Pastoral Care and Mindfulness: A Teaching Practice

Abstract

From the earliest modern academic literature of industrial organization, supervision education and training, managerial considerations involve leveraging to improve the work of the supervisor and supervisee, and accentuating the value added opportunities for work improvement (Dawson, 1926, pp. 293-295). Reflecting the incorporation of the ‘pastoral’ within the industrial, Kadushin’s model of supervision has short and long-range objectives. The short-range objective is “to improve the [knowledge] worker’s capacity to do [his or her] job more effectively”. The long-range objective is to instill the capacity to perform a “particular service” that the organization is mandated to offer (Kadushin & Harkness, 2002, p. 20). This article discusses the concepts of mindfulness and pastoral care in teaching practices. By defining both pastoral care and mindfulness and situating them in a context of relational teaching practice it is argues that self-esteem, confidence and student focused support may be enhanced by the application of concepts from auxiliary health fields.