Using Pedagogies of Emergence to Cultivate Well-Being in Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT This essay argues that embodied pedagogies of emergence are fundamental to facilitating student wellbeing in the classroom. It shows that such classroom approaches require an incorporation of contemplative pedagogies to be truly attuned to presence; likewise contemplative pedagogies require an emergent approach – particularly the recasting of course content – to effectively address student wellbeing. The essay describes such an emergent process as it unfolded in an undergraduate seminar that focused on the theme of wellbeing, and it shows that the methods used in that course cultivated wellbeing in students. It argues for increased development of, and training in, pedagogies of emergence as a way of supporting student mental health.