burnout (Greenglass et al., 1997). Study data showed that 73% of participants agreed that is easy
to collaborate with colleagues from other departments, but only 60% of teachers say that their
site principal sets aside time in meetings for staff to get to know each other better. Interviewees
echoed this and expressed their desire for more time for meaningful collaboration and
connection. Based on the literature and study results and findings, the recommendation is for the
organization to create opportunities, space, and structures within the organization to develop
social support, build belonging, and cultivate a sense of community and connectedness.
Cultural setting solutions — creating and implementing structures to strengthen SEL.
The second cultural setting explored in this study was the lack of policies and structures in place
within the organization to specifically address stress or Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) of
teachers. Levels of teacher stress are affected by policies, procedures, and programs that support
or interfere with creating a culture that values Social Emotional Wellness (Greenberg &
Abenavoli, 2016). Organizational neglect in this area does not just impact the individuals within
the organization, but the organization as a whole (van Dick & Haslam, 2012). Hawk and Martin
(2011) report that districts do not typically have stress management or reduction programs,
leaving educators to suffer silently or get help on their own. Interview findings validated this.
However, mindfulness programs in schools have been shown to foster teachers’ ability to focus
awareness on the present moment in a responsive, non-reactive way, strengthening their ability
to relate to themselves and others in a more kind and patient manner (Bishop et al., 2004).
Additionally, mindfulness training programs for teachers have shown to decrease stress, anxiety,
and burnout while simultaneously increasing empathy, forgiveness, and personal growth
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(Jennings et al., 2013). Survey data and interview findings validated this for both
BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 participants, with many interview participants explicitly naming
empathy and forgiveness as factors learned during the course that directly led to their growth and
well-being.
Employees must have resources, structures, and supports in place to help them
accomplish goals (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). It is critical for educational organizations
to prioritize the implementation of initiatives and interventions that address stress management
and workplace wellness, and employee participation in this process is critical (Aust & Ducki,
2004; Cox et al., 2000; Schröer & Sochert, 2000). Thus, the recommendation is to first create
and implement site and district-wide structures that are explicitly designed to strengthen SEW
for all staff, including experiential Professional Learning with a focus on mindfulness and SEL
available for all staff. Furthermore, the recommendation is that a district-wide Social Emotional
Wellness framework be developed and implemented that specifically designs policies,
procedures, strategies and sustainable structures for strengthening staff SEW.
Organizational influence solution — district-wide collaboration on SEW and employee
engagement. An additional cultural influence emerged during the interview data collection and
analysis. Through the process of taking either SEL 2.0 or BREATHtaking, as participants
strengthened their SEW, they found themselves becoming more engaged with work. As
discussed in Chapter 2, many of the same elements that boost well-being — positive emotions,
engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment/achievement also boost employee
engagement, creating a virtuous cycle, so this finding was not a total surprise. The unexpected
finding was how prevalent and profound it was among interviewees. Several participants shared
they loved their job, that they feel like have a purpose in the classroom, and some even described
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their engagement as life-changing. Survey data echoed this, with 98% of participants reporting
they agree that are proud of the work that they are doing at their school and enjoy coming to
work each day, and 100% of survey respondents agreeing that they find the work they do
meaningful. District departments benefitting from teacher engagement could include: Personnel
could see a reduction in absenteeism, stress leave and/or teacher turnover, Business could see a
reduction in health care costs, and dollars spent on teacher recruitment as teacher retention
increases, Student Services could see a decrease in student behavior issues and suspensions, and
complaints about student-teacher issues, and Instructional/Educational Services could see an
increase in teacher productivity and performance, directly affecting student achievement.
Currently, most departments work in silos, focused on their own goals. With a collaborative
focus on SEW, however, goals will be aligned and the opportunity to collaborate for win-win
outcomes will be established. Based on the literature discussed in Chapter 2 and the results and
findings of the survey data, the recommendation is for all major departments in a district (i.e.,
Student Services, Instructional/Educational Services, Personnel, Business, etc.) to meet together
to collaborate on an ongoing basis to discuss, design, and develop structures for strengthening
SEW and employee engagement.
Recommendations based on research are a great place to start, but they are not enough.
Without a monitoring plan, even the best intentioned and facilitated Professional Learning course
or change model would be ineffective and difficult to sustain (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
The next section of this chapter will discuss a detailed integrated implementation and evaluation
plan based on the New World Kirkpatrick model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
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Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The model used to inform the implementation and evaluation plan in this study is the
New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The original Kirkpatrick
(1996) model defines four levels of training evaluation: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and
Results, and suggests beginning at Level 1 and working toward Level 4. The new model,
however, is inverted, and begins with Level 4 and works in reverse to Level 1. This backward
mapping stresses the importance of beginning with the end in mind, by first identifying what
results (Level 4) are desired and then determining what critical behaviors (Level 3) need to be in
place in order to achieve those outcomes. In other words, how participants will apply their
learning and transfer that learning into behavior. Once critical behaviors are identified, the next
step is deciding what participants must learn (Level 2) in order to perform the critical behaviors.
Finally, learning is often more accessible if participants have a positive reaction (Level 1) to the
training and find it interesting, engaging, and relevant to their job. The training is foundational
to performance and results, but to create ultimate value, a strong focus needs to be placed on the
critical behaviors that make up Level 3. Utilizing the New World model creates a chain of
responsibility and evidence that requires the buy-in of the organization, not just training
participants, and demonstrates the importance of a team effort to achieving organizational goals
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Organizational Purpose, Needs and Expectations
ABC’s purpose and mission is to optimize the life outcomes and trajectory of
marginalized youth by partnering with educational and social service agencies “to establish
sustainable programs and structures, and provide training in the areas of behavior, mental health,
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equity, and social-emotional wellness.” In order to optimize the personal, social and academic
lives of youth, it is essential to strengthen the SEW of those who educate youth, their teachers.
To address this, ABC set a goal to begin development of an innovative, strategic, and research-
based Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) District Framework. Utilizing this SEW Framework,
partner school districts and county offices of education would develop and strengthen their
strategies, policies, and programs to strengthen teacher SEW. A step toward developing this
framework was to evaluate two of ABC’s Professional Learning courses: BREATHtaking: A
Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness (BT) and Social Emotional Learning 2.0 (SEL 2.0)
to gather more information and insight on what individual and organizational factors contribute
to the global goal of increased Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) for teachers. The purpose of
this project was to evaluate if teachers have knowledge about SEW strategies after taking BT or
SEL 2.0 and if so, determine what knowledge they have; explore whether teachers are motivated
to utilize the strategies they learned; and lastly, to examine what organizational influences
interact with teacher knowledge and motivation and impact teacher application of the SEW
strategies. Additionally, the study explored how the knowledge transferred into practice, and
how those practices impacted well-being, employee engagement, and efficacy. The proposed
solution, which includes a comprehensive training/coaching program with embedded strategies
and practices in place to provide continued support of teacher learning and motivation, along
with organizational policies and structures designed to drive and sustain a positive change in
behavior, should produce the desired results — strengthened SEW for teachers.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Table 9 shows the proposed Level 4 outcomes, metrics, and methods for external and
internal outcomes. If the achievement of internal outcomes are met as a result of BREATHtaking
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and SEL 2.0 course participation, and organizational practices and supports for application of the
strategies learned to be applied on the job, then the external outcomes should also be realized.
Table 9
Metrics and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
1. Increased internal and
public approval of
Site/District work.
The frequency of site/district
mentions in press coverage.
Compliment-to-Complaint
ratio of stakeholders
including students, parents,
site and district staff.
Track frequency of positive site/district
mentions in press and compare quarterly.
Analyze communication from external
stakeholders to determine compliment-to-
complaint ratio on a monthly basis.
Internal Outcomes
2. Improved Social
Emotional Wellness of
100% all teachers.
Data collected from surveys,
observations, interviews.
Select SEW measurement tool (including
survey, observation forms, and interview
questions) and gather data at the beginning of
the school year and at the end of each semester.
3. All students will have
improved sense of
belonging connectedness,
and engagement to school.
School Climate Surveys,
Observations, Interviews.
School Climate survey will be facilitated and
analyzed annually. Short Google Form
Belonging and Connectedness surveys will be
conducted and analyzed monthly. Student
engagement measurement tool will be selected
and used to gather and analyze data at the
beginning of the school year and at the end of
each semester.
4. Improved behavior of
students.
The number of student
behavioral referrals and
reports of behavioral
incidents on campus.
Analyze student behavioral data monthly.
5. Increased employee
engagement and self-
efficacy for 100% of
teachers.
An increase in the number of
well-being indicators in the
data collected from Survey,
Observations, and Interviews
of Teachers and Students.
Select employee engagement/efficacy
measurement tools, gather and analyze data at
the beginning of the school year and at the end
of each semester.
6. All teachers will integrate
SEL/SEW practices into
their daily lessons and
instruction.
Lesson plans, Observations,
Surveys, Interviews.
Observational walk-through tools will be used
during administrative walk-throughs. Lesson
plans will be shared among department level
teams.
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Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. The stakeholders of focus are teachers who have participated in
either BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 courses within one of the three districts selected for this study.
The first critical behavior is that teachers must integrate SEL/Mindfulness strategies into their
daily instructional practices. The second critical behavior is that teachers must integrate
SEL/Mindfulness content into the academic content they deliver. The third critical behavior is
that teachers must share with each other about the SEL lessons, activities, strategies, and/or
instructional practices that they are using in their classroom. The fourth critical behavior is that
SEL must be recognized as a priority through school site and district-wide recognition and
acknowledgement of teachers integrating SEL into classroom instruction and content. The
specific metrics, methods, and timing for each of these outcome behaviors appear in Table 10.
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Table 10
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Teachers
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. Teachers integrate
SEL/Mindfulness
Strategies into daily
instructional practices
(student centered
discipline, teacher
language,
responsibility and
choice, warmth and
support, cooperative
learning, classroom
discussions, self-
reflection and self-
assessment, balanced
instruction, academic
press and expectations,
competence building
and modeling).
The percentage of
teachers incorporating
the use of the 10
instructional practices
in daily lessons (not all
l0 practices in one
lesson).
Teachers will submit
lesson plans for the next
week to a shared file
within their
department/grade level so
that all are accountable to
each other. Department/
Grade Level Chair will
monitor weekly.
Assistant Principal will
monitor monthly.
Observations
Interviews/Focus Groups
Self-monitoring and
reporting
Surveys
Sharing out at meetings
Lessons will be
submitted to shared
file weekly.
2. Teachers integrate
SEL/Mindfulness
content into academic
content being taught.
The percentage of
teachers incorporating
SEL/Mindfulness
content with academic
content.
Teachers will submit
lesson plans for the next
week to a shared file
within their department/
grade level so that all are
accountable to each
other. Department/
Grade Level Chair will
monitor weekly.
Assistant Principal will
monitor monthly.
Observations
Interviews/Focus Groups
Self-monitoring and
reporting
Surveys
Sharing out at meetings
Lessons will be
submitted to shared
file weekly.
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Table 10, continued
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
3. Teachers share with
each other about the
SEL lessons,
activities, strategies,
and/or instructional
practices that they are
using in their
classroom.
Conduct bi-weekly
team meetings that
include a share-out of
SEL lessons,
activities, strategies,
and/or instructional
practices that they are
using in their
classroom.
Minutes of each bi-weekly
team meeting SEL sharing
section will be sent to the
School Site School Climate
Coordinator
Observations
Interviews/Focus Groups
Self-monitoring and
reporting
Surveys
Sharing out at meetings
Sharing will occur
at team meetings
twice per month
and minutes sent
directly after
meeting.
4. SEL is recognized
as a priority through
school site and district
wide recognition and
acknowledgement of
teachers integrating
SEL into classroom
instruction and
content.
School Site Climate
Coordinator will
produce and send out
monthly email
highlighting practices
from the school site
and post in the ABC
School Climate FB
page.
Teacher-On-Special-
Assignment (TOSA)
will produce and send
out monthly email
highlighting top
practices from each
school in the district
and post in the ABC
School Climate FB
page.
Coordinator who will
synthesize the highlights into
monthly email and send a
copy to the district TOSA
for their region.
TOSA will synthesize the
emails from each site in their
region to come up with
highlights to share.
Each of the four TOSAs will
alternate sending out a
district-wide email to
teachers, administrators,
counselors, and site support
staff that includes highlights
of SEL practices from all
four regions and CC Public
Information Officer.
An SEL spotlight teacher of
the month will be selected
from each region,
acknowledged and
celebrated for moving the
SEL work forward in their
classroom and in the district,
and interviewed for the
newsletter email.
Group emails will
be sent to teachers
monthly and best
practices posts
will be posted
monthly in FB
group.
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Required drivers. Teachers require the support of colleagues, site and district
administrators, and ABC consultants to fortify the knowledge and apply the skills, strategies, and
mindset they learned in the training in a successful and sustainable manner. In order to achieve
the stakeholder goal, there will need to be reinforcement and encouragement from the
stakeholder groups mentioned above. Systems of monitoring and rewards should be established
to acknowledge the accomplishment of teachers and their demonstration of new critical
behaviors learned in the courses. Table 11 shows the recommended drivers to support critical
behaviors of teachers.
Organizational support. In order to support critical behaviors supporting the goal of
strengthening the Social Emotional Wellness of teachers, the organization must actively provide
intentional leadership in the area of Social Emotional Wellness. Site and district leaders must
model and incorporate SEL practices and strategies into their meetings and day-to-day
operations, especially those specifically intended to build belonging and connection.
Recommendations include offering refresher trainings led by district coaches and Teachers-On-
Special-Assignment (TOSAs), who will also be available to provide in-class modeling and
support of SEL instruction to teachers. The organization that structures are put in place at both
the site and district level for teachers to have the opportunity to share best practices, seek and
receive support, and be acknowledged and celebrated for their efforts in integrating SEL into
their teaching instruction and content.
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Table 11
Required Drivers to Support Teachers’ Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical
Behaviors
Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Job Aid- Google Drive Shared Folder which includes research, resources,
lessons, and activities.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3,
In-class modeling and support of instruction from site/district SEL Champion
Coaches.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Team (Dept. or Grade Level) meetings to share lessons/best practices and solicit
support from colleagues.
Weekly 1, 2, 3, 4
Use email lists and School Climate social media groups to reinforce
communication outside of team meetings and with extended network.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4
District Staff will offer refresher trainings. Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4
ABC Consultants will offer refresher trainings for District Internal PL Staff. Quarterly 1, 2, 3, 4
Administrators will incorporate SEL strategies and practices into staff meetings,
including those that specifically and explicitly intend to build belonging and
cultivate connection.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4
Encouraging
Collaboration and peer modeling. Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4
Feedback and coaching from site and district SEL Champion Coaches. Ongoing 1, 2, 3,
Administrators will reinforce the importance of SEL through executive
modeling, coaching, and mentoring in a community of practice.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4
Rewarding
Public acknowledgement of practices shared via email or social media (SHOUT
OUTs, Comments, Likes, Retweets, etc.).
Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4
Public acknowledgement at meetings and via internal communication of best
practices, goal achievement, success stories.
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4
Monitoring
Department/Grade Level Leads can create opportunities at meetings to share
success stories.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3, 4
School Climate Champion Coaches can ask course participants to self-report
their engagement and self-efficacy in integrating SEL/BT practices into their
instruction and content.
Two months
after training,
and then
quarterly
1, 2
Site Level School Climate Champion Coaches can assess the performance of
the learner. Frequent, quick checks can help the organization monitor progress
and make adjustments if results do not match expectations at that time.
Monthly 1, 2
District-wide webinars will be offered to School Climate Champions to share
best practices, troubleshoot challenges, and strengthen support network.
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4
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Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Following completion of the recommended solutions, most notably the
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness and Social Emotional Learning
2.0 Professional Learning programs, the stakeholders will be able to:
23. Recognize and explain the effects of stress and well-being on physical and
psychological health. (Factual/Conceptual Knowledge)
24. Understand and explain how stress and well-being impact one’s teaching practice.
(Factual/Conceptual Knowledge)
25. Explain how to develop strategies for strengthening SEW and building resilience to
stress. (Procedural Knowledge)
26. Accurately self-assess their levels of stress, well-being, and social emotional
competencies. (Metacognitive Knowledge)
27. Apply the strategies learned as prevention tools to strengthen their own SEW.
(Procedural Knowledge, Motivation)
28. Recognize signs of stress and apply strategies learned as intervention tools to
decrease stress and strengthen SEW. (Procedural Knowledge, Motivation)
29. Integrate the strategies learned into instruction to strengthen their students’ SEW.
(Procedural Knowledge)
30. Attribute their classroom climate to their effort and ability to cultivate a positive and
productive learning environment. (Motivation-Attribution Theory)
31. Indicate belief/confidence that they are capable of utilizing effective strategies for
strengthening SEW and building resilience to stress. (Motivation-Self-Efficacy
Theory)
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32. Indicate belief/confidence that they are capable of teaching these effective strategies
to students. (Motivation-Self-Efficacy Theory)
Program. The learning goals presented in the above section will be accomplished, in
partnership with the districts, through ABC’s in-depth experiential Professional Learning
programs, BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness and/or Social
Emotional Learning 2.0 that explore research, practices, and strategies from the fields of
Emotional Intelligence, Positive Psychology to build and strengthen Social Emotional Wellness
of teachers. The teacher participants will explore research and participate in experiential
learning activities covering a broad range of topics pertaining to the strengthening of Social
Emotional Wellness and stress-resilience including: Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, the
Science of Belonging, Passion and Purpose, Strengths Perspective, Growth Mindset, and Positive
Emotions such as kindness, empathy, compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness. The program is a
professional learning/coaching model, consisting of six to eight in-person sessions, unlimited
access to coaching via email, a Professional Learning Network on social media, and blended
with consultation with the district to ensure that systems and structures are put into place to
support the teachers in implementing what they learn in the sessions in a way that is both
successful and sustainable. The total time for BREATHtaking completion is 960 minutes (16
hours) and the total time for SEL 2.0 is either 1,440 minutes (24 hours) or 1,920 minutes (32
hours) depending on whether the district selects the 6-day or 8-day option.
During each session, participants will engage in experiential learning. The facilitator will
deliver direct instruction, show video examples of the concept in action, and then provide
opportunities for the participants to take part in hands-on activities that will support the learning.
In between instruction, videos, and experiential activities, participants will discuss what they
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have heard/seen/done to process and check for understanding. Additionally, participants will
take part in self-reflection journals at several points during each of the sessions to capture their
thoughts, feelings, questions, learning, and a-ha moments. At the end of each of the in-person
sessions, learners will be provided a job aid of a Google Drive Shared Folder that contains
research, resources, activities, and lessons that support the learning of that session as well as a
Google Doc “shortcut” index containing links to the various items. During the in-person
sessions, participants will have the opportunity both in small groups and whole group to share
what strategies they have tried and what successes and challenges they have experienced. The
intent of this sharing is to build a sense of belonging and cultivate community, and create a sense
of collective efficacy. More experienced participants and district coaches and Internal
Champions will also discuss the value and benefits of implementing what they have learned from
BT and SEL 2.0 and will model how to strategically integrate these ideas and strategies into their
daily teaching practice.
Components of learning. In designing a Professional Learning Implementation Plan, it
is necessary to create an evaluation that explores whether the intended goals of learning were
achieved. Level 2 Learning is the degree to which participants acquire the knowledge of the
material, skills to utilize the knowledge learned, an attitude of motivation to use the strategies
learned, and the confidence to go ahead and put into practice what they have learned (Kirkpatrick
& Kirkpatrick, 2016). It is important to evaluate each component of Level 2 Learning in order to
determine if all points are met in order to close the gap between learning and behavior. If they
are not evaluated, valuable time can be wasted in professional learning sessions. The goal is not
just to have participants learn, the desired outcome is to have the learning shift teacher
perspective and impact their behavior. Both formative and summative forms of evaluation are
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used to evaluate Level 2 Learning. Table 12 lists the evaluation methods and timing for these
components of learning.
Table 12
Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge: “I know it.”
Knowledge checks using multiple choice and short answer items in
the post-session feedback forms.
At the end of each
session.
Knowledge checks through discussions, “pair, think, share” and
other individual/group activities.
Periodically during the
in person sessions and
documented via
observation notes.
Knowledge checks using entry and exit slips with questions about
previous session material (entry) and current session (exit).
At end of selected
sessions.
Procedural Skills: “I can do it right now.”
Demonstration in groups and individually of using the job aids to
successfully perform the skills.
During the sessions.
Small group explanation “teach back” activities. During the sessions.
Individual application of the skills demonstrated in their classroom
as observed by colleagues and coaches.
Throughout the course.
Quality of the feedback from peers during group sharing. During the sessions.
Individual sharing to group of strategies utilized through one or
more of these opportunities: during course session, posting in
Facebook Community Network, or via email thread.
Throughout the course.
Presentation of material learned to other staff (department level,
grade level, Content Area PLC, or whole staff meeting).
At least one time during
the course.
Retrospective pre- and post-test assessment survey asking
participants about their level of proficiency before and after the
training.
At the end of the course.
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Table 12, continued
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Attitude: “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Facilitator’s observation of participants’ statements and actions
demonstrating that they see the benefit of what they are learning to
their personal and professional lives.
During the session.
Attendance At each session.
Engagement in learning as observed by facilitator and district
coaches/administrators.
At each session.
In-person discussions, communication via text, phone calls, social
media posts, and/or email of the value of what they are learning and
applying to their personal and professional lives.
Throughout and after the
course.
Retrospective pre- and post-test assessment item. After the course.
Confidence: “I think I can do it on the job.”
Survey items using scaled items. Following each session
of the course.
Discussions following practice and feedback. During the sessions.
Retrospective pre- and post-test assessment item. After the course.
Commitment: “I will do it on the job.”
Discussions following practice and feedback. During the session.
Action planning in which participants create a plan for how they
will apply what they have learned, and what they will accomplish,
and who will be their accountability partner (another participant in
the course).
During each session.
In-person discussions, communication via text, phone calls, social
media posts, and/or email of the value of what they are learning and
applying to their personal and professional lives.
Throughout the course.
Retrospective pre- and post-test assessment item. After the course.
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Level 1: Reaction
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), Level 1 Learning is the degree to which
participants enjoy the training, find it engaging, believe it is relevant to their job, and have the
opportunity to apply what they have learned right away in their everyday work. Customer
satisfaction of training is often overly emphasized as an evaluative tool, especially when it is the
only level being assessed, and especially when it is only done as a summative evaluation, when
nothing can be done to improve that particular training for those participants. It is important to
note, however, there is a positive correlation between participant satisfaction and learning and so
this component cannot be taken lightly. Level 1 Learning evaluation is most valuable and
purposeful when it is done formatively so that it can be monitored and adjustments can be made
immediately in response (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
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Table 13
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Post-session feedback forms Ongoing during course, after
each session.
Observation by facilitator During the sessions.
Observation by district coaches/administrators During the sessions.
Attendance At each session throughout the
course.
Testimonials Throughout and after the
course.
In-person discussions, communication via text, phone
calls, social media posts, and/or email of the value of what
they are learning and applying to their personal and
professional lives.
Throughout and after the
course.
Course evaluation Two weeks after the course.
Relevance
Brief pulse-check with participants via post-session
feedback forms (online) and discussion (ongoing).
After every session.
Course evaluation Two weeks after the course.
Participant Satisfaction
Brief pulse-check with participants via post-session
feedback forms (online) and discussion (ongoing)
After every session.
In-person discussions, communication via text, phone
calls, social media posts, and/or email of the value of what
they are learning and applying to their personal and
professional lives.
Throughout and after the
course.
Course evaluation Two weeks after the course.
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Evaluation Tools
During and immediately following the program implementation. During each
session of the BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 courses, the facilitator will collect observational data
to evaluate engagement and satisfaction. The facilitator will use formative evaluation tools such
as pulse-checks, pair-share and small group discussions, and whole-group share-outs to measure
Level 1 engagement and Level 2 learning, and make necessary adjustments during the session as
needed. Level 2 skills and commitment will also be assessed through the use of action plans
which participants will create and share at the end of each session.
Immediately following each BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 session, the facilitator will
administer Session Feedback surveys via an online Google form. The surveys will ask
participants to indicate their overall satisfaction with the content and delivery of that session as
well as the relevance of the information and strategies learned (Level 1 Reaction). Additionally,
the survey will include items to assess the knowledge participants gained as a result of
participation in the training (Level 2 Learning). The survey (Appendix A) will include a
combination of Likert and open-ended items.
Immediately following the conclusion of the BREATHtaking and SEL 2.0 courses,
teachers will take part in an end-of-course survey evaluation. Levels 1 and 2 will be assessed
through a combination of Likert and open-ended questions (Appendix B). Additionally,
participants in the SEL 2.0 course will take the GTL Teaching Practices That Strengthen SEL
Assessment and SEL for Adults Assessment and compare their results to their pre-course
assessment results. BREATHtaking participants will also take the SEL for Adults Assessment as
well as taking a BREATHtaking post-assessment that will be created.
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Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Approximately three months
after the implementation of the training, and then again at six months, the facilitator will
administer online Google surveys (see Appendix C) to assess continued satisfaction and
relevance of the in-person sessions and accompanying resources as well as the optional online
Professional Learning Network community (Level 1 Reaction), the confidence and benefits of
applying what they learned in the training to their own Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) and to
their teaching practice (Level 2 Learning), the level of support and accountability they are
receiving from their peers and the organization as they implement the knowledge and strategies
learned (Level 3), and the extent to which their SEW and teaching practices have been impacted
as a result of participating in BREATHtaking and/or SEW (Level 4 Results). For districts who
would like to go one step further in evaluating results, the recommendation is to administer a
survey to students 3 months and 6 months after the completion of the course to see if they see
evidence of the teaching practices in the classroom.
Data Analysis and Reporting
Analyzing and reporting the data in a timely manner is critical. One way that this will be
done during the course will be to highlight the success stories of the SEL 2.0 and BREATHtaking
“Internal Champions” at each session of the course as well as at various site and district level
meetings. These “Internal Champions” are teachers in the courses who are passionately and
successfully championing the cause, leading the change, and inspiring and supporting others
along the way. An additional interim reporting measure will be the feedback forms that are done
after each session of the course. This feedback is done in Google Forms and can be easily
downloaded into a report to be shared with ABC and district leaders. To make the most of time
and avoid information overload for the district personnel, ABC will conduct a “post-mortem”
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analysis of the feedback, carefully reading over the answers and highlighting any data that seems
to stand out or is a recently identified priority. ABC will create a Dashboard that illustrates
Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 items and share it with district leaders in addition to the full report.
Additionally, site administrators will receive a “Spot, Support, and Celebrate” Cheat Sheet that
lets them know the session’s most identified strategies and skills take-aways as well as which
strategies participants report implementing. This way, the site leaders can know what to look
and listen for in teacher lesson plans, classroom observations, and collaboration. Having this
“Cheat Sheet” will help them immediately reinforce, encourage, reward, and monitor the
learning and behavior they want to see. The sample dashboard and cheat sheet below will report
the data on these measures as a monitoring and accountability tool.
Table 14
Sample Post-Session Dashboard: October (Session #2)
Metric
Percentage
Responding
Yes (Target)
Percentage
Responding
Yes (Actual) Success
I understand why the information presented in
this session is important to my work.
100% 80% Needs
Improvement
I believe that it is beneficial to both myself
and my students to apply the skills and
strategies that I learned during this session.
100% 100% On Target
I will be able to immediately apply what I
learned in this session.
100% 85% Needs
Improvement
I am committed to applying what I learned to
my work.
100% 90% Needs
Improvement
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Table 15
Sample Post-Session “Spot, Support, & Celebrate” Cheat Sheet: October (Session #2)
Administrator “Spot, Support, & Celebrate” Cheat Sheet — Session #2
Name: Jane Doe (SAMPLE)
What were the two
most important
things you learned
from this session?
How do you plan to
apply what you
learned today into your
teaching practice?
Since the last
session, I have
implemented the
following into my
teaching practice:
Since beginning this
course, I have seen
the following impact
on my teaching
practice:
1. Mindful
Moments
2. Power of YET
Before each class I
will lead students in
deep breathing for one
minute.
When students tell me
they don’t understand
something, I’ll remind
them that they just
don’t understand it
YET!
I have community
circles twice per
week in my
classroom.
I do my best to greet
each student by
name as they enter
the classroom.
My students feel
more connected to
each other and there
has been less conflict
in class!
1. Mindfulness
2. Concentric
Circles
4-7-8 Breathing before
tests
I will use concentric
circles to do test
review
I use Back-2-Back to
build relationships
and review content.
I alternate entry &
exit slips
I find that by doing
the breathing before
class starts, I am
more calm & present
& it rubs off on the
students!
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Summary
Utilizing the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) for this
study provided a detailed and structured framework for developing a strategic and integrated
implementation and evaluation plan for the recommended solutions. The process began with
identifying the desired results, then analyzing what critical behaviors would need to occur to
achieve those outcomes, followed by what participants would need to learn to perform those
behaviors, and of course, creating a training that would be engaging and relevant in order to for it
to elicit a positive reaction. This outcome-focused, backward mapping design model requires the
organization to come together and collaborate within their own ranks as well as with ABC
consultants to cultivate a change in behavior and achieve results, rather than just relying on a
stand-alone training to deliver sustainable outcomes. This chapter has provided an integrated
implementation and evaluation plan for strengthening Social Emotional Wellness for teachers
through the use of BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness and SEL 2.0,
which clearly has value as a return on expectations, and which districts can use to create optimal
conditions for achieving their organizational goal to improve teacher well-being.
Limitations and Delimitations
The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational components that influence a teacher’s ability to address stress and
strengthen their Social Emotional Wellness. Due to the nature of the study, it is important to
address the possible limitations. One limitation of this study is the number of respondents
answering the survey. Although the survey invitation was sent to approximately 185 teachers,
the survey sample size was 57. Of the 57 survey respondents, 16 volunteered to be interviewed,
and this leads to the second possible limitation. It is likely those that volunteered to take the
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survey and/or be interviewed were the participants who were most positive and passionate about
their experience in BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0. Next, there is a susceptibility for the teachers that
do participate in the survey and/or interview to have a self-reporting bias, which occurs when
participants give answers they think are more socially acceptable than their own honest
experience, which could affect the findings. In this particular study, that is unlikely because
participants were very raw and unguarded during the interviews, and a third of them breaking
down in tears of emotion during the interviews. Another possible limitation could be whether or
not the participants accurately understood the intended meaning of the survey and interview
questions.
The primary delimitation is that the findings were specific to the ABC organizational
goal to create a strategic Social Emotional Wellness framework, and to the specific
organizational contexts of the three districts involved in the study. For this reason, the findings
will be interpreted based on input from teachers from the three districts involved in the study,
which may not be able to be generalized to other educational settings. However, learning from
the successful or not-so-successful stories of the teachers and districts in this study could
ultimately guide other school districts and educational agencies in selecting strategies for
addressing stress in their own organization. Additionally, the findings could be of help to similar
educational consulting firms looking to support districts in the area of Social Emotional
Wellness.
Recommendations for Future Research
Several interesting themes emerged from this study that would serve as potential
opportunities for future researchers to follow up on. This particular study was evaluating the
knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences that help or hinder the strengthening of
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SEW as a result of taking either BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0. Although interviewees reflected
back on their attitudes and behavior before and after the course, it would be beneficial to have
either a control group that could be used to compare participant KMO with non-participant
KMO, or gather pre-course KMO data from new participants to be used as a baseline for
comparison. More detailed data could be obtained in that type of study. Another area for future
researchers to consider is broadening the stakeholder group to school staff rather than just
teachers. Counselors, administrators, and classified staff experience stress as well and would
benefit from strengthening their well-being. It would be also interesting to note any variations
between the different occupations. In addition to gathering data from surveys and interviews, it
would be recommended that future researchers utilize observations and document analysis, with
a particular emphasis on social media, as part of their methodology. Many of the teachers who
participated in the interviews and likely the survey as well, are members of a private Facebook
group that was created by ABC as a Professional Learning Network, a place where educators
could share best practices and resources, and get support and inspiration from other educators. It
is a gold mine of qualitative data just waiting to be mined.
Conclusion
Chronic stress and burnout of employees is not just a problem in education, it is an issue
that most organizations across the globe contend with every day. It can be crippling for the
individuals who suffer from it, causing physical and psychological health issues and impacting
performance in the workplace. The organization also suffers when employees are suffering from
stress and burnout, having to deal with such issues as absenteeism, stress-leave, and employee
turnover. In education, however, it seems most critical because it also directly impacts the
students, our leaders of tomorrow.
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In society, people have been conditioned to look for what is wrong and then go about
trying to fix it. When people are “drowning” in emotional or physical pain, they are thrown the
life preserver that works to keep them just barely afloat. Although this is an effective saving
intervention, there is a much more powerful alternative. Instead of focusing on intervention and
what is wrong, the attention can shift to prevention and what is right — to what has been shown
by research to make people feel healthy, happy, and successful. That way, instead of having to
rely on the life preserver, individuals will be wearing a life vest of resiliency skills. If they fall
into the “water” of adversity, as everyone occasionally does, they will be able to bounce back
quickly. Rather than spending so much time reacting to stress and the problems it causes,
individuals and organizations would benefit immensely by intentionally devoting more time,
energy, and resources toward strengthening employee Social Emotional Wellness (SEW).
The implication of this study is to add to the scholarly body of knowledge aimed to
improve the Social Emotional Wellness of teachers. The results and findings may be useful to
school sites, districts, and county offices, as well as companies in the business of helping
educational organizations. The research and new information presented and discussed in this
study may also be beneficial to other organizations who seek to improve the SEW of their
employees. The study may also encourage other researchers to explore further the impact of
employee well-being on individual and organizational health, happiness, and performance.
Martin Seligman (2011), sometimes known as the father of positive psychology, said, “Curing
the negatives does not produce positives,” and this is what educational organizations need to
understand. If site and district leaders want to create a safe and successful workplace, they must
first cultivate the climate and intentionally strengthen SEW. For individual and organizational
well-being, organizations and organizational leaders must nourish to flourish.
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APPENDIX A
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
(As appeared on informational flyers in the 2016-2017 school year)
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness
Mindfulness is gaining a great deal of attention these days as hospitals, corporations, the U.S.
Military, and schools are incorporating mindfulness trainings and practices to help employees
and clients increase their ability to release tension and stress, improve their ability to handle
challenging situations in a positive and productive way, focus their attention, boost efficacy and
performance, and have a greater sense of overall well-being. Much more than just a workshop,
“BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness,” will consist of SIX 3-hour
sessions, with an online community cohort component to keep the participants interactive,
engaged, and supported with resources and collaboration.
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness (Six Sessions). Cost is
covered by (District Name), so register early. Registration is limited to 50 people. Send email to
ABC Educational Solutions info@abc.net
The presenter is a former high school principal and is certified in Social Emotional Learning
Leadership through Rutgers University. She is also a Mindfulness Instructor, a certified Life
Coach, and a doctoral student at USC. She provides coaching, professional development, and
positive youth development activities for educational, human services, and juvenile justice
agencies throughout the nation.
This course will be a reflective, rejuvenating, and transformational journey for participants.
Participants will review the latest research in neuroscience and how it can be applied to enhance
their personal and professional lives. They will learn mindfulness practices and strategies to
strengthen the Emotional Intelligence competencies of self-awareness, self-management,
empathy and social awareness, compassion for self and others, and healthier relationships at
work and home, all of which lead to increased Workplace Wellness and improved efficacy.
BREATHtaking will be held from 4pm–7pm at the District Office-Specific room TBD:
September 19, 2016
October 20, 2016
November 2, 2016
December 15, 2016
January 25, 2017
February 22, 2017
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Social Emotional Learning 2.0
(Pre-requisite for this course is SEL 101, so that description is also included in the Appendix.)
Workshop (one day): SEL 101
This informative, interactive and highly-engaging workshop explores the research that supports
the importance of SEL practices in educators’ personal and professional development.
Participants will learn how to implement SEL strategies and build skills in classrooms and school
sites to prepare students to be successful in school, college, career, and life. Tools such as
Neuroscience, Mindfulness in Education, Restorative Practices, Growth Mindset, and Cultivating
Kindness, Empathy, and Compassion will be reviewed and emphasis placed on how they play a
critical role in building both SEL and academic skills while also enhancing school climate and
culture. The facilitator will lead participants in discussion and activities that they can replicate in
a district, school site, and classroom the next day to initiate positive change in the lives of all
stakeholders.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING 2.0 SERIES — AN 8-SESSION COURSE
Each full day workshop in the SEL 2.0 monthly series is designed to build capacity and
strengthen the SEL competencies of teachers within each focus area during the morning session.
The participants will utilize the afternoon session to apply their new knowledge and experiences
to integrate the SEL competencies into lesson design for their particular content area of teaching.
Teachers participating in the SEL 2.0 series will be encouraged to share their lessons and best
practices with staff members at their sites during staff meetings and PLCs.
SEL 2.0 — DAY 1
CULTIVATING A CLIMATE OF CONNECTEDNESS THROUGH CLASS CIRCLES
There are a lot of C’s out there on the tips of educators’ tongues — College and Career
Readiness, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Climate and Culture —
just to name some of them. In order to meet the expectations of LCAPs and strengthen students’
skills in these areas, we need to create opportunities for students to develop Social Emotional
Competencies in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, positive
relationships, and responsible decision-making. These Emotional Intelligence skills are crucial
to student success in school, college, career, and life. Classroom Circles can be an incredible
space to deliver content curriculum as well as Tier 1 Interventions as foundations for SEL, PBIS,
Restorative Practices, and Mindfulness in Education. Circles also build rapport and
relationships, engage and empower students, create community, and cultivate a climate that is
safe and optimal for student learning.
At this hands-on and highly-interactive training, participants will learn research supporting the
value of circles for both students and staff, will spend time experiencing different lessons and
activities, and will also have the opportunity to practice Community Circles facilitation.
Participants will be able take these skills back to their school site and begin implementing
immediately.
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SEL 2.0 — DAY #2
INTEGRATING SEL AND ACADEMICS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
Research makes a compelling case that social and emotional factors have the strongest impact on
academic learning, affecting motivation and commitment, behavior, and performance. Explicitly
addressing these components of learning can change how much and how well students thrive. In
order to access rigorous academic content, and meet the expectation to demonstrate critical
thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, students need to have the skills students
need to understand perspectives of others, engage in respectful dialogue, be aware of cultural
issues and differences, read social cues, set and achieve goals, and take personal responsibility
for their learning. What students are asked to do in the Common Core State Standards gives
them the opportunity to practice these SEL skills during instruction. In this highly engaging and
hands-on workshop, participants will examine the ten best teaching practices for strengthening
SEL, explore various strategies and structures that build SEL, and understand the importance and
benefits of integrating Social Emotional Learning into their content area teaching.
SEL 2.0 — DAY #3
IGNITING AND NURTURING SPARKS — USING PASSION AND PURPOSE TO
BUILD RESILIENCY AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
The Search Institute defines sparks as “Those activities and interests that truly engage kids to be
their best.” We might call them passions, and passions often lead to a sense of purpose.
Research from the Search Institute shows that kids who thrive have two important supports:
Knowledge of what their sparks are and adults who support the development of those sparks.
Kids with these two supports demonstrate higher grades, better school attendance and physical
health, empathy and social competence, and a sense of purpose.
A study published last year in Psychological Science suggests that having a sense of purpose can
literally add years to your life. This raises the question: If employees feel that their work has
purpose, might that add years to the life of their organization? If educators are going to
effectively help students ignite and nurture their sparks, educators must uncover and develop
their own passion and purpose. For school sites looking to create social emotional wellness
among their team members both as individuals and as part of the team, it is important for them to
tap into their shared purpose and passion.
In this reflective and interactive workshop, the facilitator will present research supporting the
critical role that sparks, passion, and purpose play in student and staff engagement and social
emotional wellness. Participants will engage in activities designed to help themselves and their
students explore their own personal passion and purpose and developing plans for nurturing the
sparks that fuel them. In addition, participants will take part in activities designed to develop
team purpose. These same activities and lessons can be brought back to their school site to
utilize with students and staff.
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SEL 2.0 — DAY #4
CULTIVATING A POSITIVE CLIMATE OF KINDNESS, EMPATHY, AND
COMPASSION THROUGH SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
The research is in and it confirms that practicing kindness, empathy, and compassion boosts
physical health, promotes emotional wellness, and creates the foundation for the ability to work
effectively, collaborate together in teamwork, and do critical thinking in groups. These skills
lead to a boost in morale and a positive shift in school climate and culture. This foundation can
also build resiliency and lead students to success in school, college, career, and life. Are you
ready to strengthen the social emotional wellness of your staff and students? Ready to reignite
staff’s passion for reaching and teaching youth, and give them tools to increase their ability to
make a positive impact? This fun, informational, inspirational and interactive workshop
highlights the research that supports making SEL a high priority and focuses on specific actions
which can be implemented at your site to intentionally teach and build a school culture
of kindness, empathy, compassion, resiliency, and service learning.
SEL. 2.0 — DAY #5
MIND MATTERS: EXPLORING THE NEUROSCIENCE OF MINDFULNESS AND
MINDSET AND HOW THEY AFFECT MOTIVATION AND LEARNING
The benefits of MINDFULNESS are in the news on an almost daily basis — United States
Department of Veterans Affairs treating military veterans with PTSD, hospitals using it with
patients to alleviate chronic pain, and corporations infusing Mindfulness Training to help
employees deal with stress, increase focus and productivity, and improve overall well-being.
What role does Mindfulness play in the 21st century educational setting? When students (and
educators) understand how the brain and mind function, they can increase their ability to learn
and retain information, to respond rather than react, and to handle challenging situations in a
more positive and productive way.
Research stresses the benefits of teaching students and adults how the brain works, and how
metacognition and mindset can play a critical role in student motivation, learning, and
performance. The best news is that we have the ability to help students learn and understand this
neuroscience and we can help them develop and strengthen a growth mindset. This will not only
help them experience more success in school, but will help expand their own social and
emotional intelligence and wellness.
In this engaging workshop, participants will learn about the latest research in neuroscience that
examines neuroplasticity and malleability, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by building new
neural pathways. Participants will understand the concept of “upstairs brain” and “downstairs
brain” and know how to teach that information to students and colleagues. Participants will learn
how to develop and nurture growth mindset in themselves and their students. Participants will
acquire strategies for transferring the research to the educational setting to fortify their own
social emotional wellness as well as strengthen students’ skills in self-awareness, self-
management, social awareness, positive relationships, and responsible decision-making.
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Participants will learn mindfulness practices that they can use immediately to benefit their lives
both personally and professionally.
SEL 2.0 — DAY #6
NOURISH TO FLOURISH: STRENGTHENING SELF-EFFICACY AND RESILIENCY
THROUGH BOOSTING CHARACTER STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT, OPTIMISM,
AND HOPE
In our incredibly busy lives, we can often get caught up spending time focusing on the negatives
and may find ourselves ruminating with worry and anxiety about what went wrong in the past or
what may go wrong in the future. This can often lead to feelings of despair, depression, impaired
self-efficacy and even learned helplessness. Neuroscientists often use the phrase, “Neurons that
fire together wire together” and that translates into the reality that we have the power to change
our minds and our brains! Research reveals that optimism and hope can be taught and learned,
and when done so, can lead to greater engagement in life, less dysfunctional thinking, lowered
depression, and increased resiliency. Additionally, discovering our own character strengths and
exploring how to optimize them, together with learning how to intentionally spot strengths in
others, has been shown to positively impact engagement, life satisfaction, performance, and
overall well-being.
In this highly engaging and interactive workshop, participants will learn the foundations of
positive psychology, uncover information on ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) and how to
help themselves and their students overcome them, the science behind academic optimism and its
effects on self-efficacy, strategies designed to build optimism and hope in themselves and
students, engage in exploration of research-based character strengths, and synergize all of these
components in order to boost self-efficacy and resiliency in themselves and their students.
Participants will also understand the effects of collective efficacy on their own and student
motivation and performance.
SEL 2.0 SERIES — DAY #7
BUILDING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLNESS THROUGH INTENTIONAL
PRACTICES OF GRATITUDE, FORGIVENESS, AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
Scientific evidence shows that practicing forgiveness and gratitude can defuse depression, boost
your immune system, decrease stress levels, increase your happiness levels and lead to becoming
your best potential self. The best news, though, is that these skills can be learned and developed
with practice. Picture a class of students or a staff meeting that is infused with optimism,
forgiveness, and gratitude. It doesn’t take rocket science to determine how much easier it would
be to teach a lesson, work together to accomplish great things, and live and learn together with
these habits leading both individuals and the entire team!
In this reflective, interactive, and highly-interactive workshop, the presenter will give the
participants the latest research on the benefits of forgiveness and gratitude, and understand the
impact of affective statements. Participants will learn the value of not just punishing
inappropriate behavior, but using those incidents as learning opportunities to teach students how
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to take responsibility, repair harm, and restore relationships. Participants will engage in
activities designed to build these important skills that they can use to strengthen their own social
emotional wellness, enhance positive relationships, improve classroom and school-wide climate,
and build their capacity to teach these skills to others.
SEL 2.0 SERIES — DAY #8
CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE: EXPLORING EQUITY THROUGH PURPOSEFUL
PERSPECTIVE-TAKING
(Description not available — this title was changed from original flyer)
DATES:
August 30, 2016
October 5, 2016
November 16, 2016
December 1, 2016
January 18, 2017
February 16, 2017
March 9, 2017
April 27, 2017
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APPENDIX B
SURVEY INSTRUMENT PROTOCOL
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
Demographics NA Including this year, how many
years have you been a employed
as a teacher? (Dropdown: 1-5, 6-
10, 11-15, 16+)
Ordinal Percentage,
Mean,
Frequency
Table
Demographics NA Including this year, how many
years have you been employed
with your current district?
(Dropdown: 1-5, 6-10, 11-15,
16+)
Ordinal Percentage,
Mean,
Frequency
Table
Demographics NA What grade level(s) do you
teach? (Dropdown: K-2, 3-5, 6-
8, 9-12)
Nominal Percentage,
Frequency
Table
Demographics NA What subject(s) do you teach?
(Fill in)
Nominal Percentage,
Frequency
Table
Demographics NA What is your gender?
(Dropdown: Male, Female,
Transgender, Other)
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
Demographics NA Do you live with a romantic
partner/spouse?
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
Demographics NA Did you hear about the
opportunity to attend
BREATHtaking: A Mindful
Course in Social Emotional
Wellness and/or SEL 2.0 in your
district?
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
Demographics NA Did you enroll in and attend at
least one session of
BREATHtaking: A Mindful
Course in Social Emotional
Wellness and/or SEL 2.0 in your
district?
Ordinal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
Demographics NA Did you complete the
BREATHtaking: A Mindful
Course in Social Emotional
Wellness and/or SEL 2.0 in your
district?
Ordinal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-F I know how stress impacts
physical health.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
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Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-F I am knowledgeable about how
stress impacts psychological
health.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-M I am able to accurately assess
my level of stress.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-P I am able to effectively cope
with stress.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-P I use research-based strategies to
strengthen my well-being.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-M I am able to accurately assess
my well-being.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-F A teacher’s ability to cope with
stress impacts his/her efficacy in
the classroom.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
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Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
When a student is not achieving
in my class, my initial reaction is
to reflect on my own teaching
practice.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
I feel confident in my ability to
help my students learn.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
I feel confident in my ability to
influence my students’ behavior.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-M I take time weekly to reflect on
my teaching practice.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
My students’ good/bad behavior
has to do with my skills as a
teacher.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
The work that I do each day has
meaning beyond a paycheck.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
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316
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy *
I am able to successfully teach
all relevant subject content even
to challenging students.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy *
As time goes by, I will be able to
become more and more capable
of helping to address my
students’ needs.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy *
Even if I get disrupted while
teaching, I can maintain my
composure and continue to teach
well.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy *
I am able to be responsive to my
students’ needs even if I am
having a bad day.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
and Self
Efficacy *
If I try hard enough, I know that
I can exert a positive influence
on both the personal and
academic development of my
students.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy *
I can develop creative ways to
cope with system constraints
(such as budget cuts and
administrative problems) and
continue to teach well.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
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317
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy *
I can motivate my students to
participate in innovative
projects.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy *
I know that I can carry out
innovative projects even when I
am opposed by skeptical
colleagues.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self-
Efficacy
When I am stressed, I am
reluctant to ask for help.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
I am able to impact the climate
of my classroom with my
attitude.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
I am able to use my instructional
practices to improve my
students’ academic success.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
I am able to use my instructional
practices to improve my
students’ behavior in the
classroom.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
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318
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
If students are unmotivated,
there is little that I can do to help
them learn.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
I enjoy coming to work most
days.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
Nothing I do seems to help my
problematic students.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
Certain students negatively
impact my ability to enjoy
teaching.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
Sometimes I go home from work
feeling that I am not being a
very good teacher.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
K-M
M-Self-
Efficacy
M-
Attribution
I seek out ways to improve my
teaching practice.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
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319
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-
Attribution
M-Self
Efficacy
I seek out ways to improve my
well-being.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy
I am positively influencing
peoples’ lives through my work.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy
I have two or more close friends
at work.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What are the
knowledge,
motivational, and
organizational factors
necessary to engage
teachers in enrolling
in and completing a
Social Emotional
Wellness course?
M-Self
Efficacy
M-
Attribution
I can create a positive
atmosphere with my students.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My district motivates me to go
above and beyond in my role.
**Q
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM I have the opportunity to
demonstrate my strengths at
work.
Percentage,
Mean,
Frequency
Table
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320
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM In my role at work, I am
encouraged to come up with new
ideas. **Q
Percentage,
Mean,
Frequency
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My direct supervisor cares about
me.
Percentage,
Mean,
Frequency
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM My district values my input. Nominal Percentage,
Frequency
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS I have positive relationships with
a majority of my colleagues.
Nominal Percentage,
Frequency
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My colleagues express
appreciation for my
contributions in the workplace.
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS I am given the opportunity to be
involved with decisions that
affect me. **Q
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
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321
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My direct supervisor expresses
appreciation for my
contributions in the workplace.
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM District leaders provide
structured opportunities for
colleagues from different sites to
collaborate with each other on
district initiatives/projects.
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My colleagues at work care
about me.
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS Diverse types of people (i.e.
people with different
backgrounds, ages, or opinions)
are able to work well together at
our school. **Q
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS It is easy to collaborate with
other departments at our school.
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM District leaders place a high
priority on Social Emotional
Learning (SEL) for students.
Nominal Frequency,
Percentage
Table
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322
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM My principal places a high
priority on Social Emotional
Learning for students.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM District leaders place a high
priority on building staff Social
Emotional Learning
competencies.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM My principal places a high
priority on building staff SEL
competencies.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM Teachers in our district are
comfortable seeking
assistance/resources for stress
management.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM Teachers in our district are
comfortable seeking
assistance/resources for
strengthening well-being.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM My principal creates time in
staff meetings for staff to get to
know each other on a more
personal level.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
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323
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My principal seeks out my ideas. Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM District leaders ask for teacher
input.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS I have influence on policies and
procedures at my school.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My principal provides with me
with opportunities to learn and
grow.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CM District leaders place a high
priority on providing
opportunities for professional
learning and growth for teachers.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS I am proud of the work we do at
our school.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
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324
Research Question/
Data Type
KMO
Construct Survey Item
Scale of
Measurement
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Representation
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS My principal provides
connections between what we
are asked to do and why it is
important to our
mission/purpose.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS District leaders demonstrate
appreciation for teachers.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS Our district provides on-going
access to programs/professional
learning designed to help
address stress.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
What organizational
factors can interact
with teacher
knowledge and
motivation in order to
address teacher stress
and strengthen Social
Emotional Wellness?
O-CS Our district provides on-going
access to programs/professional
learning designed to strengthen
employee wellness.
Ordinal Percentage,
Frequency,
Mode,
Median,
Range
Table
K-F = Knowledge-Factual, K-M = Knowledge-Metacognitive, K-P = Knowledge-Procedural
M-Self-Efficacy = Motivation-Self-Efficacy, M-Attribution = Motivation-Attribution
O-CM = Cultural Models, O-CS = Cultural Settings
* = Adapted from Schwarzer et al. (1999)
** = Adapted from https://www.qualtrics.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/10/Qualtrics_EBook__How_to_Design_an_Employee_Engagement_Survey.pdf
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APPENDIX C
PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089
INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR EXEMPT NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH
STRENGTHENING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLNESS IN TEACHERS TO MITIGATE
STRESS, ENRICH ENGAGEMENT, AND INCREASE EFFICACY
AN EVAULATIVE STUDY
You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Joelle Hood, Principal
Investigator. You have been selected as a potential participant because you are a teacher who
participated in BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness (BT) and/or
Social Emotional Learning 2.0 (SEL 2.0) in your district. Your participation in this study is
completely voluntary. Please take as much time as you need to read the information in this form.
Please ask questions about anything you do not understand or requires clarity.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate what knowledge teachers have about Social
Emotional Wellness (SEW) strategies after taking BT and/or SEL 2.0, whether teachers are
motivated to use the strategies they have learned and if so, how the use has impacted stress and
well-being; and what organizational factors influence teacher application of the SEW strategies.
The findings of the research study will contribute to the development of potential solutions that
will help support teachers strengthen SEW and build resiliency to stress.
PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete an online survey which is
anticipated to take about 20 minutes. You may also be asked to participate in a one hour
recorded interview. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to, either on the
survey or during the interview. If you do not want to be taped, handwritten notes will be taken.
Feel free to discuss your participation in this study with whomever you chose prior to deciding to
participate. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to sign this form.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential.
Your responses will be coded with a false name (pseudonym) and maintained separately. You
will have the option to review and edit the written transcript of the recordings for the interviews.
The audio recordings will be destroyed once they have been transcribed. The data will be kept
on the researcher’s password-protected desktop computer and will be kept indefinitely.
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The members of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research
studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects. Please note that when the results of
the research are published or even discussed in conferences, none of your identifiable
information will be used.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will not result in penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any time and
discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or
remedies by participating in this research study.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORT
There are no known risks or discomforts related to this study.
PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
Participants will not be compensated for their participation in the survey or interviews.
INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal Investigator: Joelle Hood
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Monique Datta
IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los
Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or upirb@usc.edu
RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT — IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu
SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT
I have read the information provided above. I have been given a chance to ask questions. My
questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have
been given a copy of this form.
Name of Participant
Signature of Participant Date
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SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR
I have explained the research to the participant and answered all his/her questions. I believe that
he/she understands the information described in this document and freely consents to participate.
Name of Person Obtaining Consent
Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date
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APPENDIX D
PARTICIPANT EMAIL
Dear BREATHtaking Participant:
Thank you for expressing your interest and willingness to participate in this online survey. My
name is Joelle Hood, and I am currently a doctoral student at the Rossier School of Education at
the University of Southern California under the guidance of Dr. Monique Datta. I have spent a
great deal of time examining the literature on the prevalence and impact of teacher stress,
workplace wellness, employee engagement. I am currently conducting a research study, which is
foundational to my dissertation, with the purpose of exploring how school districts can
strengthen the Social Emotional Wellness of their teachers.
Within the last two years, you were offered an opportunity to enroll and participate in
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness and/or SEL 2.0. The purpose of
this study is to learn more about teachers’ perceptions on topics presented in those courses such
as well-being, stress, efficacy, and engagement. Your input will help to design a framework to
help districts better support teacher well-being, in addition to improving future Professional
Development courses in the areas of Social Emotional Learning and Wellness.
If you agree to participate in this research study, please complete the online survey found here:
________. All information obtained from the survey will be kept confidential, and will be
securely stored. Analysis and reporting of any data will be done so in such a way that the
identity of study participants cannot and will not be identifiable. Your participation in this study
is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw your involvement at any time.
The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. After the survey, you will be
invited to volunteer for a follow up 1:1 interview. If you would like to help us further with this
study, you may do so by clicking “Contact Us.” Your responses to the survey will not be
connected to the submission of your name in order to protect your confidentiality. The follow-up
interviews are designed to provide additional input, insight, and clarity to the research in this
study.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. You may reach me via telephone
at 888-267-6096 or through email at joelleho@usc.edu.
Thank you for your interest in this study, and your willingness to provide your input and insight
to address this important issue. If you have no further questions and would like to complete the
survey now, please begin on the following link:
Rights of Research Participants—IRB Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant or the research in
general, and are unable to reach the research team, you may contact the University Park
Institutional Review Board (UPIRB) located at 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA
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90089-0702. You may reach the UPIRB office by telephone at (213) 821-5272, or via email at
upirb@usc.edu
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APPENDIX E
ONLINE SURVEY PERMISSION ITEM
You have been invited to participate in this survey of all former and current participants of the
BREATHtaking: A Mindful Couse in Social Emotional Wellness (BT) or Social Emotional
Learning 2.0 (SEL 2.0) in your district. I am a current doctoral candidate at the University of
Southern California, and this survey is being conducted as part of a doctoral research project
under the guidance of Dr. Monique Datta from the Rossier School of Education.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate what knowledge teachers have about Social Emotional
Wellness (SEW) strategies after taking BT and/or SEL 2.0, whether teachers are motivated to use
the strategies they have learned and if so, how the use of these strategies has affected levels of
stress and well-being. Additionally, the study will also be exploring how organizational factors
influence teacher application of the SEW strategies. The findings of this research study will
contribute to the development of potential solutions that will help districts support teachers
strengthen resiliency and Social Emotional Wellness.
Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary, and your responses will never be
associated with your personal information. You can skip any question you choose and can
withdraw from the study at any time. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete. The
survey window will be open from October 31, 2017, to November 9, 2017. Your participation
will be helpful in allowing us to design future professional learning opportunities to enhance and
support district efforts to strengthen teacher Social Emotional Wellness.
After the survey, you will be invited to submit your name and email address for an individual
follow-up interview. Follow-up interviews will allow me to deepen my understanding about
how professional learning can be designed and how organizational structures can be enhanced to
strengthen teacher Social Emotional Wellness.
For additional questions, please contact me directly at joelleho@usc.edu If you are interested in
the findings of this research study, please email me. Thank you for your participation in this
survey. By clicking on this link, you agree to participate. If you do not click on the link, the
survey will not move forward. Thank you.
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APPENDIX F
INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
Interview Protocol — Participants Who Completed BREATHtaking
Introduction
Before we begin, I would just like to say thank you, and let you know how much I appreciate
your participation in this study. It is not easy to give up time, and your willingness to do so
means a great deal to me. I also would like you to know that sharing your input and experiences
today will help your school district and many others to develop ways to better support teachers in
strengthening their Social Emotional Wellness and better cope with stress. In fact, some of these
questions will be used to find out what drew you to enroll in BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0, what
motivated you to complete the course, and any changes that you may have noticed in yourself
personally or professionally during or after the course, and any suggestions that you may have
for improving the course.
It is important that you know that the information that you share here today will remain
confidential. Your comments will not be attributed to you or traceable back to you. You can
choose to pass on any question that I ask and you may end the interview at any time you choose.
The interview is scheduled for 60 minutes, but I’d like to save the last few minutes to answer any
questions that you may have for me about the study. Does that time commitment work for you?
Next, I would like to ask your permission to record our interview. This will allow me to really
listen to your answers and focus my attention on you rather than trying to take notes to capture
all of your answers. The recording will allow me to go back and transcribe your answers exactly
as you responded rather than misrepresenting what you have said. All recordings will be
destroyed at the end of the study. Do I have your permission to record our conversation?
Before we begin the interview portion, I’d like to address any questions or concerns that you
might have right now. What questions do you have for me? If you think of more questions as
we move forward, I will be able to answer them in the last few minutes of the interview. Are
you ready to begin?
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Standardized Open-Ended Interview Protocol
Interview Protocol — Participants Who Completed BREATHtaking
1. How long have you been a certificated teacher?
2. How long have you worked in your current district?
3. Tell me about your classes . . .
• what subject(s) you teach
• what grade(s) you teach
• what your students are like
4. Tell me about how you were introduced to BREATHtaking.
• How did you hear about it? When did you hear about it?
• When did you complete the course?
5. If I were a new teacher to your school and asked you about the BREATHtaking course, how
would you describe it to me?
6. Please share some of the reasons that you had for choosing to enroll in the BREATHtaking
course.
a. PROBE: (If they share personal reasons, ask about professional and vice-versa).
7. What new knowledge or skills do you have as a result of BREATHtaking?
a. PROBE: Please describe how you have taken strategies that you have learned in
BREATHtaking and used them in your personal and/or professional life.
b. PROBE: (If they give an example of a strategy that they use) Please tell me about a
specific situation when you have used that strategy recently.
c. PROBE: Tell me about any other specific situations when you used a BREATHtaking
strategy in your personal/professional life.
8. Think back and select a specific challenging situation that you have had with a colleague or
student after completing the BREATHtaking course. Describe the scenario to me.
a. PROBE: Thoughts?
b. PROBE: Feelings?
c. Describe any changes in your responses that you noticed between the first interaction
you described and the second?
d. (If the participant does describe changes) What contributed to the change in response?
9. Think back to your life before you enrolled in the BREATHtaking course… (pause) please
describe how you would typically interact with others when you were in a challenging
interaction or situation with them.
a. PROBE: What behaviors would you demonstrate?
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333
10. Think back to your life before you enrolled in the BREATHtaking course… (pause) please
describe how you would feel when you were in a challenging interaction or situation with
others.
a. PROBE: What emotions would you be feeling?
b. PROBE: What physiological responses would you notice in your body?
11. What steps did you take to maintain your ability to keep your commitment to all six sessions
of BREATHtaking?
a. PROBE: If there were obstacles, please describe what they were, and how you
overcome them.
b. PROBE: If there were supports (people, circumstances, or strategies) in place to boost
your ability to keep your commitments, please describe those.
c. PROBE: Was there anything that your site or district did to help encourage or
support you in taking BREATHtaking?
12. What were some of the motivating factors that influenced your decision to keep your
successful commitment to attending all six sessions of BREATHtaking?
a. PROBE: Tell me what you remember about the experience of exploring some of the
topics, i.e., self-compassion, kindness, empathy, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness,
character strengths? Were there any topics that affected you more than the others?
Tell me about that.
b. PROBE: What sort of relationship, if any, did you develop with fellow participants
during the classes? (If answer is affirming connections, what brought that on? If the
answer is no connections, ask what prevented the forming of connections?)
13. Tell me about how you shared the new skills that you learned with others.
a. PROBE: How did you share the skills with your friends/family?
b. PROBE: How did you share the skills with your students?
c. PROBE: How did you share the skills with your colleagues?
14. The goal of BREATHtaking: A Mindful Course in Social Emotional Wellness is to address
teacher stress by strengthening the development of well-being. Please describe to what
extent that goal was met or not for you personally.
a. PROBE: How has this course affected your sense of well-being?
b. PROBE: If the goal was not met for you, what do you think the barriers were?
c. PROBE: If the goal was not met for you, what are your recommendations for
improving the course?
d. PROBE: Why do you think some teachers who had the opportunity, chose not to
enroll in the course?
e. PROBE: Why do you think some teachers enrolled, but weren’t able to complete the
course?
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334
Standardized Open-Ended Interview Protocol
Interview Protocol — Participants Who Completed SEL 2.0
1. How long have you been a certificated teacher?
2. How long have you worked in your current district?
3. Tell me about your classes . . .
• what subject(s) you teach
• what grade(s) you teach
• what your students are like
4. Tell me about how you were introduced to SEL 2.0.
• How did you hear about it? When did you hear about it?
5. If I were a new teacher to your school and asked you about the SEL 2.0 course, how would
you describe it to me?
6. Please share some of the reasons that you had for choosing to enroll in the SEL 2.0 course.
a. PROBE: (If they share personal reasons, ask about professional and vice-versa).
7. What new knowledge or skills do you have as a result of SEL 2.0?
a. PROBE: Please describe how you have taken strategies that you have learned in SEL
2.0 and used them in your personal and/or professional life.
b. PROBE: (If they give an example of a strategy that they use) Please tell me about a
specific situation when you have used that strategy recently.
c. PROBE: Tell me about any other specific situations when you used a SEL 2.0
strategy in your personal/professional life.
8. Think back and select a specific challenging situation that you have had with a colleague or
student after completing the SEL 2.0 course. Describe the scenario to me.
a. PROBE: Thoughts?
b. PROBE: Feelings?
9. Think back to your life before you enrolled in the SEL 2.0 course… (pause) please describe
how you would typically interact with others when you were in a challenging interaction or
situation with them.
a. PROBE: What behaviors would you demonstrate?
b. Describe any changes in your responses that you noticed between the first interaction
you described and the second?
c. (If the participant does describe changes) What contributed to the change in response?
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335
10. Think back to your life before you enrolled in the SEL 2.0 course… (pause) please describe
how you would feel when you were in a challenging interaction or situation with others.
a. PROBE: What emotions would you be feeling?
b. PROBE: What physiological responses would you notice in your body?
11. Tell me about how you incorporated strategies from SEL 2.0 into your instructional practice.
a. PROBE: How did facilitating those strategies impact you?
b. PROBE: How did your students respond to those strategies?
12. What were some of the motivating factors that influenced your decision to keep your
successful commitment to attending SEL 2.0 all year?
a. PROBE: Tell me what you remember about the experience of exploring some of the
topics… i.e., growth mindset, mindfulness, optimism, purpose, self-compassion,
kindness, empathy, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, character strengths? Were
there any topics that affected you more than the others? Tell me about that.
b. PROBE: What sort of relationship, if any, did you develop with fellow participants
during the classes? (If answer is affirming connections), what brought that on? If the
answer is no connections, ask what prevented the forming of connections?). How did
the relationships affect your efficacy in implementing SEL strategies?
13. Tell me about how you shared the new skills that you learned with others.
a. PROBE: How did you share the skills with your friends/family?
b. PROBE: How did you share the skills with your students?
c. PROBE: How did you share the skills with your colleagues?
14. The goal of SEL 2.0 is to strengthen the Social Emotional competencies and well-being of
teachers and provide them with the research, practices, and strategies that they can use to
strengthen SEL in their students. Please describe to what extent that goal was met or not for
you personally.
a. PROBE: How has this course affected your sense of well-being? Your SEL
competencies? Your capacity to teach these skills to students?
b. PROBE: If the goal was not met for you, what do you think the barriers were?
c. PROBE: If the goal was not met for you, what are your recommendations for
improving the course?
d. PROBE: Why do you think some teachers who had the opportunity, chose not to
enroll in the course?
e. PROBE: Why do you think some teachers enrolled, but weren’t able to complete the
course?
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336
APPENDIX G
SAMPLE POST-TRAINING SESSION SURVEY MEASURING KIRKPATRICK LEVELS
(Immediately following each session of multi-session course)
Level 1: Reaction (1-4 Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree Likert scale)
Engagement:
1. The session today held my interest.
2. It was easy for me to get actively involved during the session.
Relevance:
3. I understand why the information presented in this session is important to my work.
4. I will be able to immediately apply what I learned in this session.
Participant Satisfaction:
5. My learning was enhanced by the knowledge of the facilitator.
Level 2: Learning (Open-ended items)
Knowledge and Skills:
6. What were the two most important things you learned from this session? (Declarative)
7. How do you plan to apply what you learned today into your teaching practice?
(Procedural)
8. What steps will you take to apply what you learned today in your personal life?
(Procedural)
9. What impact do you think you might have on your students as you successfully apply
what you have learned? (Metacognition)
Attitude: (Likert scale)
10. I believe that it is beneficial to both myself and my students to apply the skills and
strategies that I learned during this session.
11. I believe that I can get support from others to help strengthen my ability to apply the
skills and strategies learned in this session.
Confidence: (These will be Likert with a drop-down menu if they do not agree)
12. I am confident that I can integrate the strategies that I learned into my personal practices.
13. I am confident that I can integrate the strategies that I learned into my daily teaching
practices. Drop-down options (check all that apply):
a. I do not have the necessary knowledge skills.
b. I do not know why integrating these strategies is important.
c. I do not have the necessary resources to apply what I have learned.
d. I do not have support from my administration to apply what I have learned.
e. I have other, higher priorities.
f. Other (please explain):
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Commitment:
14. I am committed to applying what I learned to my work.
15. I am committed to applying what I learned to my personal life.
Level 3: Behavior (Open-Ended)
Transfer:
16. How have you applied what you have learned in the course to your teaching practice?
17. How have you applied what you have learned in the course in your personal life
practices?
18. How do your administrators and colleagues encourage you to apply what you have
learned?
Level 4: Results: (Open-Ended and will begin use on survey after Session #2)
19. Since beginning this course, I have seen the following impact on my teaching practice:
20. Since beginning this course, I have seen the following impact on my personal life:
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APPENDIX H
SAMPLE POST-COURSE SURVEY MEASURING KIRKPATRICK LEVELS
Survey Immediately Following End of Course
Level 1: Reaction (1-4 Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree Likert scale)
Engagement:
1. I was engaged throughout the course.
2. It was easy for me to get actively involved in this course.
Relevance:
3. I understand why the information presented in this course is important to my work.
4. I have been able to immediately apply what I have learned in this course to my work.
Participant Satisfaction:
5. Throughout the course, my learning was enhanced by the knowledge of the facilitator.
6. I would recommend this course to others.
Level 2: Learning (Open-ended items)
Knowledge and Skills:
7. What were the three most important things you learned from this course? (Declarative)
8. How do you plan to continue apply what you learned in this course into your teaching
practice? (Procedural)
9. How do you plan to continue to apply what you learned in this course in your personal
life? (Procedural)
10. What impact do you think you might have on your students as you continue to
successfully apply what you have learned? (Metacognition)
Attitude: (Likert scale)
11. I believe that it is beneficial to both myself and my students to continue to apply the skills
and strategies that I learned during the course.
12. I believe that I can get support from others to help strengthen my ability to continue to
apply the skills and strategies learned during this course.
Confidence: (These will be Likert with a drop-down menu if they do not agree)
13. I am confident that I can continue to integrate the strategies that I learned into my
personal practices.
14. I am confident that I can continue to integrate the strategies that I learned into my daily
teaching practices. Drop-down options (check all that apply):
a. I do not have the necessary knowledge skills.
b. I do not know why integrating these strategies is important.
c. I do not have the necessary resources to apply what I have learned.
d. I do not have support from my administration to apply what I have learned.
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e. I have other, higher priorities.
f. Other (please explain):
Commitment:
15. I am committed to continue applying what I learned to my work.
16. I am committed to continue applying what I learned to my personal life.
Level 3: Behavior (Open-Ended)
Transfer:
17. How have you applied what you have learned in the course to your teaching practice?
18. How have you applied what you have learned in the course in your personal life
practices?
19. How do your administrators and colleagues encourage you to apply what you have
learned?
20. What additional help or support could increase your success of continuing to apply what
you learned?
Level 4: Results: (Open-Ended)
21. Since beginning this course, I have seen the following impact on my work life:
22. Since beginning this course, I have seen the following impact on my personal life:
Level 4: Results: (Likert)
23. I am engaged in my work as a teacher.
24. I am making a positive impact in the lives of my students.
25. I am making a positive impact in the lives of my colleagues.
26. If I consistently apply what I have learned from this course, I will strengthen my SEW.
Survey For Delayed Use Following Course Completion
Level 1: Reaction: (Likert Scale)
Relevance:
1. I have regularly used skills and strategies learned in the BREATHtaking/SEL 2.0 course.
Participant Satisfaction:
2. I have benefitted from my participation in BREATHtaking/SEL 2.0.
Level 2: Learning (Likert Scale)
3. I continue to review the resources from the course.
4. I continue to expand my knowledge through peer communication and collaboration either
in person, via email, or through the online professional learning network community
(Facebook group).
5. The strategies that I learned and apply are beneficial to myself and my students.
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340
Level 2: Learning (Open Ended)
6. The instructional strategies I learned during the course that I use most frequently are:
7. In reflecting on the 10 Teaching Practices that Strengthen SEL, the ones I use most
frequently are:
Level 3 Behavior: (Open ended)
8. I have been able to successfully integrated SEL/SEW into my teaching practices by:
9. I have shared my knowledge, skills, and/or strategies with other educators in the
following settings:
10. I continue to seek out new information and strategies that support what I learned in the
course in the following ways:
Level 4 Results and Training Evaluation (Likert)
Leading Indicators:
11. I have seen positive outcomes from implementing what I learned in the course.
12. My teaching practices have been strengthened as a result of applying what I learned.
Desired Results:
13. Participating in the course has made a positive impact on my personal well-being (SEW).
14. Participating in the course has made a positive impact on my teaching practice.
15. Participating in the course has made a positive impact on my engagement with work.
Level 4 Results and Training Evaluation (Open Ended)
16. Please describe how participating in the course has made a positive impact on your
students, my colleagues, and/or your school.
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341
APPENDIX I
USC IRB APPROVAL
University of Southern California University Park Institutional Review Board
3720 South Flower Street Credit Union Building (CUB) #301
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702
Phone: 213-821-5272
Fax: 213-821-5276
upirb@usc.edu
Date: Jul 06, 2017, 03:22pm
Action Taken: Approve
Principal Investigator: Joelle Hood, M.Ed.
Rossier School of Education
Faculty Advisor: Monique Datta
Rossier School of Education
Co-Investigator(s):
Project Title: Strengthening Social Emotional Wellness of Teachers
Study ID: UP-17-00446
Funding: N/A — no funding source listed
This study has been determined to qualify for the USC Human Research Protection Program
Flexibility Policy. If there are modifications that increase risk to subjects or if the funding status
of this research is to change, you are required to submit an amendment to the IRB for review and
approval.
In order to qualify for exemption under category 4, the secondary data must exist at the time the
application is submitted, in addition, researchers cannot record any identifiers from the data.
Since it is not clear that this is the case, the study is determined to meet USC Flex (7) policy,
rather than exemption.
The University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB) designee determined that your project
qualifies for exemption from IRB review under the USC Human Research Protection Program
Flexibility Policy. The study was approved on 07/06/2017 and is not subject to 45 CFR 46
regulations, including informed consent requirements or further IRB review.
If there are modifications that increase risk to subjects or if the funding status of this research is
to change, you are required to submit an amendment to the IRB for review and approval.
Consent and recruitment documents for studies which are determined to qualify for USC’s flex-
exempt policy may not be stamped valid at the discretion of the IRB. If this is the case, the IRB
Administrator will not review the recruitment and consent documents uploaded, nor will the
documents be stamped valid. It is the researcher’s responsibility to make sure the consent
document is consistent with the study practices as stated in the application, and the document
follows the principles of the Belmont Report, which requires all potential participants to be
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342
informed of the research study, their rights as a participant, confidentiality of their data, etc. If
not, please utilize the template Information Sheet For Exempt Research on the UPIRB and revise
the template to be specific to your study.
Please check with all participating sites to make sure you have their permission to conduct
research prior to beginning your study.
Researchers are reminded that as mandated reporters, they must report all instances of suspected
child abuse, per USC policies at http://policy.usc.edu/mandated-reporters/
STUDIES INVOLVING A WAIVER OF CONSENT: A waiver of signed informed consent has
been approved.
All submissions, including new applications, contingency responses, amendments and continuing
reviews are reviewed in the order received.
Attachments: Information Sheet for Exempt Studies, dated 03-29-2013.doc
Social-behavioral health-related interventions or health-outcome studies must register with
clinicaltrials.gov or other International Community of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
approved registries in order to be published in an ICJME journal. The ICMJE will not accept
studies for publication unless the studies are registered prior to enrollment, despite the fact that
these studies are not applicable “clinical trials” as defined by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). For support with registration, go to www.clinicaltrials.gov or contact Jean Chan
(jeanbcha@usc.edu, 323-442-2825).
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
The teacher stress epidemic has serious consequences, impacting the teacher, the classrooms of students they teach, as well as the school sites and districts in which they work. Educational organizations have a responsibility to help promote the health and wellness of their teachers and to ensure that teacher stress does not negatively impact students. It is important for educational leaders and teachers to know how teacher stress and well-being impact health and teacher performance, as well as what individual and organizational factors help and hinder teacher well-being. Additionally, it is helpful to understand how Social Emotional Wellness of teachers impacts students, colleagues, employee engagement, and organizational well-being. Clark and Estes’ (2008) conceptual framework was utilized in this study to identify the knowledge, motivation, and organization influences related to the Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) of teachers. A thorough literature review was presented, and surveys and interviews were conducted and analyzed. Teachers who participated in BREATHtaking or SEL 2.0 had a clear understanding of SEW and its impact on their teaching and classroom climate, demonstrated a strong motivation to transfer their learning into practice, and reported increased self-efficacy and engagement with work. Recommendations for the organization were provided in this study related to ways in which validated influences could be addressed through Professional Learning and organizational policies, practices, systems, and structures.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Hood, Joelle Marie
(author)
Core Title
Nourish to flourish: strengthening social emotional wellness of teachers to mitigate stress, enrich engagement, and increase efficacy: an evaluation study
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Publication Date
04/05/2018
Defense Date
01/31/2018
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
collective efficacy,emotional intelligence,employee engagement,flourishing,mindfulness,OAI-PMH Harvest,PERMA,positive psychology,professional learning,SEL,social emotional learning,social emotional wellness,teacher efficacy,teacher engagement,teacher stress,teacher well-being,teacher wellness,Teachers,well-being,workplace wellness
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Datta, Monique (
committee chair
), Picus, Lawrence (
committee member
), Sacks, Debra (
committee member
)
Creator Email
joelleho@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-491616
Unique identifier
UC11266924
Identifier
etd-HoodJoelle-6146.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-491616 (legacy record id)
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Dmrecord
491616
Document Type
Dissertation
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Hood, Joelle Marie
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texts
Source
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(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
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The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...
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Tags
collective efficacy
emotional intelligence
employee engagement
flourishing
mindfulness
PERMA
positive psychology
professional learning
SEL
social emotional learning
social emotional wellness
teacher efficacy
teacher engagement
teacher stress
teacher well-being
teacher wellness
well-being
workplace wellness