Empathy Tool

Concept: The ability to participate in the feelings of another person. “Caring”, “understanding”, and “compassion” are other words that help us discuss empathy. Empathy connects us with our community and develops the values of helping and kindness. A level. With Empathy, we learn to balance other people’s needs, emotions, and situations with our own.

Tagline: I care for others. I care for myself.

Icon: A level. With Empathy, we learn to balance other people’s needs, emotions, and situations with our own.

Hand Gesture: Have students hold out their hands, palms-up, and “see-saw” them up and down, like a balance scale. This gesture can help them remember to weigh both sides of a situation and to show empathy.

Empathy is the idea of "walking in someone else's shoes. Empathy means thinking of how another person is feeling and trying to understand why they feel that way.

What are some situations when you’ve seen someone act kindly toward someone else? Why might they be acting that way?
What are some situations when you’ve seen someone act unkindly toward someone else? Why might they be acting that way?
Why do you suppose it is sometimes so difficult to share our feelings with others when they upset us or do something we don’t like?

Explore the difference between empathy and sympathy. While sympathy is most often an expression of feeling sorry or pity for someone, Empathy is simply understanding what someone is feeling without judging it.

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