Sonia Michaels | Teaching Through Empathy and Compassion

[#1]

My Journey to #AchieveMore

Near the end of my freshman year of college, about 200 years ago (more like 35, but who's counting?), I came down with mononucleosis. I had been doing so well up to that point, but now it seemed that all my progress was about to come crashing down. Reluctantly, I reached out to my professors--and they reached back with kindness. They gave me Incompletes or estimated my grade based on the work I had completed. Years later, I went on to teach college myself, and decided that I would be as empathetic and compassionate with my own students as those three profs had been with me. 30 years later, I have never regretted that decision. Many colleagues have rolled their eyes and told me that students are taking advantage of me by feeding me fake excuses. Even so, I'm okay with this, because even if the reason they needed the extension wasn't the reason they gave me, it still cost me nothing to be kind. Now, many of my former students volunteer to come to my classes as guest speakers, or make themselves available to mentor my current students. These days, I build most of my courses around the importance of empathy and emotional connections. When I teach professional communication, I ask my students to focus on how they can make life easier and more pleasant for the recruiters who read their resumes and interview them, the teammates who sit next to them at work, and the players who will ultimately use the games they design and develop. When I teach science fiction, we often discuss stories, films, and games that can bring us to tears as well as spark our sense of wonder. I can be tough and fair; I will also choose compassion over harshness every time.

What Drives You to #AchieveMore?

View Current Winners

See All Stories

Submit Your Story