Empathy

Empathy

Front: Practicing empathy strengthens your coaching relationships and helps teachers to feel safe and supported. These feelings may increase teachers' professional growth and performance in areas related to their coaching. Communicating empathy effectively also serves as a model for teachers to use in the classroom.

Back: Understand and acknowledge the complexities of the teacher's role. Consider not just internal motivations, but external circumstances and the impact of systemic pressures on teachers. Practice empathy by accepting the teacher's feelings and reactions as valid and responding with compassion and respect.

Reflection Questions:

• How might I consider outside factors that may be affecting the teacher today?
• How might I consider how the system the teacher is operating in creates obstacles for the teacher?
• How might I take the teacher's feelings about this into account during our conversation?

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