Teaching Empathy to Faculty & Staff

I've been at Syms for a few weeks now, and wow, the middle school environment is a completely different ball game, maybe even a completely different game. Something more violent like lacrosse or hockey, i'd say. When I learned where my placement would be for this semester and I began to tell people, I started to get a lot of cringey looks coupled with "Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine!".....Thanks, dude! Since day one at Burbank I knew I wanted to work in an elementary school, so I'll admit I was REALLY nervous to start at a middle school. Especially a tough middle school like Syms Middle School- but let me say, I actually really love it here.

One of the main reasons I wanted to be a school counselor was to help others, and WOAH am I in the right place to help! Who wants to twiddle their thumbs all day staring at the walls waiting for something to do? Not I. I love that there's never a dull moment, and I love watching a lot of faculty and staff show nothing but passion for helping students improve.

I have noticed one thing I don't care for. It isn't inclusive to just the middle school environment, however, I will say I've seen it more here than anywhere else I've been placed. SOME teachers really lack empathy for students and their individual plight. I get that being a teacher in Virginia is tough- SOLs are hard on the soul and students just don't seem to understand the gravity of these test for themselves OR their educators. Middle school students while riddled with the typical issue of raging hormones and puberty, are also moving swiftly into their personal developmental phase of adolescent egocentrism that make them hard to reach (Adolescent egocentrism: the adolescent notion that what you're experiencing is something no one on planet earth has ever or will ever experience). But one of the hallmarks of educators is positive regard and EMPATHY. Sometimes when you've been practicing a long time you lose sight of that.

Today, I wanted to share with you a very special video that demands empathy of viewers. I was first introduced to it during a District School Counselor Meeting regarding mindfulness on the part of counselors. When we viewed it...there was not a dry eye in the house. As school counselors it is also our duty to contribute to the professional and emotional development of faculty and staff. This video would be a GREAT piece to view during a PD on Empathy for students.

Part 1 of Removed (12:47): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOeQUwdAjE0

Part 2 of Removed (22:45): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1fGmEa6WnY

If time constraints are an issue, I would suggest Part 1 and urging educators to continue the story in their free time. I will warn you though, if you've ever experienced abuse it will trigger you. Hard. You have been warned.

References

Matanick, N. [Nathanael Matanick]. (2014, March 11). Removed Part I and II. [Video File]. Retrieved from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOeQUwdAjE0>