What are we discovering?

Our study revealed that the preservice teachers drew on personal and contextual resources as well as drawing on a wide range of strategies to activate resilience.

Personal Resources included:

• Being self-aware and knowing your own capacity for stress;
• Being brave and having courage to take risks;
• Having a sense of self-efficacy;
• Being resourceful;
• Demonstrating positive emotions an having a bounce back mentality;
• Being aware of the need for self-care.

Contextual resources included:

• Have the support of family;
• Having the support of peers;
• Having the support of university supervisors;
• Having the support of colleagues and social networks;
• Being aware of the people to approach for support (both in and out of the school context);
• Critical role of the supervising teacher.

Strategies identified

• Being persistent;
• Setting boundaries;
• Demonstrating emotional self-regulation;
• Using self-talk;
• Having realistic expectations;
• Being proactive in initiating their own learning and professional development;
• Spending quality time with family and friends;
• Exercise;
• Doing something for yourself.