Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation US that highlights unconventional approaches to teaching.
Course Title
Evidence-based happiness for teachers
What prompted the idea for the course?
I was discouraged. For nearly three decades, as a clinical psychologistI trained mental health professionals in suicidality assessment. The work was good but difficult.
All the while, I watched the suicide rates in the US with dismay was growing steadily for 20 consecutive yearsfrom 1999 to 2018, followed by a slight decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then an increase in 2021 and 2022 – this despite the fact that most local, state and national suicide prevention programming than ever before.
I consulted my wife, Rita, who is also my favorite clinical psychologist. We decided to explore the science of happiness. Together, we established the Montana Happiness Project and began offering evidence-based happiness workshops to complement our suicide prevention work.
In 2021, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation;through the University of Montana, awarded us a $150,000 grant to support the state’s K-12 public school teachers, counselors and staff. We use the funds to offer these educators low-cost, online graduate courses in happiness. In the spring of 2023, the foundation awarded us another $150,000 so we could extend the program through December 2025.
What does the course explore?
Using the word “happiness” can be off-putting. Sometimes, people associate happiness with recommendations to simply smile, be cheerful and suppress negative emotions – which can lead to toxic positivity.
As mental health professionals, my wife and I reject this definition. Instead, we embrace Aristotle’s notion of “blissful happiness»: the daily search for meaning, mutually supportive relationships and becoming the best possible version of yourself.
The heart of the course is an academic, personal and experiential exploration evidence-based positive psychology interventions. These are purposeful practices that can improve mood, optimism, relationships and physical well-being and provide a sense of purpose. Examples include gratitude, acts of kindness, indulgence, mindfulness, mood music, practicing forgiveness, and journaling for your best future self.
Students are asked to implement at least 10 of 14 positive psychology interventions and then talk and write about their experiences of implementing them.
Why is this lesson relevant now?
The teachers are more distressed than ever. They are anxious, depressed and discouraged in ways which negatively affect their ability to teach effectivelywhich is one reason why so many of them leave the profession after a short time. It’s not just low pay – teachers need support, appreciation and coping tools. they also need to know that they are not alone.
What is a critical lesson from the course?
The lesson on sleep is especially powerful for educators. A review of 33 studies from 15 countries reported that 36% to 61% of K-12 teachers suffered from insomnia. Although rates varied between studies, sleep problems were generally worse when teachers were exposed to classroom violence, had low job satisfaction, and had symptoms of depression.
The sleep course includes, along with healthy sleep strategies, a happiness practice and insomnia intervention called Three Good Things, developed by the famous positive psychologist Martin Seligman.
I describe the technique, in Seligman’s words: “For a week, before you go to sleep, write down three things that went well for you during the day, and then think about why they went well.”
Then I reveal the idea: “I’ve always thought Three Good Things was flattering, simplistic, and silly.” I show a video of Seligman saying, “I don’t have to recommend more than a week, usually… because when you do that, you find you like it so much, most people just keep doing it.” At that point, I roll my eyes and say, “Maybe.”
Then I share that I often woke up for years at 4am with terribly dark thoughts. Then – funny – I tried to use Three Good Things in the middle of the night. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a huge improvement over lying helpless in bed while negative thoughts hit me.
The Three Good Things lesson is emblematic of how we encourage teachers in our lesson – using science, playful cynicism and an open and experimental mindset to apply evidence-based happiness practices in ways that work for them.
I also encourage students to understand that the strategies I offer are not universally effective. What works for others may not work for them, so they should experiment with many different approaches.
What will prepare students to do the lesson?
Teachers leave the course with a written lesson plan that they can implement in their school if they wish. As they deepen their happiness practice, they can also share it with other teachers, their students, and their families.
Over the past 16 months, we have taught this course to 156 K-12 teachers and other school personnel. In an unpublished study we conducted, more than 30% of participants were rated as clinically depressed before the course began, compared to just under 13% immediately after the course.
This improvement is similar to the results obtained from antidepressants and psychotherapy.
Teachers also reported overall better health after taking the course. Along with improved sleep, they took fewer sick days, experienced fewer headaches and reported a reduction in cold, flu and stomach symptoms.
As resources allow, we plan to adapt these courses to other people with high-pressure jobs. Already, we’re getting requests from police officers, healthcare providers, veterinarians and construction workers.
