Feasibility and Implementation of an Intervention to Reduce Stress and Promote Well-Being Among Middle School Educators: The CALM (Comprehensive Approach to Learning Mindfulness) Daily Stress Reduction Program

Background

Teachers not only face the responsibility of supporting students’ academic outcomes, but they are also challenged to provide and positive emotional climate to support the social emotional functioning of their students. Educators are exposed to a variety of psychological and physical stressors and must cope with their own emotional reactivity to student behaviors in order to perform effectively.  Educators’ experiences of stress and negative emotion in the classroom over time may lead to decreased performance and burnout. Understanding teachers’ stress and developing intervention and professional development approaches to support their stress management is key to optimizing their classroom performance and wellbeing. There is a need for research directed towards understanding the physical and psychological effects of teaching and how to facilitate optimal functioning.

Intervention Model

The CALM (Comprehensive Approach to Learning Mindfulness) Daily Stress Reduction Program for Teachers is an intervention program based in gentle yoga and mindfulness practices and designed specifically to promote health and wellbeing among teachers and school personnel.  The 16 week program involves brief (15-20 minute) sessions of gentle yoga including somatic breathing practices, gentle stretching exercises, and mindfulness practices, offered 4 days per week before the beginning of the school/work day.   Participants were expected to attend two sessions per week and several measures were taken to promote attendance to the program. The CALM logic model is informed by the Prosocial Classroom Model (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009), and hypothesizes that the intervention activities will impact educators’ social-emotional functioning, including psychological and physiological indicators related to stress and wellbeing, as well as their job-related functioning. 

Current Study

This poster will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and implementation of the CALM program based on qualitative and quantitative data from a study conducted with 64 educators (42 teachers, 22 para-professionals, learning support, etc.) from 2 middle schools (1 intervention and 1 control). Educators involved in the study were predominantly white and included 56 women and 8 men (mean age=43), with an average of 14 years teaching experience.   

Three main data sources are explored in this poster: Focus group data, quantitative ratings, and implementation data. Focus groups conducted throughout the program informed the development and implementation of the intervention program and examined educators’ perceptions of the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the program.  These issues were also addressed through online surveys. Implementation data include two fidelity measures (daily instructor self-evaluations and weekly class observations) and tracking of attendance/dosage.