Compassion: How do You Teach it?

Abstract

Evidence suggests that there is a correlation between the violent images and stories we view through media and the effects those stories have on children and young adults,  namely the suppression of compassion. With so much emphasis on academic standards, sometimes social emotional skills are grossly neglected. Students are being taught how to read, write, and compute, but often not taught how to be kind to one another. This article provides the reader with available resources related to teaching compassion in schools. The authors also present a theoretical model that will help foster in children, the development of compassion for others. In addition, the reader will find suggestions for teaching compassion at each of the four levels in the theoretical model of influence. The authors assert that purposefully  infusing compassion into the curriculum  might have the potential power to change the world.

Keywords: Teaching Compassion, Social Emotional Learning, Compassionate Schools