Many educators struggle with finding ways to introduce social and emotional learning practices into the classroom. One of the easiest ways to start is to introduce simple kindness activities into your classroom. We at Empatico believe that kindness is one of the 9 skills that can be developed to strengthen a student’s overall empathy. Based on our years of research, we have a few tried and true suggestions the next time your students have a moment to practice a bit of kindness to themselves, each other or the world.
Creativity and Collaboration
If you’re looking to spread kindness through having your students practice their perspective-taking and collaboration skills, check out our Partner Drawing Challenge activity. Students will pair up with a partner, and act as a “guide” or “artist” to recreate a drawing without the ability to ask questions or seek clarification. Next, they will participate in a second round in which questions are permitted. Finally, they will reflect on how their experiences were different between the two rounds.
Working Together for Keyla
Students will work with their classmates to solve puzzles and unlock different levels of a digital breakout room with our new A Friend for Keyla activity! They will practice cooperative skills and celebrate collective victories, while using their creativity to extend the game, and practicing kindness and creativity.
Understanding the Role of Empathy in Developing Meaningful Kindness Activities for Your Students
At Empatico, we view empathy as a skillset that can be categorized into nine distinct areas, drawing from research in education, psychology, sociology, conflict resolution, and communication. To articulate our comprehensive approach to fostering lifelong empathetic skills, the Empatico team created the Empathy Framework. This framework outlines three key domains of empathy: emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. Additionally, it highlights three levels of empathy application: towards oneself, one’s community, and those outside the immediate community.
To discover more about utilizing the Empathy Framework to assist students in practicing kindness and inclusivity towards themselves and others, or to receive a weekly newsletter filled with more empathy-building activities, join us at Empatico.org.
By signing up for a free Empatico account, you gain complete access to our library of research-based classroom and virtual exchange activities. Furthermore, you’ll also join a community of educators dedicated to creating a more empathetic and inclusive future.
