Your friend just pointed out that you have something stuck in your teeth and it’s been there since breakfast!.You won a prize that you weren’t expecting.You reached out to hug someone who turned away.Say to your students, “Show me what you would look like if you experienced this,” and then present them with the below examples (or come up with your own): Discuss potential scenarios that may elicit emotions.Ask them what could have happened to you to make you feel that way. Now it’s your turn-model one of the emotions that your students haven’t modeled yet, and see if your students can identify what emotion you’re feeling.Jump in and assist with your own modeling as needed. In rapid succession, instruct students to display physical actions that illustrate each emotion. Ask all students who want to demonstrate an emotion to put their hand up.Continue until all students who had their hands raised have had a chance, even if it involves repeating emotions. Call on students and ask them to point to the face that shows happiness, sadness, etc.Print out this list of emotions and review it with your students. Want more empathy-boosters? See this post for 8 more activities!Īctivity 1: Identifying and Modeling Emotions

Adapted from two effective programs on social skills development (see the end of this post for details), these activities will help kids correctly identify emotions, sharpen their active listening skills, sidestep common “empathy busters,” and more.

Today’s post brings you five simple activities you can use to help build empathy in your students. Not only is empathy a primary ingredient of bully-free schools and harmonious inclusive classrooms, it’s also a skill students will use for the rest of their lives as they grow into caring, compassionate adults and good citizens of the world.Įmpathy is a complex skill, but just like anything else, it can be taught. Empathy is one of the most critical social skills young learners can develop.

Empathetic listening activity