Principal Desk Update November
- 18 November 2021
Nurturing Empathy in Future Leaders
“It is vital that when educating our children’s brains that we do not neglect to educate their hearts.” —- Dalai Lama
Teaching children empathy, kindness and compassion are not simply a lesson learnt in the classroom. They are values that children need to see and experience frequently. As an educator, it is my firm belief that a teacher in a classroom has a unique impact; and the students don’t care how much a teacher knows until they know how much their teacher cares.
Can empathy be taught to a child?
“More than 2300 years ago the Greek philosopher Aristotle said, educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
Like any skill, empathy can be taught and developed in children. Neuroscientific research suggests that while we are born with some capacity for empathy, it can be taught more through experiences than lectures and platitudes. In fact, because much of what true empathy encompasses are skills, they can be consciously taught and developed over time. This is why we at Oakridge know that it’s a moral imperative to teach our students empathy through varied experiences and activities.
In the age of automation, we focus on developing strong values, a sense of purpose and well-being so as to enable our students to succeed in the future. As the Head of School, I can’t emphasize enough that fostering empathetic awareness in children and teaching our children how to care will help them develop gratitude.
Have a look at some of the initiatives at your school to imbibe empathy in Oakridgers.
Shaila Bhamidipati
Principal
Oakridge International School, Visakhapatnam