Self-Compassion Professional Learning for Educators

This classroom approach is an application of Jamie Lynn Tatera’s research-based Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Children and Caregivers (MSC-CC) program, which is an adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program developed by Kristin Neff, PhD, and Christopher Germer, PhD.

Graduate-level professional development credits are available for educators through Courses4Teachers and are commonly used for license renewal and salary advancement, subject to district approval.

When students are overwhelmed by big feelings, learning can come to a halt. Fear of failure can lead kids to shut down or refuse to try, and dysregulation and conflict can take over the room.

These moments don’t just affect students. They place enormous demands on teachers, especially when time, energy, and support are already stretched thin.

I know this firsthand. I’m an educator too, and I teach in classrooms in Milwaukee where these moments are part of the daily reality. Educators need tools that support students and sustain the adults in the room.

Self-compassion is often misunderstood as something soft or permissive. In reality, decades of research show that responding to difficulty with kindness and clarity supports motivation, emotional regulation, and perseverance.

For educators, self-compassion functions as both a personal resource and a classroom practice. It helps us be steady under pressure, recover after hard moments, and create learning environments where students feel supported and encouraged to keep going.

This professional learning is designed to support both teaching and learning.

Effective self-compassion teaching happens through educators, not materials alone. It happens through four interconnected steps:

• Educators practice self-compassion themselves, building steadiness, resilience, and presence.

• Educators model self-compassion in real moments, showing students how to respond to mistakes and stress.

• Educators become the external compassionate voice, using shared language and habits that students begin to internalize.

• Students practice self-compassion skills, making formal teaching meaningful and effective.

Educators do not need to have self-compassion “figured out” before teaching it. Many learn and practice alongside their students, and teaching often deepens the educator’s own practice over time.

This professional learning supports educators through two complementary pathways: personal self-compassion practice and classroom application. Educators may begin with either and often find that each deepens the other.

Primary focus
Student regulation and classroom culture.

Who it’s for
Elementary educators (elementary grades).

What you get
Playful classroom curriculum, animal characters, and practical teaching tools.

CE credits
Eligible for 1–3 graduate-level professional development credits (where applicable).

The goal
Helping kids handle big feelings, stay engaged, and learn together.

This curriculum is a school-based application of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Children and Caregivers (MSC-CC), my research-based, parent–child adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Kristin Neff, PhD, and Christopher Germer, PhD.

I developed this school-based version of MSC-CC through direct work and collaboration with children inside and outside of the classroom, with kids actively shaping what felt engaging, playful, and meaningful. Over the past seven years, I have continued testing and refining these practices in Milwaukee Public Schools and in other elementary school environments. The work has been shaped by real classroom conditions, including limited time, large class sizes, and varied student needs.

I did not design this for ideal conditions. I designed it for the classrooms we actually have.

Educators are stretched. Time, energy, and financial constraints are real, and professional learning needs to be both meaningful and practical.

That’s why I’ve partnered with Courses4Teachers, so educators who take self-compassion trainings with me can apply for graduate-level professional development credits commonly used for license renewal and salary advancement. These options may be pursued individually or through school-, district-, or organization-supported professional development.

I offer professional learning that supports both pathways on this page: courses focused on growing your own self-compassion practice, and classroom training that offers playful, classroom-tested practices you can use with students right away.

There’s no single right way to start. Some educators begin by focusing on their own self-compassion. Others start with classroom practices.

Courses focused on growing your own self-compassion practice, supporting steadiness, resilience, and presence in the classroom.

Playful, classroom-ready practices you can use with students right away.

• Free mini-course – Introductory lessons and framework
• Level 1 & Level 2 teacher training – Professional learning to teach mindfulness and self-compassion to kids
• Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Workbooks for Kids – 2-volume classroom set

Start wherever makes sense for where you are right now.

• Dr. Karen Bluth’s website includes links to continuing education opportunities focused on teaching self-compassion to teens in school settings.
• The Greater Good Science Center is currently offering a self-compassion cohort for educators focused on resilience and well-being in schools.