Education Commons^™

Art As Meditation: A Mindful Inquiry Into Educator Well-Being, Rachael Crowder, Jennifer Lock, Evelyn Hickey, Mairi Mcdermott, Marlon Simmons, Katrina Wilson, Rebecca Leong, Noeleen De Silva

The Qualitative Report

Being prepared for the intensity and complexities that educators face in their work means building strategies for managing well-being. This qualitative study explored educators’ conceptualizations about their well-being using an arts-based, community-based participatory research (AB-CBPR) methodology. After a brief mindfulness meditation and contemplation of prompting questions, educators were invited to participate in drawing and writing reflections. The artifacts were coded to determine themes. Themes suggested the importance of human connectedness and interconnection, self care and nurturance, the healing qualities of the natural word, and the recognition that institutions need to provide space and resources to support educator well-being. The mindfulness-based …