Together, We SOAR: A curriculum on compassion, community, and human development for K-12 teachers

Abstract

To address high rates of teacher burnout and attrition, K-12 schools are urgently seeking prevention efforts that feel intentional and worthwhile to today’s teachers. One approach is to offer professional development that aims to not only support teacher well-being, but also restore a sense of community among teachers at school. Here, we describe a novel program, called Together, We SOAR, that offered skills, practices, and tools for cultivating compassion and community-building among teachers at one school district. Driven by the field of mindfulness and compassion education, the SOAR curriculum intersected contemplative practices with theories of human development to help teachers remember their self-worth, find presence, respond with compassion, and authentically connect with others. We present a curricular overview of SOAR and describe the implementation plan at one large, suburban K-12 public school district in Pennsylvania. We then share reflections from a school administrator on program implementation, as well as reflections from four K-12 teachers on the personal and professional impacts of SOAR. By focusing on compassion, community, and human development, we hope to offer a new approach to supporting teacher well-being, as well as inspire a more context-based strategy for teacher program implementation.