Empathy and Teaching

How I am feeling today: Satisfied. Hot (It’s 114 degrees in L.A. today! But Why?!)

What I am listening to today: Phrenology – The Roots

What I am reading today: When My Brother Was an Aztec (Natalie Diaz)

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Last week a student emailed me asking if she could interview me for a project for her government class. I happily agreed and we talked this afternoon about American values in 2020, the use and abuse of power in politics, the pandemic, and even the ongoing protests in Portland.

I was, however, struck the most by her final question to me, and I wanted to share it with you, as well as my answer.

As a teacher, do you feel that you have a voice in U.S. government and politics?

[I think, yes, in a way I have a voice. Through my students I have a voice.

Which is not to say that I try to indoctrinate anyone in the classroom to my own politics, but rather that I have a quiet purpose beneath my pedagogy. 

What I mean is that as a teacher, especially as a creative writing teacher, I believe that my job, in addition to teaching curriculum, is to teach, promote, and foster empathy in the classroom.

I believe that sending more empathetic and divergent thinking people out into the world is going to have a positive impact on the way in which those individuals conduct themselves as citizens and residents of this country.

That I feel more than anything is my true voice in politics. Contributing to more empathetic voters and maybe even future politicians.]

That’s interesting. Why do you believe that teaching empathy to your students will have an impact on the world, as it relates to politics or things like that?

[Well, take creative writing for instance. Or any writing for that matter. At its core it’s all about communication. Communicating some thought, idea, or feeling. It is a relationship between composer and reader. Writer and audience. It allows the reader to see your perspective. And vise versa, reading allows us to understand other views of the world. It’s ultimately an act of empathy.

I think that people are a lot more alike than they realize. We tend to want similar things when it really comes down to it. Love. Safety and security. Comfort. Entertainment. Happiness. A nap.

But we forget that sometimes. We forget that we are all connected and a part of one another. We spend so much time in our heads that we forget how expansive and beautiful the world can be. And how expansive and beautiful a person can be. If given a little understanding and a little love.]

I don’t know how much of this she will end up using but….hey I was on a roll so I just kept talking 🙃