Dispositional Implications: COMPASSION

"It is rigor and compassion together that allow me to set the bar so high with my students. Rigor without compassion is rigor mortes--that is, inhumane. Compassion without rigor is the soft bigotry of low expectations."

Compassion is one of the primary dispositions that allows educators to be effective in their classrooms. Teachers lacking compassion have no gage on where their students are coming from, and therefore, cannot presume to have any idea of where they need to take their students (educationally,) let alone how to get there and maximize the potential of their students to the fullest extent. Educators exemplifying this disposition understand where their students are coming from. They understand what challenges students face day-to-day in other courses, they understand developmental limitations, they understand cultural differences. In short, effective educators know what's up. This is not to say that a teacher demonstrating compassion is condescending towards students because they may require extra help; nor is it to say that a teacher demonstrating compassion is "soft" on their students. Rather, the educator has an adequate grasp on what students are up against, and helps students soar above the bar and expected standards. After all, as educators, we do not want to see students fail. Good teachers want to see their students excel beyond expectations, and it falls to us to set students up for success. This includes diligent compassion to maintain consistent and clear expectations, while at the same time giving students the extra boost (in the form of encouragement and perhaps help outside the traditional classroom) when they need it.

2.) When did a teacher's compassion make a difference in your life?
There was a death in my family right before exams, and I was unable to attend them. Most of my teachers had me take the exams before their scheduled date; amidst grieving over a sudden loss, I was also studying for exams that naturally were not on the top of my priority list. I had one teacher who told me to go spend time with my family, that the test could wait, and we would deal with it when I was back. This teacher's compassion towards me and my situation made a difference in my life; they knew where I was coming from, and really understood what was the best course of action. The expectation--to take the exam--had not changed; instead, the time when I took the exam was a result of compassion.