In Character classes throughout the fall, the fifth and sixth grade students have had opportunities to discuss and review different reactions to emotional inducing stimuli. The purpose is for the students to grasp that empathy is a skill, and it can be learned. John Medina, author of Brain Rules, suggests kids with role models (parents, adults) who show empathic responses to intense situations is imperative for children to develop essential executive functioning skills.
Medina uses four different types of reactions to demonstrate how people can potentially react to someone else's difficult situations. A person can be dismissive by treating the event like "no big deal" which minimizes the other person's reaction. The second type of reaction is identified as disapproving, i.e. saying "be a man" which suggests there is something wrong with the person for feeling sad, hurt or depressed. The third ineffective reaction to dealing with someone else's difficulty is by using a neglectful response, i.e. ignoring the intense emotions. The ideal response is a sustained empathy. The response allows other people to communicate their feelings and express them without ridicule, minimization or disgust.
The students in character classes have been learning to observe someone else's experience, identify their reaction, and make themselves available to listen with empathy. All adults in children's lives can support the development of this essential skill. Current brain research highlights the importance of this ability. John Medina suggests it is the most important skill "that will help your child get into Harvard."
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