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Revista Literal - Novice/Intermediate Online Articles

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Revista Literal - Novice/Intermediate Online Articles

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Una revista escrita por estudiantes de español, para estudiantes de español

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Una revista escrita por estudiantes de español, para estudiantes de español

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Start Empathy Toolkit - An Ashoka Resource

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encouraging every child to practice empathy in a world of rapid change - Ashoka Resource

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In a world of rapid change, society is confronted by an increasing number of complex challenges and opportunities. Ensuring solutions will outpace problems requires effective collaboration and the ability to organize into fluid teams-of-teams, where every player must be a contributor and a leader.

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32 Phrases to help your express empathy

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One thing is for sure. We all suffer.

If you think that others sail through life without the agony of grief and illness, the tragedy of heart break or loneliness then you are mistaken. This is just a condition of life. When times are good, conflict doesn't feature. It usually comes out of difficult times, when our needs are not being met in some way.

Photo by Negative Space on Pexels.com

When you empathise with somebody, you recognise their experience without judging it, changing it or turning away from it. When you feel empathy from somebody, this is what they might display:

Active listening. They allow you to speak and encourage you to open up about your emotions and experiences. They may use verbal queues or words to do this, summarise what you say or paraphrase it.

Their response is non-judgmental. They will simply allow you to express what needs to be said.

If and when you feel comfortable, they could hug you or touch your arm in a reassuring way.

Compassion is also a feature of empathy. It's a recognition that we all suffer and no matter how difficult it is to sit with somebody whilst they suffer, the listener will be present and open to it.

The most profound expression of empathy came from a friend of mine who had lost his wife some years ago. When my father passed away and I was struggling with my feelings of loss, he didn't say much, he just listened and hugged me. All he could say to me was, "it gets easier". Not everyone finds death or cancer easy to face and I spent a lot of time dividing my friends and family into those who could handle my experience and those who couldn't.
Why Practice Empathy and Compassion?
Empathy and compassion are what connects us emotionally to others. For some reason, we feel a need to talk about our suffering and when somebody truly listens to you without diminishing it, we feel acknowledged and understood. Suffering, such as grief, becomes a part of who we are and maybe in talking about it, what we are really doing is declaring our new identity.

For those of us who can recognise it, it's a fundamentally human experience. The more I work on understanding my own suffering and emotions and staying with somebody through their difficulties, the more fulfilled and resilient I feel.
Expressing Empathy
Empathy and compassion are practices that develop with time. It takes a great deal of strength to be with somebody in pain and it's no wonder that we are not all equipped to express it adequately. Empathy can transform conflict into mutual understanding if done correctly. It requires honesty and an acceptance of your own emotions and prejudices before you can exercise it towards a person with whom you are in conflict.

I know how hard that is. There are so many ways that our anger, humiliation, hurt and exasperation can stop us from forgiving the other person. It's why we stop seeing them as people with needs and start seeing them as the enemy. You may need some time too deal with your own emotions before you take that step.

Here are some crucial phrases for your empathy tool kit:

1. I can see that you are upset.

2. It must be hard be for you.

3. This is a really challenging time for you.

4. I am sorry for your loss.

5. It's understandable that you would feel disappointed by this.

6. The sadness you must feel isn't easy to put into words.

7. From what you have said, it is clear why you'd be angry about that.

8. I'm sorry for the suffering I caused you.

9. I apologise for my actions.

10. Of course, you feel irritated, angry, sad etc.

11. So, you feel aggrieved that you were treated in this way.

12. Your anger/ sadness/ unhappiness etc makes total sense to me.

13. You're stuck in a tricky situation here and I see why you feel ....

14. I feel sad to hear that you experienced this.

15. It seems so unfair that you went through this.

16. I wish I could do something to help you.

17. What can I do to help you?

18. Would you like a hug?

19. How can I make things better for you?

20. If you want to cry, I will sit with you and hold your hand.

21. I will sit with you and listen to your fears.

22. You don't have to justify why you did what you did.

23. You don't have to justify or explain how you feel. It makes sense.

24. If you don't want to talk, it's ok, I'll just sit with you.

25. I can't imagine how hard this is for you.

26. Thank you for telling me this.

27. What has this been like for you?

28. How are you feeling about it?

29. I love you, no matter what.

30. I am proud of you.

31. As I listen to you, it makes me feel ...

32. I am here for you, no matter what.

Those phrases are not all about empathy alone and some of them are intended to encourage trust and honesty so that the person speaking feels more comfortable.

Don't forget your own emotions in this conflict and it is perfectly acceptable for you to ask the other person to listen to how you see the problem, what you felt and why it's important to you to find a resolution. That might look something like this:
"I have listened to you and I can see that you are hurt by what happened. I also felt angry and hurt because I interpreted what happened to mean that you no longer want a relationship with me. I want us to mend our relationship and move on which is why I want to find a resolution to this that we are both happy with."
Empathy is mostly about actions. An apology is a good example of this as it requires changing one's behaviour in recognition of a person's suffering.

None of this can be faked. If your actions don't correspond with your words and it is clear that you are not listening or taking in what the other person is saying, this can seriously undermine any constructive conversation intended to resolve conflict.

Can you think of anymore? Let me know by leaving a comment!

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One thing is for sure. We all suffer. If you think that others sail through life without the agony of grief and illness, the tragedy of heart break or loneliness then you are mistaken. This is just a condition of life. When times are good, conflict doesn't feature.

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We promote use of the Sustainable Development Goals in learning so that children can contribute to a better future for all. From citizenship and justice to climate change and the environment, inspire children to make a difference!

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We promote use of the Sustainable Development Goals in learning so that children can contribute to a better future for all. From citizenship and justice to climate change and the environment, inspire children to make a difference!

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Mapping the Nation - interesting statistics and infographics that connect your state to the world.

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Afterschool/Extended Learning

Iowa's landmark 2013 education reform package makes it possible to provide extra support to the state's highest-needs schools, based on the share of students learning English as a second language and socioeconomic status, among other factors. Funding may be used for extended learning time programs and other ways to better support instruction and raise achievement. Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad has recommended spending $10 million for selected high-needs schools for 2015-16.

World Languages

To promote global competence, each of Iowa's three state universities - the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa - has general education/liberal arts core graduation requirements that include either a foreign language and/or the study of western/non-western cultures requirement. In addition, the universities offer a number of academic programs focused on global studies, e.g., a Global Health Studies certificate, a B.A. in International Studies, a B.A. in Global Resource Systems, and study abroad programs and international internships, as well as multi-cultural institutes and centers. The three universities also offer distance education programs in China, Hong Kong, Israel, Germany, Egypt, and other countries.

In recognition of its ongoing commitment to educational exchange between the United States and China, the University of Iowa recently was chosen as one of eight signature partners of the 100,000 Strong Foundation, a national effort designed to increase and diversify the number of American students studying abroad in China.

Iowa has many independent colleges and universities, many of which have robust foreign language programs and international exchange programs - for example Grinnell College's "Chinese and Japanese Department."

Teacher Preparation and Professional Development

All Iowa teacher preparation programs support their students in institution-wide international opportunities. The programs tailor the student support to align with teacher preparation program goals and learning. Opportunities range from several days of service to semester-long study abroad programs. Experiences take place on almost every continent, with service opportunities in South America, Central America, Africa and Asia. Study-abroad opportunities include these areas and many countries in Europe.
Many of the teacher preparation programs conduct international opportunities designed for teacher and administrator candidates. Programs that have courses for several weeks in January, known as J-terms, often include a course that provides candidates with international experience and learning. Programs also conduct service-based international trips in the summers, over spring or winter breaks, or as components of semester-long courses. At least half of Iowa teacher preparation institutions support students to complete half or all of their student teaching in schools in other countries.

Iowa's education system offers global education opportunities for teachers through agreements between the Iowa Department of Education and two countries:
1) The Teaching in Taiwan program offers Iowa elementary teachers the opportunity to teach in Taiwanese schools for one academic year through an agreement with the Ministry of Education in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
2) The Visiting Teachers from Spain program helps Iowa school districts fill vacant Spanish teaching positions with highly qualified Spanish educators for up to three years. This program is provided through an agreement with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain.

Workforce Development

A key step in developing a globally competitive workforce is giving all students a globally competitive education. That's the goal of Iowa's historic 2013 education reform package, which the Iowa Legislature passed with broad, bipartisan support. The reforms create the most extensive teacher leadership system in the nation, which will be fully implemented by the 2016-17 school year. Better utilizing the expertise of many of Iowa's best teachers in new leadership roles will improve instruction and raise student achievement. Those roles include instructional coaches and mentors who analyze data, fine tune lesson plans, and co-teach in the classroom. About 25 percent of Iowa's teachers eventually will fill various teacher leadership roles.

Other initiatives include the Iowa Governor's Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Advisory Council, which was established in 2011 with the overarching goal of boosting student interest and achievement in STEM subjects; the Skilled Iowa Initiative, which includes the opportunity to earn a National Career Readiness Certificate; and new apprenticeship and job training programs to both assure Iowans have outstanding career opportunities and to build a more robust talent pipeline for Iowa employers. Further, a growing number of Iowa high schools (e.g., Waukee High School's Center for Advanced Professional Studies) are increasing connectivity with area employers to give students real-world experience to help build high-demand skills.

Standards

Iowa sets its own high state academic standards with the goal of preparing students to succeed in a fast-changing, global, knowledge-based economy. A review cycle for the state academic standards is required by Executive Order 83, signed in October 2013.

Resources
World Affairs Council of the Quad Cities (Davenport-Bettendorf) University of Iowa International Programs
Contact

Linda Fandel
Education Policy Advisor
Office of Gov. Terry E. Branstad
linda.fandel@iowa.gov
515-725-3522

Global Competence Resources

Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) partnered to define global competence and the skills and abilities that students need to demonstrate to be globally competent.

Download the Book Framework + Tools

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Iowa's landmark 2013 education reform package makes it possible to provide extra support to the state's highest-needs schools, based on the share of students learning English as a second language and socioeconomic status, among other factors. Funding may be used for extended learning time programs and other ways to better support instruction and raise achievement.

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Bellringers and Mini Conversations for the Spanish language classroom

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Convos and bellringers - building community and empathy - Presentation (16:9) by Meg Vernon