Trauma in Schools #6 — Caring for Faculty and Staff Through Mindfulness

Michael Bunting — Mindful Leadership Author and Consultant

The Takeaway

This podcast series focuses primarily on the trauma that millions of students carry with them into the classroom. But the truth is, many school faculty, staff and administrators are also experiencing trauma. COVID has dislocated relationships and put additional pressure on educators to quickly address ”learning loss.” And if that weren’t enough, we are all living in an intense period of national and international volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, or VUCA.

Mindfulness and meditation practices can be taught to teachers and school leaders to take a pause when they are in a traumatic environment. Taking a moment to be calm allows knowledge to be absorbed and the quality of implementation to increase. Being aware of one’s emotions helps to acknowledge and validate the feelings that come up during negative times.

Our guest

“The mechanism of adult development requires us to see what's unconsciously running us. And as we enter that process, be begin to see that we have a choice over it and can manage it, so that it doesn't manage us. To be aware of what's running us unconsciously, one has to be aware, and awareness is a function of mindfulness. So, mindfulness as a practice uncovers the awareness, and we begin to see more clearly what's really driving us.”

Michael Bunting is the author of a number of books, most notably The Mindful Leader. As a mindfulness consultant and trainer, Michael works around the world with organizations, helping them to transform their leadership and culture.

As you listen

What is mindfulness?
What is the relationship between mindfulness and trauma-informed learning?
How do teachers change their behaviors when they are burnt-out, overwhelmed and fearful?
What is L.A.B. and how is this helpful in the lives of parents, teachers, and students?
How does well-being change when mindfulness is being used in one’s life and community?