Using the MindUP Curriculum to Enhance a Sense of Care for Students

Abstract

The problem under investigation is that children are experiencing stress at unprecedented levels and this may result in anger, anxiety, depression and externalizing behaviors (Rempel, 2012). It is known that students anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem and self-confidence may negatively influence students’ school performance by hindering and disrupting their thinking and learning (Rempel, 2012). The problem is investigated by implementing the MindUP curriculum into my classroom as a part of an already approved and planned curriculum and investigating my own experiences with the curriculum. My methodology consists of an autoethnographic and reflects narrative inquiry into my own lived experience as a teacher as a result of this program. The findings suggests that this curriculum has an impact on an educator’s sense of care for her students and the educator’s cognitive and emotional processes will be infused with hopefulness and optimism. Recommendations for future research involve finding ways to measure children’s academic, social and emotional growth with reliability and validity.