Session Outline

This interactive workshop will explore how techniques, practices and activities drawn from contemplative pedagogy may be applied within an academic advisor / personal tutor role. The workshop will begin by providing an introduction to contemplative pedagogy, explaining the benefits that can emerge when we adopt a holistic approach to advising, and centre the importance of first-person inner experience. The workshop will then go on to outline a range of contemplative practices that are appropriate in the context of academic advising, including explicit discussion of how how these practices may be sequenced into a 'contemplative curriculum'. During this discussion, explicit connection will be drawn to both the wellbeing and mattering benefits that contemplative pedagogy may bring due to its connection with both relational pedagogy and holistic approaches to education. The majority of the workshop will allow participants to engage in own of two contemplative practices, that are recommended as advising activities:

(1) Mindful collage

(2) Contemplative calligraphy

After participants have engaged with their chosen practice, there will be time for closing reflections. Here participants will be encouraged to reflect upon their own experience of the practice and how they might use similar activities with their students. Time will also be left for general questions too.

Learning Outcomes

Bibliography