Which of the Three Kinds of Empathy Helps Us Take ACTION?
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
03/04/26
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What does it really mean to be empathetic, and are we teaching kids the right kind?
In this reel, Dr. Chris Hass breaks down the 3 Forms of Empathy every educator, parent, and school leader needs to understand and why most people stop at the first one. Whether you're focused on classroom belonging, student engagement, or building a stronger school culture, this short snip from our conversation will reshape how you think about connection in your classroom and community.
We explore:
- Emotional Empathy: recognizing how someone feels
- Cognitive Empathy: understanding *why* they feel that way
- Compassionate Empathy: the form that actually moves us to act
The difference between feeling sorry for a student and doing something meaningful for them is everything. This is the shift that separates reactive teaching from inspiring students and creating thriving students who feel seen, heard, and supported.
For more information, get Chris's book, From Empathy to Action (co-authored with Katie Kelly and Lester Laminack)
👇 Watch, reflect, and share with your team. 🚀📚 Part 1 & Part Two of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E27 interview.
🕐 CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction: Why Empathy Matters in Education
0:45 - What Most People Get Wrong About Empathy
1:30 - Form #1: Emotional Empathy: Feeling What Others Feel
2:15 - Form #2: Cognitive Empathy: Understanding the Root Cause
3:00 - Form #3: Compassionate Empathy: Empathy That Moves You to Act
4:10 - What Compassionate Empathy Looks Like in the Classroom
5:00 - The Difference Between Solving Problems and Being Present
5:45 - How Empathy Drives Student Success and School Culture
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #ClassroomReadyStrategies #EmpathyInEducation #ClassroomBelonging #StudentEngagement #TeachingTips #InstructionalCoaching #SchoolCulture #EffectiveTeaching #StudentMotivation #CompassionateEmpathy #InclusiveClassrooms #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #EmpoweredEducators #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #ProKidMindset #TeacherSupport #SchoolLeadership #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #FamilyPartnerships #ParentCommunication #InspiringStudents #NewTeachers #ProfessionalDevelopment #InstructionalLeadership #SchoolImprovement #ActiveLearning #ThrivingStudents #InspiredTeaching
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
In Part One of our S5E27 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Dr. Chris Hass challenges our understanding of empathy, suggesting that simply feeling emotions might not lead to substantive change. This conversation delves into emotional intelligence, highlighting how moving beyond mere feelings to tangible actions is vital for social justice in childhood.
Chris is an assistant professor at James Madison University and co-author of From Empathy to Action with Katie Kelly and Lester Laminack. He asks us to consider whether teaching kids to feel empathy is actually getting in the way of real change.
Dr. Hass also introduces the three forms of empathy: emotional, cognitive, and compassionate, and explains why compassionate empathy is the one that actually moves students from caring to doing. You'll hear the remarkable true story of second and third graders who researched gender representation in street signs, presented to their city mayor and city council, and helped get a street renamed after Columbia's first Black female doctor.
This episode is for anyone who believes students are capable of more than we give them credit for — and wants the tools to prove it.
🎧 Part Two drops Friday, where we tackle the skeptics, scripted curricula, and nervous caregivers head-on.
From Chris: Using Literacy Instruction to Develop Student Activists & Empathy thru Education
Some episode mentions & resources:
📚 Book mentioned: From Empathy to Action by Chris Hass, Katie Kelly, & Lester Laminack
👩🏫 Researcher mentioned: Vivian Vasquez (critical literacy in early childhood)
📖 Books mentioned: Text, Lies & Videotape by Patrick Shannon
Chapters:
0:00 — Introduction: The empathy paradox
1:00 — About Schoolutions Podcast & Dr. Chris Hass
2:00 — Vivian Vasquez & what education could be
4:30 — Why feeling bad isn't the same as taking action
7:00 — Three forms of empathy explained
9:00 — What holds students (and adults) back from action
11:30 — Teaching into fear and discomfort
13:00 — The street sign project: second graders before city council
18:00 — How to structure inquiry-based action projects
21:00 — The fairytale study: when outcomes surprise you
24:00 — Lightning round: mistakes, literacy, and advice for new teachers
28:00 — The power of mentor texts & critical text sets
30:30 — Preview of Part Two
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #EmpathyToAction
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
Welcome back to Part Two of my S5E27 @schoolutionspodcast conversation. The dreaming is over, and it's time to move from empathy to action. Dr. Chris Hass and I get into the hard stuff: scripted curricula, skeptical parents, time constraints, and how to do this work even when the system feels like it's working against you.
Dr. Hass shares what research actually looks like from kindergarten through fifth grade, from K/1 students writing letters to restaurant managers about plastic straws, to fifth graders conducting year-long independent community inquiries. He makes the case that children are not waiting to be old enough, brave enough, or smart enough. They're ready right now.
Whether you're a classroom teacher with five minutes in a morning meeting or a school leader rethinking how literacy and social studies connect, this episode gives you concrete moves you can make tomorrow.
📚 Book mentioned: From Empathy to Action by Chris Hass, Katie Kelly & Lester Laminack, and Social Justice Talk by Chris Hass
🎧 Haven't listened to Part One yet? Start there first because this conversation builds directly on it.
Chapters:
0:00 — Welcome back: from dreaming to problem solving
1:30 — "My kids are too young" and answering the skeptics
3:30 — Scaffolding students toward independent action projects
5:00 — Scripted curricula: working within the constraints
7:00 — Finding the cracks: the 15% solution
9:00 — Advocating for your profession and your students
10:30 — What research looks like in K/1 classrooms
13:00 — Research structures in 2nd and 3rd grade
15:00 — Building toward independent 5th-grade inquiry
16:30 — AI, critical thinking, and why this work is future-proof
18:00 — Integrating literacy, social studies, and social justice
20:00 — Talking to skeptical parents and caregivers
22:00 — When kids need trusted adults to process hard news
24:00 — What schools doing this work can look forward to
25:30 — A closing passage from From Empathy to Action
27:00 — Next episode preview: Erin Patterson on student homelessness
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and SHARE with fellow educators!
Next Week: I am sitting down with Erin Patterson of Schoolhouse Connection, and she is about to pull back the curtain on a crisis that most of us walk right past every single day. There are 1.3 million homeless students hiding in plain sight in our schools, and Erin has spent her career fighting for them at the highest levels. From landmark congressional wins to the ongoing fight to change federal law, this conversation will forever reshape how you see homelessness, how you see your students, and what you believe is possible when one person refuses to look away.
#SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #EmpathyToAction #StudentEngagement
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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