Addressing Stress With Self-Compassion

This interactive guide is designed to help preservice early childhood educators use self-compassion to mitigate the stress of teaching. Barry argues that learning healthy stress-management strategies while enrolled in teacher education programs will equip students with the resilience needed to manage stress when they enter their own classrooms. The goal is to beat the odds of attrition with higher levels of job satisfaction and fewer instances of burnout. This book includes research findings on the benefits of practicing self-compassion for preservice early childhood teachers, some of the common stressors and challenges teachers experience, and how they have addressed each challenge with self-compassion. Readers are encouraged to respond to writing prompts that address these common challenges and then rate their self-compassion score throughout the text. This is important reading for early care and education students, teacher educators, administrators, and other stakeholders who can make changes to mitigate stressors in their programs and schools.

Book Features:

• An interactive text that offers opportunities for readers to engage in specific self-compassionate exercises designed to increase their capacity to manage stress.
• Research findings from a study that explores interventions aimed at decreasing stress for students in preservice early childhood education programs.
• Inspiration in the form of actual self-compassionate letters written by research participants.
• Theoretical and practical applications for self-compassion practice to address the stressors preservice teachers often experience.
• Experiences and vignettes from the author’s student-teaching journal from his time working as a kindergarten teacher.

David P. Barry is an assistant professor in the Department of Early and Middle Grades Education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

“In this book you’ll learn about the wide range of challenges, stressors, joys, and excitements that go along with becoming and being an early childhood teacher.”
—From the Foreword by Kristin Neff, associate professor of human development and culture, The University of Texas at Austin

“This must-have for preservice early childhood teachers and their teacher educators makes a compelling case for all teachers to be self-compassionate as they learn and evolve within their profession. Barry provides strategies that clearly demonstrate how teachers can address their immediate stressors so that they remain in the classroom and, by doing so, grow into educators who engage in more equitable learning opportunities with all children.”
—Christopher P. Brown, professor, The University of Texas at Austin

“Every profession has unspoken expectations and rules. Education is no different. However, as educators, our work is on display, and learning to give oneself grace is critical in building a career of longevity in education. Dr. Barry has outlined, through real-life examples, how to use your village and resources and continuously manage stress by giving yourself the grace to learn, develop, and continue to lead. A must-read!"
—Kelli Odden, president-elect of NAECTE and professor of education at Mayville State University

“This book offers all those who work in the field of teacher preparation important insight into the struggles preservice teachers face and information on how to promote self-compassion amidst the stress of those struggles. From the university faculty who teach methods courses, to field supervisors and mentor teachers, anyone reading this book will appreciate how the vignettes open a space to envision better ways to support pre-service teachers.”
—Melissa M. Jozwiak, professor of early childhood, Texas A&M University–San Antonio