Resilience Reflections: Utilizing Reflective Practices to Develop Teacher Candidate Resiliency During the Professional Year

This applied dissertation addresses chronic challenges faced by the field of education—such as high stress, burnout, disengagement, and attrition (Agyapong et al., 2022; Ingersoll et al., 2018; Papastylianou et al., 2009; Walker, 2022)—through the development of a writing reflection intervention which supports preservice teacher resilience. This project synthesizes theoretical and empirical literature on resilience and teacher education, analyzing the constructs of adaptive self-reflection and resilience factors, through the lens of evidence-based resilience programs.  The purpose of the intervention is to utilize brief, daily, handwritten reflection practices which target specific resilience factors with the goal of strengthening teacher candidates’ long-term effectiveness and retention within the profession. Being utilized within teacher education programs, the deliverable for this dissertation, Resilience Reflections (see Appendix B), is practical, cost-effective, and easily adaptable. 

Resilience Reflections aims to integrate reflection on critical individual and contextual resilience factors during daily, handwritten guided reflection on the following: positive emotions, self-awareness, self-compassion, efficacy, and social connection.  A debrief protocol with mentors and peers is prioritized as a means of supporting transformative, action-oriented reflection and change.  Finally, an assessment framework for teacher candidate development and program evaluation is suggested.  Current evidence-based programs support the feasibility and potential effectiveness of using Resilience Reflections in teacher education programs, and the adversities and challenges inherent within the field necessitate its implementation.  The guidelines provide an intervention framework for future research which investigates the longevity and sustainability of preservice teacher resilience.  Resilience Reflections also provides an avenue for bolstering in-service teacher resilience through handwritten reflection and collaborative discussion.