Woodridge

From the Headmaster's Desk - 19 July 2024

Jul 19, 2024 / Hajira Dladla / College / Newsletters
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Dear Parents

I hope this communication finds you well and getting used to the chilly temperatures of the winter season. This past week our staff have spent time reflecting on our well-being and mindfulness. Something that we as adults are quick to ignore as the busyness of life takes over. However, today I thought it prudent to take a moment to reflect on the importance of empathy for the students in our care, both as teachers and parents. Empathy is an important aspect of student well-being and is something we talk about regularly in our school. Chantél Minnie, our school psychologist, has also spent time with our student body looking at the importance of an empathic mindset within the school environment. Please enjoy the article which she has put together for this week’s communication.

More than a feeling - Article by Chantél Minnie

Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.” We have all heard this saying. We all have an idea of what it means. Yet, many people resist doing so, because, let’s face it, someone else’s shoes aren’t uncomfortable. Putting ourselves, metaphorically, in someone else’s shoes is a practice of empathy. We apply our minds and feelings to imagine what it would be like if we were experiencing what the other person is struggling with. And even though we cannot feel exactly what they are feeling, we can conclude that it must be difficult to be in that situation, because if it were us, we would feel similar things. This is different from sympathy. If empathy is the act of placing yourself in someone else’s shoes, then sympathy is the act of pitying the shoes they wear.

Young people are much less likely to bully, harass, or be mean to others if they function from a foundation of empathy. Empathy is more than a ‘feeling.’ While for some it happens almost automatically, many of us need to ‘engage’ the practice of empathy as a deliberate and conscious action. It is also quite a sophisticated skill to develop and seems to be a uniquely human ability. Not everyone is naturally empathetic. However, empathy – and being empathetic – is something that can be taught and developed. Ideally, the ability to empathise should be instilled during childhood, which leads to empathy being almost ‘automatic’ in adulthood.

But for several reasons, so many of our little people are not helped to develop this essential ability during childhood. Resulting in teens who struggle to empathise with others, or at best, can only display sympathy. Due to their still-developing brains, teenagers are...

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