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Empathy and Communication 2

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Developing empathy is central to ensuring that our students and colleagues feel seen and heard. Learn about barriers to developing empathy including unconscious bias and assumption. Develop ways to deepen trust and communication with others. Make more of feedback, a valuable communication tool to support your own development and that of others.

About this module:

Ensuring those we work with, including our students, feel seen and heard, is a crucial skill. At the heart of this ability is empathy, putting yourself in another’s shoes. Learn barriers to developing empathy, unconscious bias, for example, how this results in our not being present in a conversation and can lead to the others not trusting our intentions or feel safe to express their thoughts and feelings. Develop tools to better understand your personal biases and assumptions, enabling you to deepen trust and communication with those you work with.

Learn how to make more of feedback as a valuable communication tool to support your own development and that of others.

This programme is designed to build on the learning from Module 1, and has also has been informed by University of York Professor, Rob Klassen’s research into the non-cognitive attributes (or psychological characteristics) that are important for teacher effectiveness.

Session 1: Understanding bias

  • Consider how the personal biases and assumptions you hold affect your actions and relationships.
  • Use these insights to help those around you feel better understood and valued.

Session 2: Building trust

  • Understand the key elements that foster trust in relationships.
  • Explore the behaviours that will build trust and help to unlock openness and honesty.

Session 3: Championing feedback

  • Build your skills and confidence in giving helpful feedback that strikes the right balance between being too tentative or too harsh.
  • Learn how to receive feedback as a gift and integrate it into your own practice as you develop in your teaching or leadership role.
What you will learn:
  • Learn how personal biases and assumptions you hold affect your actions and relationships.
  • Learn how to use these insights to develop greater empathy.
  • Understand the key elements that foster trust in relationships.
  • Explore the behaviours that will build trust and how these can unlock openness and honesty.
  • Build your skills and confidence in giving helpful, balanced feedback.
  • Learn how to receive feedback as a gift and integrate it into your own practice as you develop in your teaching or leadership role.