Supporting early childhood teacher well-being through the practice of mindful self-compassion

Internationally, there are growing concerns about the work-related well-being of early childhood teachers. There is currently limited guidance around specific practices teachers can use to support their well-being when challenges arise while teaching. Mindful self-compassion practice, which has elements of mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness, has been found to have benefits for supporting holistic well-being both ‘in the moment’ and in the long term. This paper reports on a research project in Aotearoa New Zealand which used a qualitative methodology of mindful inquiry to explore 12 teachers’ experiences of the practice of mindful self-compassion. Findings identified that being mindfully self-compassionate supported teachers’ self-awareness; enabled recognition of their common humanity; and supported the teachers to respond to challenging moments with self-kindness, which contributed to their well-being. These findings have implications for initial teacher education, those who work in the early childhood sector, and early childhood leaders and policy makers.