The following is a pilot study examining the impact of the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program on a group of pre-school and elementary school teachers (n = 11). CARE is a professional development program that utilizes mindfulness practices and emotional awareness skills designed to reduce stress and improve teaching effectiveness. Teachers participated in a 14-hour, two-day training and a two-hour follow-up training. Teachers were provided with ongoing mentoring support throughout the study. Qualitative interviews were used to collect teachers' experiences post-intervention. Data from interviews was analyzed using grounded theory methodology as detailed by Rennie, Phillips. and Quartaro (1988). From the data analysis, a core category of choice emerged with the properties of "awareness," "step back," "enhanced understanding of the children," "changes in the classroom," and "relationships with adults". The results of this study suggest that CARE is an effective intervention for teachers that promotes stress reduction, increased physical and emotional awareness, enhancement of teacher-student relationships, and promotes pro-social behavior in the classroom. Additionally, results suggest that skills learned in the CARE training supported teachers' ability to understand their students' emotions as well as limitations. Teachers reported increased ability to understand the needs of individual children along with increased patience and skill with interpersonal communication. The results of this study hold significant implications for children, teachers, and schools as a whole. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]