Teaching empathy is not like teaching
how to determine the central idea of a text, but it is just as essential, if not
more so, to educating youth. As Elena
Aguilar wrote recently in “How Reading
Literature Cultivates Empathy,” “there's enough evidence in our world today that we need to intentionally
cultivate empathy, and then there's evidence that people are reading less than
they ever have; and so I'd suggest that within our decision-making spheres, we
intentionally and strategically incorporate fiction into the nooks and crannies
of our days.” We can extend this idea
even further when it comes to “Welcoming Immigrant Students into the Classroom” and use the act of writing stories about family
immigration experiences to foster empathy and deep understanding about how we
are a nation of immigrants.
The Connections between Digital Storytelling, Immigration, and Empathy
Telling
stories is an innately human experience that straddles cultures and time reaching
back into ancient oral traditions. It
allows us to connect with others and create a sense of belonging. It also lets us see and hear from another
person’s perspective, a key component of empathy. Writing stories of family
immigration history – no matter how distant or recent – allows for common
threads and variations of the immigration experience to be seen, heard, and
reflected upon.
Using digital storytelling to
capture immigration stories is a powerful way for teachers to create
opportunities for “empathetic moments” among students. Adding images and sound
help to fully imagine another person’s immigration experience as evidenced in
this example from the 2013 winner
of the American
Immigration Council’s Multimedia Contest. Digital storytelling offers the advantage of
authentic engagement to reach multiple learning styles as well as to teach writing
skills while exploring connections and understandings to an issue that affects
everyone.
Establish a Culture of Listening and Respect
Being able
to tell one’s immigration story can be especially important for recently immigrated
students who are trying to adapt to a new life in the US while maintaining ties
to their home country. Marriage Family
Therapy Intern, Jill Pettegrew, at Family Paths, a community mental health
agency that serves a multi-cultural population, including many immigrant
children and families, says, “Telling stories of their homeland, culture,
family, and friends helps bring these parts of themselves present. While some
immigrant students may be trying to forget their past, especially if it
involves traumatic experiences, telling stories of the things they love about
their homeland can help keep the good memories separate from challenging
memories.” She advises teachers “to work closely
with immigrant students as they craft their stories for presentation, and prevent
the retelling of traumatizing events,” adding that “a child should be referred
to counseling if stories of trauma emerge during the process.”
A
foundation of listening and respect must be in place so that any student does
not feel excluded, or at worst, ashamed. A former undocumented student, now a U.S.
citizen, shared a decidedly “unempathetic” moment with me about a
well-intentioned family history project she experienced in third-grade. The teacher asked everyone to create posters
about their family history, but it was painfully clear to her that only she and
one other student had recently immigrated. “Everyone else was from
America. I dreaded it.” Luckily, the other student presented first
and was so proud of her cultural heritage, that it “empowered me to do the
same.”
Create “Empathetic Moments” by Modeling, Conferencing, and Sharing
Teachers can
lead by example and share their own family’s immigration story thereby taking
that vulnerable first step. Even better is
to write alongside students – modeling the
writing process from research and inquiry to drafting and editing. Brian Kelley, an eighth grade teacher, uses
this method with his students and blogs about
his process in the classroom.
He demonstrates his discoveries and writes alongside his students and
provides frequent opportunities for peer and teacher conferences. Kelley says he
finds “empathy
arises when students linger to share something with me one on one, in written
drafts as they develop their thinking, and during conferencing.” They are also encouraged
to talk at home, bring in artifacts, and of course, more stories. “By writing about family heritage and
immigration with my students,” Kelley says, “my chain of empathy is available
for students to connect with and learn from.”
Perhaps what
is difficult about teaching empathy is that it can be hard to provide evidence
of it in our data-driven age. It’s the
kind of thing that you know when you see it, or more importantly, feel it. One student in Kelley’s classroom wrote
that "my mother always gives me examples of her patience, like how she had
to wait a few years for my father to be able to take her to America. The worst
story she ever tells is how she had to leave me in China for three years. I can
only wonder what pain a mother would feel if she had to leave her child
voluntarily behind, and the patience needed to continue on in life."
Students cultivate
empathy by sharing, listening, and connecting to other immigration stories.
Consider viewing finished digital stories by hosting a movie night open to
family and community members, or by providing a gallery-walk and listening tour
in your school. If you are looking for
ideas and how-tos, the American Immigration Council’s Crossing Borders with Digital Storytelling provides a step-by-step customizable plan for classrooms
as well as ways to collaborate with other teachers. What are other ways to support and share
students’ digital stories on immigration and create “empathetic” moments?
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