170 • ii: MindFulnESS in EduCATing FOR SElF-REgulATiOn And EngAgEMEnT
mindful listening) to reduce stress and to promote awareness and presence applied to
teaching. The program also includes activities that demonstrate how to bring mindfulness
to challenging situations teachers often encounter (Jennings, 2011). The CARE program is
presented in four day-long sessions spread out over 4 to 5 weeks. It includes intersession
coaching via phone and Internet to support teachers’ practice and application of new skills.
The program involves a blend of didactic instruction and experiential activities, including
time for reflection and discussion. CARE for Teachers is also offered annually as a 5-day
summer retreat at the Garrison Institute (www.care4teachers.com). Program developers
report that teachers who have completed the program say they found it relaxing, enjoy-
able, and inspiring). According to the program developers, the CARE curriculum has been
piloted in several sites across the United States—Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, and
New York.
Published articles and chapters include Jennings et al. (2011), Jennings (2011),
Schussler, Jennings, Sharp, and Frank (2015), and Jennings, Frank, Snowberg, Coccia,
and Greenberg (2013). The Jennings et al. (2011) paper reviews two pilot studies examin-
ing program feasibility and attractiveness and preliminary evidence of efficacy. In study
1 researchers assessed educators from a high-poverty urban setting (n = 31) and in study
2 researchers worked with student teachers and 10 of their mentors working in a sub-
urban/semi-rural setting (n = 43) with both treatment and control groups. The sample
sizes were small. Researchers found that while urban educators showed significant
pre/post improvements in mindfulness and time urgency, the other sample (i.e., subur-
ban/semi-rural) did not. Researchers concluded that these findings suggest that CARE
may be more effective in supporting teachers working in high-risk settings (Jennings
et al., 2011).
Jennings et al. (2013) report on a RCT that examined CARE program efficacy and
acceptability among a sample of 50 teachers randomly assigned to CARE or a waitlist
control condition. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures at pre- and
postintervention to assess the impact of the CARE program on general well-being, effi-
cacy, burnout/time pressure, and mindfulness (Jennings et al., 2013). In addition, par-
ticipants in the CARE group completed an evaluation of the program after completing
the intervention (Jennings et al., 2013). To analyze the data, ANCOVAs were computed
between the CARE group and control group for each outcome, and the pretest scores
served as a covariate (Jennings et al., 2013). Overall, researchers found that participation
in the CARE program resulted in significant improvements in teacher well-being, efficacy,
burnout/time-related stress, and mindfulness when compared with controls (Jennings
et al., 2013). Evaluation data showed that teachers viewed CARE as a feasible, accept-
able, and effective method for reducing stress and improving performance. Overall, the
researchers concluded that the CARE program has promise to support teachers working
in challenging settings and can consequently improve classroom environments (Jennings
et al., 2013).
Qualitative findings were similar in terms of the program’s ability to support teachers
(Schussler et al., 2015). Results suggest that participants (i.e., teachers) developed greater
self-awareness, including somatic awareness and the need to practice self-care (Schussler
et al., 2015). Participants also reportedly improved their ability to become less emotion-
ally reactive. However, the authors noted that the participants were less likely to explicitly
articulate an improvement in their teaching efficacy (Schussler et al., 2015).