Poetry, Painting and Pedagogy: Jalandhar College puts faculty well-being in focus

The Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA), Jalandhar, organised a Faculty Development Programme (FDP) titled ‘Poetry, Painting, and Pedagogy: Expressive Arts Therapy for Teachers’. The initiative aimed to promote faculty well-being, strengthen mental resilience and encourage educators to prioritise their emotional health alongside their professional responsibilities.

Recognising that teachers continually invest their time and energy in nurturing students, the programme highlighted the importance of ensuring that educators also receive opportunities to recharge and care for themselves. Principal Dr Neerja Dhingra emphasised that mental health deserves as much attention as physical health, particularly in today’s rapidly changing and competitive environment. She observed that increasing mental fatigue and emotional distress make it essential to create spaces where individuals can reflect, unwind and reconnect with themselves.

The programme featured Ms Niharika Mazumdar, a faculty member of the P.G. Department of Psychology and an expressive arts therapist, as the resource person. She discussed the growing challenge of burnout among teachers, examining its physical, psychological and institutional causes. She also explained how prolonged stress and emotional exhaustion can affect teaching effectiveness, professional engagement and overall well-being.

Moving beyond theoretical discussions, Ms Mazumdar introduced participants to expressive arts activities designed to encourage reflection, creativity and emotional release. She distributed worksheets that invited teachers to revisit childhood memories through colouring, sketching, reasoning exercises and poetry writing. The activities created an opportunity for participants to reconnect with simpler experiences and explore their thoughts through different creative mediums.

Teachers participated enthusiastically, immersing themselves in the exercises, completing the worksheets and composing poems. The activities demonstrated how creative expression can provide a meaningful outlet for emotions while offering a welcome pause from the demands of everyday professional life.

The programme also incorporated practical activities based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Through targeted worksheets and guided exercises, participants explored techniques for recognising and restructuring negative thought patterns, establishing healthy personal and professional boundaries, and managing daily stress more effectively. These activities offered practical approaches that teachers could incorporate into their routines to support emotional balance and resilience.

A guided meditation and mindfulness session further enriched the programme. The session encouraged participants to slow down, focus on the present moment and experience deep relaxation. Emphasising the value of mindfulness in everyday life, the activity highlighted how conscious breathing and present-moment awareness can help individuals manage stress and develop a healthier relationship with their thoughts and emotions.

Dr Rupali Sood expressed gratitude to Ms Niharika Mazumdar for conducting the programme on such a thoughtful and relevant subject and appreciated the teachers for their active participation. Dr Neerja Dhingra also commended Ms Mazumdar for her efforts in presenting an engaging and thought-provoking session. She acknowledged the contributions of programme coordinators Dr Roopali Sood and Dr Anjana Kumari towards the successful organisation of the initiative.

Through this Faculty Development Programme, ACFA reaffirmed its commitment to faculty welfare and holistic development, emphasising that nurturing educators’ mental and emotional well-being is an important step towards building a healthier, more empathetic and supportive educational environment.