Simon Fraser University wants to help busy teachers slow down as it introduces North America’s first Master of Education in mindfulness next year.
Philosophy of education professor Heeson Bai says she and her colleagues recognized a hunger for contemplative perspectives and practices, and began designing the graduate program a year and a half ago.
Bai notes many of her academic colleagues practice yoga, meditation or tai chi.
“But they haven’t gone to the next step of actually bringing that perspective into their courses they teach,” she said.
“They usually support the idea that the world is too much into this running around, production and consumption… but they have not taken the next step of saying let’s look at whatever we are learning and teaching in terms of this contemplative philosophy.”
The two-year masters program has been designed for up to 25 working professionals. Classes will run every second or third weekend at SFU’s Vancouver campus.
The courses are regular education classes in terms of their content, including social and moral philosophy in education and developing educational programs, but the lessons will be approached from a contemplative mindset. It will draw from “wisdom traditions,” neuroscience, philosophy, education, the arts, humanities, social sciences, organizational management and business.
Bai says the business sector and business faculties have “a very progressive edge.”
“There are a number of powerful theorists. These folks are calling for approaching something so pragmatic and practical as business from the contemplative perspective,” she said. “The thing is, when business people do something, they really make us notice, they take it right into the practice field so we know it’s happening.”
Students of the program are meant to learn how to better connect to themselves, nature and others. They’ll explore mind-body integration, wellbeing, ethical integrity, authenticity and compassion.
Bai designed the masters program with Laurie Anderson, executive director of SFU, Vancouver (and the Vancouver School Board’s former associate superintendent of continuing and international education), with the help of four other professors.
Bai holds an honours degree in Western philosophy from the University of Alberta and a doctorate of philosophy of education from the University of B.C. She specializes in moral psychology, has studied Buddhist psychology and practiced Buddhist meditation.
She hopes completing the program will help teachers discern what’s truly important in life. “I hope students will find their teachers more compassionate, calmer,” she said. “There’s a frenzy mindset that’s prevalent that keeps pushing us out of that space.”
Applications for SFU’s Master of Education in Contemplative Inquiry and Approaches in Education are due March 15. The program is to start in September and conclude summer 2016.
crossi@vancourier.com
twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi
