Contemplative pedagogy and practices spotlight: Sara Terreault

Sara Terrault, part-time faculty in Theological Studies, integrates contemplative practices in the classroom to support her students in finding stillness to centre themselves. The exercises encourage students to use their cognitive and sensory skills, enriching their learning and fostering self-reflection and awareness for both the students and Sara herself.

What motivated you to use contemplative and mindful practices in your teaching? 

Sara was driven to integrate contemplative practices into her teaching to give students valuable tools for managing their busy lives. Given that we often operate through fragmented consciousness, where our attention has multiple and simultaneous demands, contemplative and mindful exercises can help us to gather those fragments and engage in intentional awareness and focused attention. Sara’s courses, such as “Theology and Film” and “Celtic Christianity”, often include the teaching of the histories and theories of contemplative practices. Consequently, she was inspired to incorporate an experiential component into the curriculum to enhance her students’ theoretical learning and at the same time strengthen their capacity to be fully present and focus more meaningfully in class, as well as when engaging course materials and crafting their assignments. Her goal is to facilitate a transition from a state of distracted consciousness to focused, creative attention. 

Practices 

Sara incorporates a diverse range of contemplative exercises in her courses, such as guided meditations, silent sitting, poetry, and more. She tailors these activities to align with the specific course content and assignments. For instance, in her course on Celtic Christianity, Sara presents her students with a video explaining a Celtic art form involving intricate interlacing patterns. Subsequently, she encourages them to draw these patterns themselves, fostering a state of flow where the hand and mind collaborate. In a course on Christian Spirituality, students may take on journalling a voluntarily fast from a chosen habit such as using their phones or watching TV for a few days. This exercise provides an experiential dimension to their learning about the role and dynamics of fasting in Christian spiritual traditions. When teaching about theology and art, Sara uses poetry to stimulate experiences of and reflection on the different registers of human meaning and the diverse ways of knowledge-creation. 

Benefits 

Sara has received feedback from her students that suggests they find both academic and personal value in contemplative exercises in the classroom. These practices not only benefit the students but also contribute to Sara’s well-being.  They foster self-reflection and self-awareness, and facilitate connections among students, thus contributing to a stronger classroom community. Through these practices, students have the chance to engage holistically in the learning process, linking their cognitive capacities with sensory and emotional experiences. 

Challenges and limitations 

Incorporating contemplative practices into course content can pose a time management challenge in the classroom, yet Sara is confident these exercises are worth prioritizing to more attentively and intentionally engage course content. She advocates for presenting the personal and intellectual value of such practices through scientific data, so students understand why they are offered as part of their classroom experience. Addressing the diversity of beliefs and backgrounds of her students presents its own set of challenges, requiring that Sara’s exercises remain sensitive and accessible to all. Occasionally, a student has expressed resistance to participating in contemplative practices, and she accommodates them by offering alternative or the choice to opt out. 

Advice on implementing these practices in your teaching

Sara suggests that instructors acquaint themselves personally with contemplative practices before bringing them to their courses. She recommends joining a knowledgeable and supportive community already involved in contemplative practices in higher education, such as CTL’s Faculty Interest Group on contemplative pedagogy. Drawing from her own experience, Sara  suggests incorporating practices as a routine, so students become familiar and comfortable with them, and have a better chance of deepening their contemplative experience Lastly, she encourages instructors who would like to incorporate contemplative practices into their courses, expressing confidence that doing so can benefit students academically, foster community-building in the classroom, and become a valuable shared gift to each other in our often-hectic daily lives.

Spotlighting Contemplative Practices at Concordia 

This is part of a blog series celebrating Concordia’s teaching excellence and pedagogical innovation. This series highlights how educators from various disciplines are integrating contemplative pedagogy and practices into their courses to enhance student learning, foster compassionate classroom environments, and support the well-being of both students and educators.

By intentionally using the learner-centered approaches that characterize contemplative pedagogy, these educators encourage students to cultivate inner stillness, focused attention, self-reflection and self-acceptance while nurturing peer connections and cultivating lifelong skills that are beneficial within and beyond the classroom.

Curious to learn more? Join us at the Contemplative Pedagogy Faculty Interest Group to connect with colleagues from across disciplines, explore the work of contemplative pedagogy scholars, and re-energize your relationship to teaching and learning.