Mindfulness For Educational Leadership In The 21st Century

This book proposes a method for making educational systems and their curriculum leaderships in Sub-Saharan Africaparticularly Ugandarelevant, functional, and generative in the current unfolding of a fast-paced, technology-driven future that prompts questions about educational leadership in a society where many traditional educational systems are failing. The book poses the following question: What might constitute effective leadership in our heightened global nexus of realities often described as globalization? Nonhuman technologies are moving people away from connections that once strengthened human relationships and fostered collective actions. Too many workplace pressures and demands cause educational leaders to function on autopilot without involving others in the process of mindful leadership of educational reform. Focusing on mindfulness, its application in different educational settings, and its advantages for educational leadership, this book argues that contemporary meditation practices and their benefits can inform effective, successful twenty-first-century leadership practices in Africa, particularly Uganda. It draws on numerous theories from literature in the fields of business and management, medicine, psychology, theology, and the social and behavioral sciences. The selected theories represent the growing research grounded in contemporary thoughts on leadership epistemology, with inclination toward the mindfulness that grows out of regular practice of meditation. The book concludes with the argument that collective, mindful educational leadership emerges when all stakeholders are able to participate in the leadership of their institution or school and contribute to the entire systems development. If practiced regularly, mindfulness would conduce to healthier collaborative behavior that would markedly improve Ugandan and other African educational systems. This kind of mindful leadership requires each stakeholder to lead from inside the self and interconnection with others in a profound way. This means leading by listening attentively and intently and embracing one anothers voice nonjudgmentally for the common good.

This book proposes a method for making educational systems and their curriculum leaderships in Sub-Saharan Africa --particularly Uganda --relevant, functional and generative in the current unfolding of a fast-paced, technology-driven future that prompts questions about educational leadership in a society where many traditional educational systems are failing. The book poses the following question: What might constitute effective leadership in our heightened global nexus of realities often described as globalization? Non-human technologies are moving people away from connections that once strengthened human relationships and fostered collective actions. Too many workplace pressures and demands cause educational leaders to function on autopilot without involving others in the process of mindful leadership of educational reform. Focusing on mindfulness, its application in different educational settings, and its advantages for educational leadership, this book argues that contemporary meditation practices and their benefits can inform effective, successful 21st-century leadership practices in Africa, particularly Uganda. It draws on numerous theories from literature in the fields of business and management, medicine, psychology, theology, and the social and behavioral sciences. The selected theories represent the growing research grounded in contemporary thoughts on leadership epistemology, with inclination toward the mindfulness that grows out of regular practice of meditation. The book concludes with the argument that collective, mindful educational leadership emerges when all stakeholders are able to participate in the leadership of their institution or school and contribute to the entire system's development. If practiced regularly, mindfulness would conduce to healthier collaborative behavior that would markedly improve Ugandan and other African educational systems. This kind of mindful leadership requires each stakeholder to lead from inside the self and interconnection with others in a profound way. This means leading by listening attentively and intently and embracing one another's voice non-judgmentally, for the common good.

Research in the area of teaching and learning within education is a dynamic area that continues to evolve because of new technologies, knowledge, models, and methods within formal and non-formal educational settings. It is essential to evaluate the changes that educational systems undergo as they adapt to the increasing use of the technology and the flattening of access to education from an international perspective. Redesigning Teaching, Leadership, and Indigenous Education in the 21st Century is a cutting-edge research publication that provides comprehensive research on the amalgamation of teaching and learning practices at each level of the education system. Highlighting a range of topics such as bibliometrics, indigenous studies, and professional development, this book is ideal for academicians, education professionals, administrators, curriculum developers, classroom designers, professionals, researchers, and students.

Big results come from small steps. If you think you don’t have time for mindfulness, think again. This handbook, named a Best Courageous Book of 2014 by The Center for Courage and Renewal, was written with school leaders in mind—your responsibilities, your stress, and your schedule. When you add mindfulness into your day, bit by bit, you’ll become a more effective leader and a more positive force for your staff and students. With the help of this inspirational yet practical guide, you’ll start fitting pieces of practice into your busy home and work life, whether you are sitting in your office or walking down the hall. Features include Real-life profiles of mindful school leaders Practice exercises to try right away Guidance so you know if you are "doing it right" Hard-to-find resources, including mindfulness apps Mindful school leaders are better at managing meetings, responding creatively to complex situations, and achieving resilience at work and at home. Take the first steps to transform your life—and your school. "This inspiring book makes a strong case for school leaders to include mindfulness in their personal and professional lives. Based on solid research and enhanced by compelling examples of real people, it shows how school leaders can feel more grounded, connected, clear and focused. Mindfulness makes leaders more effective with relatively little effort, but be advised that the benefits can be contagious, transforming your school from the inside out." Christopher Germer, Clinical Instructor Harvard Medical School "In The Mindful School Leader, Brown and Olson offer with remarkable clarity and depth a thorough introduction to the practice of meditation, the science behind its benefits, and many firsthand accounts of lives and work situations transformed through this practice. Although this book was written for those in leadership roles in education, it will be inspiring for anyone interested in understanding their own minds and finding more ease in life and work." Joseph Goldstein, Co-Founder Insight Meditation Society

This book introduces the Control/Connect continuum as a model designed to foster inclusive practices for the contemporary classroom.

"Educational leaders are empowered by a 7-steps framework to move their schools and districts forward in a quest to create community consensus and build the professional capacity for preparing students for 21st century learning."--Book cover.

This book is the 8th Volume in the Research on Stress and Coping in Education Series. Mindfulness is gaining attention within many disciplines including education and the authors present original research and current theory for examining ways such practice can be used to improve school outcomes for students and strengthen supports for teachers and school leaders. The chapters are written to be useful for practitioners and pre-service educators by posing recommendations for those considering these strategies and techniques. Specific treatment is given to work of teachers, principals, and superintendents. Research is beginning to document the acceptability and efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in the reduction of stress and burnout, and in the improvement of occupational health and well-being, among educators and school administrators. In this groundbreaking volume of the Research on Stress and Coping in Education series - Mindfulness for Educational Practice: A Path to Resilience for Challenging Work, educational researchers and practitioners advance the exploration of MBIs in educational settings by asking how they might contribute not only to stress reduction and resilience enhancement, but also to the improvement of relationships and the everyday practices of leadership, teaching and learning in the schools. Individual chapters in this volume focus on key questions in the field of study concerned with mindfulness in education today, including (1) What is the role of MBIs in enhancing emotional self-awareness and self-care in teachers, as well as their sense of efficacy and agency with regard to making broader educational changes? (2) Can mindfulness training; by enhancing attentiveness to counterfactual or novel information, as well as environmental conditions and other people’s perspectives more generally, benefit educational leaders in their work in guiding their staffs towards collaborative educational reforms? (3) Can the cultivation of emotional awareness and emotion regulation skills (e.g., non-reactivity) through mindfulness training help educators – from pre-service teachers to superintendents, to improve their interpersonal skills with students, families and community members? (4) In classroom settings, can the cultivation of mindfulness and compassion in teachers promote closer teacher-student relationships and greater student engagement in learning academic subjects like math? These are the timely and important pragmatic questions addressed theoretically, empirically, and practically in this volume. The collective chapters in this volume, drawn largely from the experience of practitioners working in the schools everyday, are characterized by qualitative and action research methods and phenomenological reports of educators as they embark on a process of professional development through mindfulness training. As such, the volume marks a significant contribution in terms of documenting the perspectives, challenges, and triumphs educators are currently experiencing as they engage with MBIs in education both within and beyond the mindfulness-training context. The book is an excellent read and an important one for all those interested in research on mindfulness in education today. Robert W. Roeser Co-Editor with Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl of “Handbook of Mindfulness in Education: Theory, Research & Practice” (2015, Springer) Professor of Psychology Portland State University Portland, Oregon September 14, 2014

This timely book presents a nuanced exploration of the key pedagogical, theoretical and practical challenges facing modern business educators and students. Bringing together a cross-disciplinary team of experts, it highlights the importance of equipping students with the capabilities and mindset necessary to manage new and emerging societal problems.