Caring for the Carers: The Intersection of Care and Mindful Self-compassion in Early Childhood Teaching

Early childhood teaching is complex, caring, relational work. In enacting an ethic of care, early childhood teachers often focus on extending care to others, and overlook including themselves in a circle of care. This can negatively impact on teacher well-being and ultimately lead to teacher burnout. This paper draws on a project that explored twelve teachers’ experiences of the practice of mindful self-compassion using a methodology of mindful inquiry, a qualitative approach that includes elements of mindfulness, care, and hermeneutic phenomenology. Findings of the study identified that the practice of mindful self-compassion supported teachers to enact an ethic of care, which includes extending care, receiving care, and engaging in self-care. Being mindfully self-compassionate supported the teachers to engage in intentional caring practices that fostered relationships and supported the well-being of children and their colleagues, and empowered the teachers to advocate for themselves, their colleagues, and children. The paper argues that mindful self-compassion practice supports and sustains early childhood teachers in their caring role. When carers are included in a circle of care, then the reciprocal and inclusive nature of an ethic of care can be more fully realised. Implications are discussed for initial teacher education, teaching practice, early childhood leaders and policy makers.