Empathy: The Most Important Back-to-School Supply

Author and global ed advisor Homa Tavangar makes a case for why empathy is the most important back-to-school supply we can give our children.

My most important back-to-school supply doesn’t fit in a backpack, and it can’t be ordered online. It’s as essential as a pencil, but unlike a pencil, no technology can replace it. In a sense, like a fresh box of crayons, it can come in many colors. Better than the latest gadget, it’s possible to equip every student with it, and even better, when we do, it can transform our world.

It’s actually a “muscle” I’ve been working on all summer. It’s empathy.

What’s the Big Deal About Empathy?Empathy starts with putting yourself in someone else’s shoes — a key step in understanding perspectives that differ from your own.