5 Strategies to Improve Students’ Listening Skills

By Daniel Vollrath Middle and high school students not listening is a common complaint, but listening is a skill like any other—it can be improved with practice. It often ends with a sigh of relief. The feeling of knowing—they got it. You explained it, offered time to process, and asked for clarification—you know the cliché […]
Empathy is Foundational During Our Current Uncertainty

By Allison Zmuda, Bena Kallick and Art Costa Empathy is a foundational part of healing from the political and social issues we are currently facing. Empathy can also be a response to a joyful experience. This newsletter focuses on the powerful experience people have experienced when they have been listened to with understanding and empathy. […]
Learning Empathy with Compassion Projects

By Jaime Crane and Lisa Bradley 1st-grade teachers, North Canaan Elementary School How do we grow the capacity of our young students for empathy? Last year, the first grade teachers focused on the Habit of Mind animation “Listening with Understanding and Empathy” in their classes. This was part of a larger regional project […]