Teaching With Empathy: Building a Classroom Community

EDZU 9107 (3 credits / 45 hours)

Location: Online
Instructor: Patricia Calise

Start Date: 05/22/2024
End Date: 06/25/2024

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                  Teaching children about empathy is essential in classrooms today. More students today seem to be bullied more than ever before. Why? Students lack empathy. It is our job as educators to teach why it is important to treat each other with kindness and respect. Research shows that since the pandemic of 2020 we are in dire need of showing empathy and being empathetic to our students.  Each of us can make the decision to get to know people of other ethnicities on a human level and then share what we learn with others. Building relationships with our students especially trust and empathy are essential. We need to grow and cultivate them daily. Educators can help to make a change. “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. If empathy is the highest form of knowledge, it is worth our investment of time and practice to incorporate and build an empathetic community amongst peers within our care.” (Elmore, 2021) That is how teachers make an impact.

Teachers enrolled in this course will...

Know

1. What it means to educate for empathy.
2. How to incorporate empathy into daily lessons and activities.
3. What can be accomplished to meet the needs of all learners so they feel safe and welcomed in their schools. 

Understand

1. The empathy crisis.
2. The importance of teaching empathy.
3. Empathy and equity.

and Be Able To

1. Define empathy.
2. Build a sense of community.
3. Teach empathy in the classroom.
4. Use technology to promote empathy.
5. Create an empathetic classroom