Empathy Lesson

Ask the class: what is empathy?
The ability to understand another person’s thoughts & feelings in a situation from their point of view, rather than your own.

Play Brené Brown empathy video.

Ask the class: what is the difference between empathy & sympathy?
Empathy draws connection, sympathy draws disconnection. Sympathy is feeling bad FOR someone, empathy is feeling WITH someone.

Ask the class for examples of empathy that they can think of.

Tell the class: I’m going to read you a scenario & I want you to pick the MOST EMPATHETIC response — not necessarily what you would say, but the one that’s the MOST empathetic.
Imagine that a friend in your class just failed a really really big test. Your friend is so upset because they studied really hard & yet they still failed. Even though you got a good grade on the test, you can remember what it’s like to fail.
1. “I’m so sorry about your grade. I know how hard you studied & how disappointed you must feel.” (correct answer)
2. “Oh come on. It’s not that bad. You’re being a baby. Grades really don’t matter.”
3. “At least you didn’t get a zero.”

Ask the class: what does it mean to put yourself in someone else’s shoes?
To imagine how you would feel if you were in their life / situation.

Play my shoes video.
Ask the class: what just happened in that video?
Ask the class: what did you learn?
- Everyone has their struggles.
- Even if their life looks perfect from the outside, it’s probably not on the inside.

Tell the class: now we’re going to do a little activity to show each other what it’s like to live in our shoes. Once your paper is filled out, you may pick a shoe.

***I printed off lots of different shoe options for my students to choose from. They will be more invested in the activity if it’s something they actually like! The students were instructed to write all of their answers (not the questions) on their shoe & the color it.
Here’s what the final product hung up looked like!