June 2019: Gangster Capitalism, Tips for practicing and modeling empathy, MCC in the news
Read the June update from Making Caring Common and don't forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter to get updates straight to your inbox.
In the News
The college admissions scandal and the inequities it has brought to the surface continue to dominate the news. This past month, Rick Weissbourd joined the podcast Gangster Capitalism to share Making Caring Common's perspective. Take a listen!
The Washington Post: A different 2019 summer reading list
Gangster Capitalism: Watershed Moment | The College Admissions Scandal
Forbes: The Debate Over Early Decision In College Admission: Who Is It Good For?
The Do Gooders Podcast: Five Strategies for Raising Kind Kids with Harvard's Dr. Rick Weissbourd
Ottiya: 5 Tips for Cultivating Empathy
Harvard Political Review: Can You Teach People How to Love?
The Atlantic: Parents Gone Wild: High Drama Inside D.C.’s Most Elite Private School
For more information and resources, check out our website, and be sure to follow Making Caring Common on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation online.
For Educators: 4 Tips for Modeling Empathy
Try these 4 tips from our team:
1. When frustrated with students, pause and take a deep breath and try to see the situation from their perspective before responding.
2. When a student is upset, reflect back his feelings or the rationale for his behavior before redirecting the behavior.
3. Be aware of students’ non-verbal cues and follow up on them. For example, if a student is slumping in her chair and appearing withdrawn or angry, say something like “I noticed that you are quieter than usual today. Is something bothering you?” rather than immediately reprimanding her.
4. Ask for students’ input when appropriate and feasible (for example, when establishing classroom rules or generating ideas for group projects) – and really listen. Find opportunities to incorporate their feedback and respond to their needs.
Find the full resource on the Making Caring Common website.
For Families: 5 Ways to Help Children Practice Empathy
Try these 5 tips from our team:
1. Have family meetings. Hold family meetings when there are family challenges or conflicts, and in those meetings give children a voice and encourage them to take the perspective of other family members. Listen carefully to your children’s views and ask your children to listen carefully to the views of others.
2. Encourage empathy for peers. Ask children about their classmates and other peers. Ask children when they’re in conflicts with peers to consider their peers’ perspectives.
3. Reflect on empathy and caring. Notice with your child when you’re together and someone exhibits strong empathy—or shows a lack of empathy—either in your daily life or in a book or on television. Discuss why acts of empathy are important and why lacking empathy can be harmful.
4. Discuss ethical dilemmas. Discuss with your child ethical dilemmas that help them appreciate various perspectives, e.g., "Should I invite a new neighbor to my birthday party when my best friend doesn't like her?" "Should I tell my friend if I know her boyfriend, who is also my friend, cheated on her?"
5. Support doing with. Encourage children not just to do service, to "do for" others, but to "do with" others, working with diverse groups of students to respond to community problems.
Access the full resource on the Making Caring Common website.