The purpose of this study was to investigate the inclusion of mindfulness practices in curriculum, as well as how mindfulness practices designed for students impact teachers’ professional and personal development. The study was driven by the overarching research question, what is the presence and impact of mindfulness practices incorporated into Social-Emotional curriculum programs designed for preschool and kindergarten students? Prior research has identified that mindfulness programs benefit students in early learning centers and preschools, as well as students in kindergarten. These mindfulness programs lead to improvements regarding students’ academic success and social-emotional competencies. (Jackman, 2019; Kim, 2019; Yaari, 2019; Diamond, 2019; Thierry, 2016). Additionally, prior studies indicate that mindfulness programs benefit both pre-service and in-service teachers. These programs lead to teachers obtaining personal and professional growth (McIntyre, 2018; Garner, 2018; Sdenka, 2020; Hatton-Bowers, 2020). This was a phenomenological study that collected data from participants from an urban school located in a suburb of Boston, as well as from a rural school located north of Boston. Data was collected through an online survey that consisted of fourteen questions. The survey questions collected data regarding personal and professional information, amount of training and the related impact, and teachers’ practices and values. The findings of this study identify that when teachers do not personally value mindfulness, they are not positively impacted by the inclusion of mindfulness practices in the Social-Emotional Learning curriculum programs designed for their students. Data suggests that the importance of educators valuing Social-Emotional Learning practices, specifically related to mindfulness, should be emphasized in professional development training, because educators need to understand the connection between what they value personally and what they practice with their students.
"I am constantly learning from my students. They bring a playful side to mindful practices and are so creative." -preschool teacher