Empathy-building exercises for students

Overview

What is empathy in education?

In education, empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and to respond with care and appropriate action. It encompasses both cognitive aspects—seeing a situation from another’s point of view—and affective aspects—recognizing and resonating with another’s emotions. In classrooms, empathy helps students connect, collaborate, and navigate differences, turning social dynamics into opportunities for learning rather than conflict.

Key components of empathy in the classroom

• Perspective-taking: considering how someone else might think or feel in a given situation.
• Emotion recognition: identifying emotions in oneself and others from facial expressions, tone, and context.
• Empathetic communication: listening actively, validating others, and choosing constructive responses.
• Inclusive attitudes: valuing diverse experiences and creating a safe space for all voices.
• Reflective practice: regularly reviewing one’s own reactions and considering how to respond more empathetically in the future.

Benefits of empathy-building for students

Academic and social outcomes

Empathy-building activities contribute to stronger collaboration, improved group work, and higher engagement. When students understand their peers’ perspectives, they negotiate solutions more effectively, stay focused during discussions, and show greater willingness to help others. These dynamics often translate into better attendance, reduced disruptions, and higher achievement across subjects.

Emotional intelligence and resilience

Empathy supports emotional intelligence by strengthening self-awareness, self-regulation, and social awareness. Students learn to recognize their own emotions, manage impulses, and respond adaptively to emotional cues in others. This fosters resilience, reduces stress during challenging situations, and provides a foundation for healthy coping strategies.

Positive classroom climate

A classroom that foregrounds empathy tends to be safer, more inclusive, and less punitive. When students feel heard and respected, trust rises, bullying decreases, and risk-taking in learning is encouraged. A positive climate also makes it easier for teachers to provide feedback, monitor progress, and address conflicts constructively.

Evidence and guidelines

Research-backed approaches to empathy in schools

Evidence-based practices for developing empathy emphasize explicit instruction, modeling by adults, structured dialogue, and frequent opportunities for collaborative work. Effective programs integrate social-emotional learning (SEL) into daily routines, scaffold perspective-taking through guided prompts, and use reflective activities to consolidate understanding. Safe classroom climates and clear expectations support consistent practice and reduce resistance to empathy-related tasks.

Aligning activities with SEL standards

Align empathy work with established SEL frameworks (for example, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, and self-management). When activities target these competencies and connect to academic content, empathy becomes a core skill that supports learning goals. Cross-curricular integration—such as literature discussions in language arts or issue-based projects in social studies— reinforces these connections.

Empathy-building exercises for different age groups

Elementary students

For younger learners, start with simple, concrete activities. Read picture books or short stories that highlight characters with different backgrounds or challenges. Use talk-time prompts like, “How might you feel if you were in this character’s place?” Pair students for role-play, focusing on listening and polite responses. Create emotion cards or a feelings chart to name and discuss emotions observed in stories or real-life situations. Short, structured activities build consistency and help establish a routine of empathetic thinking.

Middle school students

Middle schoolers benefit from more intentional dialogue and collaborative tasks. Use guided discussions to explore perspectives on common peer-conflicts or social issues. Incorporate role-plays, scenario analyses, and problem-solving tasks that require considering multiple viewpoints. Encourage reflective journaling after activities to track shifts in understanding and to practice emotion regulation when tensions arise.

High school students

High school students can engage in deeper, real-world applications of empathy. Design service-learning projects, community-based research, or peer-mentoring programs that place students in positions to support others. Promote critical discussions around media portrayals, cultural differences, and ethical decision-making. Allow students to lead conversations, develop their own empathy-promoting standards, and assess the impact of their actions on others.

Conversation-based activities

Perspective-taking and dialogic talk

Structured conversations guide students to articulate and compare diverse viewpoints. Use open-ended questions such as “What other factors might influence this person’s feelings?” and “What would you do differently if you were in their situation?” Model listening behaviors, paraphrase responses, and encourage students to build on one another’s contributions to deepen understanding.

Think-pair-share with empathy prompts

In think-pair-share, provide prompts that center empathy, such as “Describe how the other person might feel in this scenario and why.” After thinking individually, students discuss in pairs and then share with the larger group. This format reduces pressure on anxious students and ensures multiple voices are heard in every discussion.

Dialogic reading and storytelling

Dialogic reading invites students to describe, question, and imagine alternatives during a shared reading experience. Choose diverse texts and pause to explore characters’ motivations, emotions, and choices. Encourage students to propose alternative endings that reflect empathetic reasoning and social awareness.

Collaborative activities

Group projects focusing on others’ perspectives

Design group projects that require researching a community’s needs, interviewing stakeholders, and presenting inclusive solutions. Rotate roles to ensure each student engages with different perspectives—researcher, facilitator, note-taker, presenter, and editor. Debrief as a class to reflect on how understanding others shaped the final product.

Peer feedback and constructive empathy

Peer feedback sessions should emphasize constructive empathy: acknowledging strengths, identifying areas for improvement, and offering suggestions framed with care. Use rubrics that include “considerate language,” “clarity of perspective,” and “recognition of diverse viewpoints,” guiding students to provide feedback that supports growth rather than judgment.

Reflection and assessment

Journaling and self-reflection prompts

Offer regular prompts that encourage students to reflect on their own feelings, how others might feel in similar situations, and ways to respond more empathetically. Examples include: “Describe a moment today when you understood someone else’s perspective. What changed in your approach?” and “What is one action you could take to support a classmate who seems left out?”

Rubrics and observational checklists for empathy

Use simple rubrics and checklists to document observable behaviors: listening attentively, acknowledging others’ emotions, offering help, and responding respectfully during discussions. Teachers can record growth over time and share progress with students, families, and support staff to guide targeted interventions.

Implementation tips for teachers

Creating a supportive classroom climate

Establish clear norms that promote respect, confidentiality, and curiosity. Model empathy in daily interactions, respond calmly to conflicts, and provide predictable routines that students can rely on. A trauma-informed approach recognizes that past experiences affect present behavior and guides compassionate responses rather than punitive measures.

Integrating empathy activities into existing curricula

Embed empathy prompts into literature analyses, science debates, math problem-solving discussions, and social studies inquiry. Use cross-disciplinary projects that tie into standards and outcomes. Start small with a weekly empathy-focused activity and gradually expand as students become more comfortable with the practice.

Monitoring and measurement

Observational strategies

Keep brief, structured notes on student interactions during collaborative tasks. Look for evidence of perspective-taking, supportive language, and inclusive participation. Collect data at regular intervals to track changes in classroom climate and student behavior patterns over time.

Student self-assessment and growth tracking

Incorporate periodic self-assessments where students rate their own empathy skills, such as listening, validating others’ feelings, and offering help. Combine self-report data with teacher observations to create a holistic view of growth and identify areas for targeted practice.

Trusted Source Insight

Trusted Source Insight: UNESCO emphasizes embedding social-emotional learning and empathy into everyday teaching through learner-centered pedagogy, safe classroom climates, and inclusive practices. It highlights how teachers facilitate dialogue, collaboration, and reflective practices to develop empathy as a core skill. Source: https://unesdoc.unesco.org.