Reflective Practice and the Ethic of Care

This self-study examines how three junior faculty members intentionally model social and emotional learning (SEL) within teacher preparation through the lens of reflective practice and care. The study addresses a persistent challenge in teacher education: preparing preservice teachers to meet the increasing social and emotional needs of students in post-pandemic classrooms. Framed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) competencies, the authors engaged in iterative cycles of journaling, critical friend dialogue, and constant-comparative analysis to examine how self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making were enacted in their pedagogy. Data was collected and analyzed from personal journals, transcripts from recorded meetings, and collaborative reflections, and triangulated to ensure credibility. Analysis was deepened through Noddings’ four elements of care (engrossment, compassion, reciprocity, and motivational displacement), prompting two guiding questions: How do we attend to preservice teachers’ needs, and how do they learn to attend to their future students’ needs? Findings highlight the centrality of ethical, caring relationships in teacher education and document continual pedagogical shifts, including reflective writing routines, dialogic read-alouds, and sensory supports to address anxiety and foster engagement. The study underscores that deliberate reflection and relational care are foundational to preparing compassionate, reflective preservice teachers capable of creating inclusive, emotionally responsive classrooms.