Empathy
This idea of empathy seems very important in the teaching setting. Students want to feel that their instructor understands their situation, or at least wants to. However, I'm not sure you can teach someone to feel empathy. Perhaps if a person is sympathetic by nature, they will bring this with them to the field of teaching? Any thoughts on this? Can empathy be taught?
Hi Anthony,
I don't know if empathy can be taught, but it can be understood and displayed in relation to student success. Empathy by definition is having an understanding of situations in which individuals find themselves. That being said an instructor can display an understanding of a personal situation that impacts a student and can help that student work through it and keep them in the school setting. This is a key part of being an instructor.
Gary
I really believe that empathy is instinctual. You either have it or you don't.
I could not agree with you more Diana. I believe being empathetic and understanding is vital to my success as an instructor. I always have to remember that we are all human, and things come up or happen in everyday life. Students truly appreciate this, and are more likely to stay motivated in the course with an empathetic instructor.
ditto, Elisabeth, especially when the students are so diversified in age and ethnicity...to be empathetic is crucial for student retention and enthusiam of the subject matter at hand.
I'm learning from this course and from the comments of the other instructors that I need to be more empathetic in dealing with students. I can tell perhaps I have been too serious and strict, as I usually hear them as just excuses. Maybe I CAN learn to be more understanding. We are just bombarded with the most lame excuses at times, and I have not been very forgiving when it comes to make-up exams, etc.
Hi Patricia,
It is always good to have a degree of empathy for your students. This is what makes you a human. The key is to always maintain a professional perspective on what you will and won't accept from your students. By granting an assignment extension based on a set of circumstances is not a problem, but to waive off certain skill development requirements because certain students find them hard is to compromise you as a professional educator and most importantly to "short change" your students of the needed training. You are trying to reflect the standards of the field and those requirements have to be maintained.
Gary
Hi Dr. Meer, Anthony, and fellow classmates,
I agree that it is of the utmost importance that teachers display empathy towards their students. I've always worked with the "special needs population" for whom empathy is a must. Empathy is just as important, however, for any students, be they non-"special needs," college level, adult, etc.
Students need to know that their instructor is considerate of their needs, what our course notes refer to as the "human factor." This doesn't mean an instructor should be an enabler of irresponsible behavior. It does mean that the instructor needs to be flexible with respect to student issues that can arise during the term.
In answer to Anthony's question as to whether or not teacher's can learn to be empathetic, a Google search reveals interesting information on the topic.
This link is for an ERIC article entitled, "Can teachers learn empathy?" It's from 1984, but I'm sure the information is still relevant.
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ297132&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ297132
