Listening with Empathy
To share and experience with another
Rationale
Listening with empathy is considered to be one of the highest forms of intellect an individual can master (Costa and Kallick, 2000). Through teacher provision of this Habit of Mind in explicit teaching, reinforcement, and reflection, students have internalized this habit and are beginning to show growth by demonstrating and praising one another for practicing this mindset. In my personal experience, listening with empathy has strengthened my relationships and overall improved every environment I have participated in. If an individual can be an intentional listener, they experience more than just their own life. This creates a more understanding and connected world. It is my hope that students learn not only academic standards, but dispositions that help them to make intelligent decisions, navigate complex fields, and problem solve effectively and with respect.
Defining the Habit. First Students read the definition whole group. Then they copied the definition into their interactive journals. We then watched a visual video to support ELLs and all students in defining empathy in action.
After defining and documenting the lesson in a place of reference in the future, students were exposed to a reference in media from the popular film Inside Out. This video exposure gives an explicit demonstration of this habit. It also allows students to connect the concept to personal understanding.
Watch our in-class definition based visual and auditory support video.
Watch our in-class example through the use of technology.
Students were able to have discussion based learning of our Habit of Mind- listening with empathy. By providing situational learning, students must practice natural responses. Then students were challenged to respond with empathy. Many students understanding and reactions had experienced change from the first question to the last. This was highly effective at challenging students. Additionally, during this portion of the lesson, students were highly engaged. Giving the chance to listen and speak to this topic made it more meaningful and personal to the students participating.
After the power point lesson, my students and I developed an anchor chart based on our learning. During this time students told me what to write about listening with understanding and empathy actions. They utilized language presented in the power point and during scenario discussion to break down the concept. The anchor chart is posted in our room in a highly visible location to remind students of this mindset when interacting with others.
Throughout various times in the lesson, students documented definitions and information regarding empathy. Pictured is the video linked above, which defined to students empathy versus sympathy. Students copied key information in their interactive journals for reference later.
To conclude our lesson, students were exposed to the practice of citations. Deliberately mentioning to students that citing means giving credit where credit is due through referencing research will support an academic and professional career of well informed and factual work.
Reinforcement
As previously mentioned, students experience the Habits of Mind reinforced weekly through our Character Traits Challenge. Students identify this habit in others or themselves and explain a moment that the habit was practiced. Students then nominate each other or themselves throughout the week to earn this award on Friday. This is a quick way to praise students for mindset demonstration.
Traits included explicit habits of mind and traits that will allow students to navigate their futures successfully. Nominations are written on note cards and randomly selected from the submission box.
Student Reflection
Scroll through our mindset internalization, reflection, and application to the future.
Certificate for our weekly challenge winner from January of 2020. This student winner was responsive to a friend who had been struggling with feeling frustration with school work. The student listened with understanding and applied their knowledge from our learning to listen respectfully and connect their conversation to a similar time when they had difficulty in writing.
