The article Nine Competencies for Teaching Empathy focuses on helping educators understand why empathy must be an integral part of any classroom and school.
The author writes about The Empathy Advantage and states the following:
Empathy—or the ability to understand others' feelings and needs—is also the foundation of a safe, caring, and inclusive learning climate. Students with high levels of empathy display more classroom engagement, higher academic achievement, and better communication skills (Jones et al., 2014). Empathy reduces aggression, boosts prosocial behaviors (Eisenberg, Eggum, & DiGiunta, 2010) and may be our best antidote to bullying and racism (Santos et al., 2011).
Empathy helps us understand and feel with others and is an integral part of creating a climate where students feel safe and we know each student by name, strength, and need.
