[Episode 86] How Social-Emotional Learning and Teacher Wellness Shapes Education (w/Dr. Tish Jennings)

Teaching Channel Talks

In this episode of Teaching Channel Talks, Dr. Wendy Amato welcomes Dr. Patricia "Tish" Jennings, a professor of education at the University of Virginia and internationally recognized thought leader in social-emotional learning and mindfulness. Drawing on results from Dr. Jennings' Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program, a mindfulness-based professional development program for teachers, this discussion centers around reducing teacher stress, improving educators' emotional regulation, and how this attention to educator well-being shapes education and impacts student engagement, motivation, and even reading competence in classrooms.

Resources for Continued Learning

During this conversation, Drs. Amato and Jennings discuss the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program, which has recently been awarded one of three $8 million grants through the Department of Education for expansion and further testing. Early results of SEL-based this professional development program reveal that taking care of teachers results in better student outcomes. Learn more about Dr. Jenning's study and the impact of the CARE program here.

In this episode, Dr. Jennings mentions her curriculum, Flourish: The Compassionate School Project, which can be accessed by educators for free.

Dr. Jennings is also the author and editor of several mindfulness books for teachers. Check out one of these titles for additional learning about educator well-being:

• Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom
• The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching
• Teacher Burnout Turnaround: Strategies for Empowered Educators
• The Mindful School: Transforming School Culture through Mindfulness and Compassion
• Mindfulness in the PreK-5 Classroom: Helping Students Stress Less and Learn More