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Bandy: Sympathy is tricky. Too much and the person stops believing in himself. Too little and the person develops a callous. More important to me is compassion when someone is going through a tough time. The right amount of compassion and setting high expectations can help that person develop grit. Something we all need when faced with challenges. Maybe the best analogy is Habitat for Humanity's "a hand up, not a hand out."

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Bandy: Sympathy is tricky. Too much and the person stops believing in himself. Too little and the person develops a callous. More important to me is compassion when someone is going through a tough time. The right amount of compassion and setting high expectations can help that person develop grit. Something we all need when faced with challenges. Maybe the best analogy is Habitat for Humanity's "a hand up, not a hand out."

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I had an example with a student last week. He came into class very disruptive and angry and when I took him outside to find out what was going on he said that his dog died. While he was able to talk about it, some students hide their feelings and problems and teachers aren't aware of what is going on. We all have things going on in our lives-big and small-and we have to remember that you don't always have the full picture.

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Many of us do have the opportunity to see some of our student's experiences when they have 504's and IEPs, and in a way its unfortunate that we don't have an opportunity to read a little bit more about ALL of our students before we meet them. Knowing what a student is going through or dealing with has a tremendous impact on the way that we respond to and converse with them. It gives us empathy and patience that we might not have otherwise. It helps us remain calm and compassionate when we might otherwise be upset and frustrated. Kindness goes a long way for students, especially the ones that are hiding pain and suffering at home.

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Be nice to others even when it's hard. Be polite.  Be empathetic.  Show compassion. Smile at others. Say hello. We don't know what our students go through each day once they leave us. After 10 years at Pocahonas, I have heard a lot of people say, "Oh you teach at Pocahontas. Your kids don't have issues." This is the farthest from the truth. Kids are kids and adults are adults no matter where we work. Smile!!

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I often have this talk with my students, i give them examples from when i taught at another school. I also, tell them you have no idea what your friends, or teachers have gone through this morning, so be kind and treat each other with respect. Again, i try my best to treat others, with respect and kindness because i have no idea if they had a bad morning, day etc. I know we have students in tough situations, and they do not show it. I am going to be putting sticky notes on their computers when they are working to brighten their day.

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A high school teacher always told us never to judge another person until we had walked a day in their moccasins. When we know what's going on in the lives of others, we tend to be more empathetic.

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I often tell my students that you do not know what others are going through so you should always give them the benefit of the doubt. The individual could just simply be having a bad day or going through a bad situation.

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You never know the battles that people are facing, so it's always important to take the time to ask people how they are doing and also taking the extra time to get to know your students and their individual situations so you can help them be successful while at school.

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No matter what anyone looks like or acts like on the outside, you absolutely do not know what may be happening behind the scenes. Take the time to be nice. Pause before you jump to conclusions and give people the benefit of the doubt.
-Jenn Webb