The Power of Empathy AND TEAM BUILDING

1. The Power of Empathy AND TEAM BUILDING Los Angeles Unified School District School Operations Restorative Justice Advisers

2. Discipline Foundation Policy • “Every student, pre-school through adult, has the right to be educated in a safe, respectful and welcoming environment. Every educator has the right to teach in an atmosphere free from disruption and obstacles that impede learning.”

3. Objectives • Learn the three types of empathy • Understand the benefits of empathy in the educational setting

4. 3 Kinds of Empathy • Cognitive Empathy—intellectual (negotiators, salespeople) • Emotional Empathy—intellectual and emotional (therapists, teachers, nurses, etc.) • Compassionate Empathy—intellectual, emotional, AND action-oriented(Dr. King, Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Mother Theresa, missionaries, volunteers, us) Daniel Goleman, referencing Paul Ekman, 2007

5. story • STORY OF MS. THOMPSON

6. Building Resiliency • #1 Factor - Connectedness with one adult • who believes in/supports the student • Holding up a positive alternative mirror (focusing on student’s innate desire to do well and have good relationships) • Supporting student to develop areas of • strength and interest • Never giving up on the student Adapted from Nan Henderson, Resiliency Training Program, 2012

7. What is Emotional Empathy? • Being able to understand anotherperson’s perspective, how they feel about it and communicate this understanding with feeling, caring and without judgment.

8. Why Absence of Empathy? • Trauma • Mental illness • Homelessness/Poverty • Transiency • Neglect • Child abuse

9. Everyday Opportunities to Teach Empathy: • Talk about feelings when appropriate • Identify feelings when talking about them • Use culturally and linguistically relevant literature about famous empathetic people (M L King, Gandhi, C Chavez) • Recognize and reward empathy in others • Community Building Circles • Model empathy

10. Why Empathy? • Increases sense of connectedness to the teacher and to school (builds resiliency and builds community) • Creates a sense of safety in the classroom which increases academic achievement • Builds resiliency (supports 40 developmental assets) • Prevents conflicts (“prime inhibitor of human cruelty”) • Keeps conflicts from escalating • Key to conflict resolution • Helps to heal painful experiences so students can focus Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence, p 117.

11. Empathy “Students must feel physically safe and emotionally secure before they can focus on the curriculum.” David A. Sousa, How The Brain Learns, 2011,p. 44.

12. Body Language • 7% Words • 38% Tone of Voice • 55% Body Language Salisbury University, Maryland, 2009

13. What to Avoid When Practicing Empathic Listening • No Judgment • Creates a sense of safety • Encourages individual to explore problem area more deeply • No Questions • Stifles exploration • Prevents individual from focusing on area of need • No Advice • Allows individual to come up with the solution

14. Practicing Empathic Listening • Speaker shares worry or concern • Helping listener responds with no judgment, no advice, no questions • Summarizes what the person said with caring and compassion • Focuses on the feeling and why the person feels that way • “Sounds like you feel______because______.” Adapted from Robert Carkhuff, The Art of Helping, 2009

15. Benefits of Empathy in the Classroom • Increases trust and respect, building positive working relationships • Enables students to release their emotions • Reduces tensions and conflict • Encourages sharing of information • Builds connectedness and resiliency • Creates a safe environment that is conducive to learning

16. “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Aristotle

17. Bibliography/Resources • Carkhuff, Robert, The Art of Helping. 9th Edition.Amherst, Massachusetts: Human Resources Development Press, 2009. • Committee for Children, Second Step Online Training Module, 4th Edition, 2011. Seattle, Washington. • Goleman, Daniel, Social Intelligence. New York: Bantam Dell, 2006.

18. Bibliography/Resources (cont.) • Goleman, Daniel, Three Kinds of Empathy: Cognitive, Emotional, Compassionate. Article posted online June 12, 2007. (Reference to conversations with Paul Ekman, author of Emotions Revealed, Second Edition: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life. New York: Holt and Company, 2003).

19. Bibliography/Resources (cont.) • Henderson, Nan, M.S.W. Resiliency Training Program, 2012. www.resiliency.com (free material on building resiliency from this website). • Salisbury University, Maryland, 2009. www.salisbury.edu/careerservices/students/Interviews/Non-Verbal.html • Sousa, David, How the Brain Learns. 2nd Edition. Sage Publications, 2011.

20. Restorative Justice Support Team The Office of School Operations Deborah D. Brandy, Discipline Foundation Policy/Restorative Justice Coordinator deborah.brandy@lausd.net Office- 213-241-4131 Cell- 213-393-0535 Local District South Tamara Robinson, Restorative Adviser Tamara.robinson@lausd.net Office-310-354-3515 Local District West Ina Hope Gordon igordon@lausd.net Office-310-914-2102 Learning Zone Support Kimberly Valdez, Restorative Justice Specialist Kkv0221@lausd.net Office-213-214-4516 Local District Central Marco Flores, Restorative Justice Adviser mfloves@lausd.net Office-213-241-0167 Local District East Cynthia Iglesias, Restorative Justice Adviser cmi@lausd.net Office-323-224-3177 Local District Northwest Karen Sorensen, Restorative Justice Adviser Karen.sorensen@lausd.net Office-818-654-3600 Local District Northeast Mary Jackson-Freeny, Restorative Justice Adviser Mary.jackson-freeny@lausd.net Office-818-252-5400