An Education in Empathy – The impact a teacher has in the classroom lasts a lifetime
Introduction
Reading and writing are learned skills, and for sixteen years in the education system, this mode of communication is the primary way information is given and received. But what happens when reading and writing don’t come naturally to you? School can be an uphill struggle. As a child, you spend most of your waking day there, having to be switched on the whole time. When you go home, you have homework to complete for the next day, and meals and bedtime work around your school schedule. Life as a child is consumed with school.
So what happens to those students who can’t give it their all, can’t keep up with all the reading and writing, information processing is hard when it is verbal, and most grades and success depend on this learned skill? The last thing you want is the student giving up on themselves, which can lead to low self-esteem and lack of confidence, endless problems for families, and society will see them as less than, which becomes an easy role to fill. The thought of college is not part of their plan, and the memory of school is one of failure and hardship. Having been this student, my research sought the greatest impact that would benefit all students.
Turning Point
I was never an A student, and was externally reminded often. As an adult and mother of three, I knew that getting an education was the only way to break out of the endless baseline jobs, and I also needed focus and stability. A big turning point in my final year of a Graphic Design degree was a book-making project. At this time, age 48, I was finally getting tested for dyslexia, and I titled the book, Celebrating your dyslexia, it’s not all about words moving on a page! This was the starting point of all my research. If I didn’t know about all the traits of dyslexia, how would someone without dyslexia be expected to know the challenges and the unspoken strengths?
Researching Empathy in Education
Immediately after my degree, I started a Master’s Degree. I was so determined to make things easier for those who were not readers/writers, and I was going to find another way. That is, until the right way found me. I had come across Universal Design for Learning many times, and it seemed to fit into how I already did things. I knew I wanted to put things into terms that worked for all learners, and I thought about how I always struggled with spelling and reading. My path was never heading towards education, but now that I was in it, I knew education, and lack of it, was what shaped my whole life path.
Master's Programme Design Research
My Master’s focus was on Education Equality and Equity, not just for those with any learning challenges, but for anyone without access, support, opportunities and any other form of inequality that stops people progressing in an educational journey.
The requirement for the end of the MA was a report on a workshop that was designed and run in accordance with your focused theme. I decided to attend three six-week courses, record 5 interviews, run 2 surveys, run a Universal Design for Learning student workshop, and go to 6 talks/seminars, and then I did a case study. My ADHD helped me juggle everything, and my dyslexic thinking allowed me to see the connection to everything and put it all in perspective. I needed to understand from all angles how life could be easier for students and what steps would make the most impact.
The courses were in Universal Design for Teaching and Learning (UDL), Embedding the Sustainability Goals in the Curriculum (SDGs), and TUTOR - Inclusive Teaching. Through these courses, I met dedicated educators who were already invested in change and improving their methods to be more inclusive, understood the diversity of students and in every way they wanted to expand their professional development with their focus on the student.
TUTOR, Teachers’ Upskilling, aiming at a holistic inclusivity in learning, run through Maynooth University, had 130 Irish Teachers sign up to the course, partnered by Educators from Greece, Turkey and Austria. There was a range of educators from teachers to principals, from primary schools through to university lecturers. Through the three courses, the speakers and peer groups gave great insight into how best practice - tried and tested routes for all levels of students worked and could be improved. The theme was always students first, and how we can make education more inclusive so all types of learners can get a worthwhile education, and to prepare them for life after college. The courses provided insight into how other systems were trying to improve the teaching ethos; the educators attending brought their experience, which was invaluable for my research. The pedagogies of empathy and of care were evident throughout.
Interviewing the Educators
Hand-picking some Educators to interview was through word of mouth from students, who showed the impact their teachers had on them. Some were chosen because I had crossed their path and couldn’t get them out of my mind, hearing them talk about students and how they manage their classes.
Teachers were chosen because of their methods and viewpoints, which were all about students‘ needs first and how to assist them with their strengths. The interviews were a great way to see if there was a main theme or strategy among these educators, and quickly, I realised it was that they cared. They cared about each student and the situations they were dealing with within their class. They wanted the best for the students, they knew how important their job was, and they had empathy in abundance, knowing that students are dealing with many different situations, backgrounds, cultures and challenges. After some interviews, I realised that there wasn't going to be a clear path or structure to reveal; there wasn’t one rule or something you could pinpoint as being the key to empathic teaching, so my research direction moved towards the students who benefit from these great educators.
Student Surveys through UDL Principles
A written survey, or a QR code to a survey, is only going to catch a small number of people who have spare time and love text-based questionnaires. I needed to be among the students, talk to them, ask them about their teachers, hear their stories firsthand, to get the most information and best value out of their experiences.
With novel mini ducks, a star chart, colourful sticky notes and bold signage, I set up a walk-through survey based on the UDL principles. It was interactive and self-explanatory, with numbered questions and short sentences with direct information. Once they were finished with all the questions, they proudly took home a duck sticker. They were excited to talk about their teacher and worked through the survey so as not to let that teacher down. Gathering quantitative and qualitative information, the students answered yes or no by putting tiny ducks into jars. There were 271 participants from two different educational institutes.
Researching the theme of one good adult, by Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, my main question to ask students was, if they had that one good teacher, who encouraged them, understood them and was supportive beyond schoolwork.
Also, it was important to know what the biggest strength their teacher had. Answers were voted on with stickers on a star chart. What they thought Empathy was, and what would have helped them during their school years, were answered by participants using colourful sticky notes and novelty pens.
Through the two surveys, students clearly voted that the highest scoring strength these teachers had was that they cared. Students described Empathy as listening, caring, understanding their individual needs, and seeing things from another's perspective. The research proved that caring is key to excellent teaching and that students respond completely to empathetic teachers.
271 student participants approached the desk, curious and intrigued to partake in a novel survey I did with bright duck-themed signage.
- 95% said they did have a teacher who respected and inspired them and treated them like a person.
- 84% were encouraged to go to college,
- and 67% could talk to their teacher like a friend.
- Only 56% liked school,
- and 55% said their teacher spent time with them after school, through sports, portfolio preparation or extra help with learning challenges.
When asked, Would you prefer to do a written survey? only 2% of 182 participants said yes, in the Institute of Art, Design and Technology. These creative students were happier being engaged in a duck-based, colourful, novel survey. In Dublin College Blackrock Further Education and Training, an institute with a broader range of courses, 6 out of 89 students said they would prefer a written survey. Universal Design for Learning was a clear favourite way to participate in asking about their educational journey. It was engaging, memorable, very visual and involved all senses and feelings. What could have been a quick, perhaps boring survey, became a memorable event that they reminisced about their teacher who inspired them and made them feel important.
A Teacher had a lasting, profound effect on 257 students who all made it to third-level education, feeling heard and understood; their teacher helped them have self-worth, believing in them and encouraged them to be the best version of themselves. During the surveys, students were excited and proud to tell me about their teachers. Students spoke about their experiences of inspiration and overcoming learning obstacles through the assistance and guidance of specific educators who changed their learning journey and made a positive difference to their lives.
The results show that students undeniably respond to being seen, understood, respected and nurtured. A student will thrive when they feel their teacher cares and is treating them as an individual. Universal Design for Learning is foremost in allowing all learners to achieve their potential; it is up to the educator to understand and facilitate this in their classes.
Reflections on my journey and next steps
So what is the best thing to do with this knowledge - make sure that the uphill struggle is lessened for those who follow. For over 100 years, the behaviourist education system has been based on rote learning and defined by grades. There is no quick fix happening there. The students have advanced, so the modern system must go beyond introducing technology and hoping that it solves all the problems. Spell check only works when a student can figure out the sounds or pronounce the word properly!
This research shows the key to great education is showing understanding and care to the student, and their teacher is the one who makes this transformative, life-changing difference.
If we know all students are unique, with different backgrounds, learning skills and challenges, then we have to recognise that teachers are also unique and have their own set of skills. Through professional development courses, can we find a way to teach Empathy? This is where the power of storytelling comes in. When you hear a story, you get emotionally invested; you make the images in your mind of where and how it is playing out, and you feel the information. Think about your favourite book or film, you don’t remember the exact words, but you can remember the images and feelings. This is the best way to engage people with information. Stories are needed to help people understand others' points of view, and help information to be memorable, especially for our creative minds. So, who is caring for our carers? An introduction to Universal Design for Teaching and Learning principles, collaborative teacher peer groups, and teamwork can all assist teachers so they feel supported, and in turn, they can support their students. I believe teachers can change the world, one student at a time.
