Empathy

Mrs. Hougham came today to talk to us about empathy. At Spicewood we're introducing the concept of a "Buddy Bench"
The buddy bench is a simple idea, designed to eliminate loneliness and exclusion.

I have a special fondness for the book Mrs. Hougham read because it's suggested by the Love and Logic crew. I adore Love and Logic For Teachers.

This is a really cute lesson I found about teaching empathy. A teacher brought several different types of shoes and wrote situations on cards next to the shoes. The kiddos had to imagine themselves in those shoes. What would they want someone else to do? What do they need? How do they feel?
My favorite part of the lesson was listening to my students talk about how they've shown empathy. I heard examples of sharing candy, starting friendships, and asking people how they feel..\
We also practiced standing UP and being assertive without being aggressive. We practiced saying "We don't treat our family this way," in a firm way.