Giving Compass' Take:

• The author discusses four main ways to teach empathy: through project-based learning, empathy maps, active listening, and integrated design thinking. 

• How will teaching compassion to young students now help them adapt to the future workforce? Why are soft skills in communication becoming desirable and important? 

• Read about four other strategies that educators employ when teaching empathy. 

Empathy can be a tough concept to teach kids. First there’s the subtle difference between empathy and sympathy, which can be difficult to explain even to adults. Then there’s the elusive dictionary definition — “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.”

This begs the question: how can someone truly understand how someone else is feeling? Are some people born with this innate ability, or is it a skill that can be learned and sharpened? Personally, I believe that although people may be born with different levels of empathy, it’s also an important skill that can be taught in the classroom.

At Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County (SSDS), we have developed a curriculum around important real-life skills that students use long after they graduate -- including empathy. Here are some actionable ways educators can teach empathy in the classroom.

  1. Teaching empathy through project-based learning
  2. Creating empathy maps
  3. Designing a curriculum that teaches active listening
  4. Integrating design thinking

By teaching empathy, we help our students develop this superpower and develop our own as well. A school is a house of knowledge, but it is also a place for students to develop a strong moral character, including empathy. And, as a result, great things happen when curriculum and the opportunity to teach character intersect.

Read the full article about teaching empathy by Roberta Brandao at Education Dive