The power of empathy

     Empathy seems to be just another word, it is actually a very important one. Empathy means being able to understand the feelings of others; putting yourself in someone else's shoes. I think empathy is something difficult to teach and will not always work. It can be taught by setting someone up, for instance putting them in a situation they are unaware of and letting them get the feel of it, they will then have that personal experience to be able to say "I know how that feels." Empathy is important in the world and is necessary, but is not really given. The way I was raised was not to judge people, but to try to understand where they are coming from and feel for them. In my family we all are very big on helping people out and empathy comes along with that. What I found interesting while reading "New York Photographer turns strangers into friends," is that these are random people coming together (which can be uncomfortable) and by the end of the session, they feel like they have known each other forever. One man says: "I felt like I cared for her," Brian says. "I felt like it brought down a lot of barriers." To me this is very powerful, it shows that one simple thing such as a mini photo shoot, can get people to feel a connection.

Praise Our Children

The best way to encourage students to do their best is by rewarding them and praising them for their effort. Many parents and teachers motivate or encourage their students and children by using phrases such as: "You got this," or "You cant give up." What they do not know is that this may be discouraging them instead. When a "smart" child is not familiar with something, they automatically turn away from it. For example,  Looking back at the article "How Not to talk to Your Kids," Thomas was challenged with cursive penmanship, he refused to try because he was afraid of not mastering it. When I try to get my nieces and nephews to do something they haven't done before, or are afraid to try, I always bribe them with a reward. For instance, my niece was afraid of the monkey bars at school, I told her to try it and I would follow behind her to help, if she tried I would buy her any candy she wanted. Even though she was not 100% successful, I told her she did good and we could keep trying, eventually she mastered it and was rewarded. In reference to the "Myth of Praise" video,  an American mother is told her child did not do so good on a test, the mother completely ignored that and acted as the child did good. A Chinese mother was told her child did not do good, the mother helped the child and 33% of those children, scored higher. This demonstrates how a child can be encouraged or discouraged by the praising of their parents.