How Educators are Using Empathy to Slow Down and Connect with Their Students

Often when we think about bringing more joy into the classroom, it can feel like there needs to be a new curriculum, a big initiative, or an overarching sweeping change. However, simple yet genuine moments of connection like a quick check-in during recess, or learning a student’s favorite book, or the name of their dog, can be catalysts for real change.

For Jenny Mihevic, an elementary educator in McHenry, Illinois, joy and empathy aren’t just abstract ideals, but deeply intertwined. When the day feels heavy and behaviors escalate, it can be easy to shut down. And yet, she says, those are the exact moments when slowing down to notice what helps students feel seen and cared for, matters most.

“I’ve stopped looking at the big picture, or the whole goal of the whole school year, and just focused on those day-to-day interactions with kids,” Mihevic says. “And then what can I do to either bring empathy or get joy from those interactions?”

In times when teaching can feel overwhelming, Mihevic’s approach reminds us that empathy often begins with curiosity, and joy can be an act of quiet resistance. And Mihevic isn’t alone in her decision to lean into empathy to help cultivate joy in the classroom. Yuliia Horbachova, an elementary educator in Valmiera, Latvia shared the similar ways she has been tuning into the small, meaningful interactions.

Horbachova has developed a practice that gives her students a structured space to notice and express their emotions. She has her students draw a jar, which can be any shape or size they choose, and then they fill it with the emotions they are feeling that day. They then assign a color they think corresponds to each emotion. It’s not about trying to “fix” the emotions, but rather making space for them.

“Then we have one moment to relax, listen to calm music, close their eyes if they wish, and then just try to feel,” Horbachova says. “Where is this emotion? Or which emotions are there?”

Over time, she noticed her students weren’t just calming down, they were opening up. She could see them becoming more confident, speaking up, offering ideas, and even reflecting on their own progress.

“When my students shared with me that they can see the results of our work,” Horbachova says. “They were so happy.”

Mihevic and Horbachova aren’t trying to overhaul entire school systems. They’re simply creating the conditions where students can learn and feel more deeply. Sometimes that’s meeting eyes with a teacher, other times it’s noticing that a student needs room to breathe.

“It’s a gift when you can be heard, or when you can be listened to, and to be seen by someone,” Horbachova says.

And perhaps that’s where the real joy begins. In the moments when we could move on or pass by to get to the next lesson plan, but instead choosing to truly connect.