THE POWER OF NOTICING
Inquiry is powerful when we and our students learn to notice what's happening around us. Observation and listening are foundational skills for both empathy and the inquiry process. Here are some great resources available for classroom use. Any of these shared experiences can be a springboard for a new inquiry!
Click on the highlighted links to find out more.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU?
Meditation can be a great tool to promote listening and awareness. Some styles, like metta mediation, focus on building empathy and compassion for others. Gratefulness practice can also show students ways in which they can help others.
Nature Walks are a powerful way for students to relax and pay attention to the world. Here's a nature-based listening exercise that works (with minor modifications) for students from primary to high school. Robertson's Dirty Teaching is also full of practical ways to use natural settings.
Reflective journaling can also spark empathy and help students understand what's happening with their own emotions.
WHAT"S HAPPENING IN YOUR CLASS / SCHOOL / WORLD? HOW CAN WE HELP?
Adults can model empathy by taking others' feeling seriously and being vulnerable enough to discuss feelings in class. There are many picture books that provide examples. Here are some available in the Surrey school library system. Video games and simulations can also help students understand problems that others face.
Class Meetings can provide a safe place for students to be vulnerable and share their feelings. Both The Morning Meeting Book and Circle Forward are popular guides to establishing community.
Discussing the news with your class can increase their understanding, background knowledge and empathy. SD36 provides Scholastic News as a digital resource. It lists news articles by topic and reading level, so you can find information appropriate for your students.
Design work focuses on helping others overcome problems by creating physical objects that help them. The Stanford University Design School is a great place to start. It teaches empathy as the first step in the design process. Spencer's Launch Cycle gives teachers a simple blueprint for using design in the classroom. Here's a sample project!
Designer Kenji Kawakami believes that any difficult moment during the day is an opportunity to help people through design. His silly "Un-Useless Inventions" are a fun, light-hearted introduction to addressing the needs of others.
