Topic: From Math Circles to Empathy Circles: Building a Bottom-Up Movement
Speaker: Felicia Darling (15 min)
Bio: Dr. Felicia Darling is a Math/Ed Professor at UC Berkeley and SRJC and author of Empathy Unchained: Heal Your Trauma. Uplift the World. (LinkedIn) (Facebook) (Website)
Topic: From Math Circles to Empathy Circles: Building a Bottom-Up Movement
Abstract: A true global Empathy Movement must grow both top-down and bottom-up. In my course Playing with Mindfulness and Math, we use Empathy Circles to foster collaborative problem-solving, deeper connection, and compassionate engagement—even in math. When empathy is integrated into daily life and learning, we begin to build lasting change from the ground up.
https://otter.ai/u/-eNc3kN7nJNvWWvQ1ZmAK0ADDkg?view=summary
Dr. Felicia Darling, a lecturer at UC Berkeley, discussed her bottom-up approach to fostering empathy in education. She contrasted traditional teacher-centric models with more collaborative, empathy-driven approaches, using a diagram created with ChatGPT. Darling highlighted her class "Playing with Mindfulness and Math," which included activities like Mayan math and empathy circles. A key exercise involved a mystery number game where students shared clues orally, emphasizing the importance of listening and collective problem-solving. This method significantly increased student engagement and empathy, as evidenced by their positive feedback and improved collaboration skills.
[ ] Implement an "Empathy Circle" activity in the classroom.
[ ] Incorporate collaborative, empathy-building math activities in the curriculum.
[ ] Explore ways to foster empathy and active listening in other settings, such as at home, work, or in the community.
Speaker 1 introduces Dr. Felicia Darling, a professor at UC Berkeley and author of "Empathy, Unchained."
Dr. Darling clarifies her role as a lecturer and sets the stage for discussing a bottom-up approach in education.
She introduces a diagram created with ChatGPT to illustrate the global empathy movement, emphasizing the top-down and bottom-up aspects.
Dr. Darling explains the shift from a teacher-centric model to a more facilitative role, requiring more empathy.
Dr. Darling discusses the evolution from a teacher-centric model to a more collaborative approach where students and teachers interact more equally.
She highlights the importance of empathy in facilitating complex instruction and co-constructing knowledge.
Dr. Darling shares her book's model, contrasting traditional authoritarian methods with more empathetic approaches.
She emphasizes the need for empathy in eliciting student input and understanding co-founding variables like gender and income.
Dr. Darling introduces her class "Playing with Mindfulness and Math," designed for lifelong learners, including seniors from the College of Marin.
The class covered various topics, including Mayan math, growth mindset, and indigenous art and math.
The most impactful class was the Empathy Circle class, which started with a 15-minute introduction to empathy circles.
Dr. Darling explains the importance of mindful speaking and reflective listening in math discussions.
Dr. Darling describes a video presentation showing ants and humans solving a task, highlighting the ants' better problem-solving skills due to their unified approach.
After the video, students discussed their thoughts on the experiment and the importance of empathy circles.
Dr. Darling introduced a mystery number activity, where students shared clues orally to solve a number puzzle.
The activity required students to listen to each other and work collaboratively, fostering empathy and collective problem-solving.
Dr. Darling shares the positive feedback from students about the empathy circle class, noting that it was their favorite.
Students reported feeling heard and valued in the class, which helped them develop empathy and better listening skills.
The activity helped students realize the importance of everyone's input and fostered a more collaborative learning environment.
Dr. Darling emphasizes the potential for bottom-up empathy movements in various settings, from schools to everyday interactions.
Speaker 1 thanks Dr. Darling for her insights and highlights the importance of empathy in facilitation and co-creation.
Dr. Darling reiterates the potential for small, bottom-up empathy movements to contribute to the global empathy movement.
She encourages participants to incorporate empathy circles and similar activities in their own contexts, from schools to workplaces.
The meeting concludes with a sense of inspiration and practical steps for fostering empathy in various settings.