Perspective: Are you able to change yours?

You don't need me to tell you that conflict is part of human interaction. This is a fact in every social aspect of our lives....work, school, home, and community. Perspective taking is that all important skill of being able to look at things from a point of view other than our own. Perspective taking brings in the mindfulness of compassion and empathy to our relationships. And learning how to do this can be difficult, even for adults.

At PRAES, we have been learning about perspective taking and how it can help us in our daily interactions with others. If we can see and feel how others may be feeling in a situation, then we are able to be more caring and empathetic in our response to them. Kindness...inclusiveness.....caring....understanding; it's what we've been working on all year!

I've been teaching about perspective taking recently in the 3rd and 4th grade classrooms. The students have been so involve and interactive during this lesson and it makes it so fun!  I start by reading this book but I don't show them the illustrations.

Then we the discuss their thoughts and perspectives about what could be happening and somewhere along the way, someone realizes that the illustrations and thoughts are from the ants' perspective! Incredible! Then the discussion really gets going. We then come up with a working definition of perspective and it usually boils down to "learning to see someone else's point or view." Then, in groups, the students fill out a sheet where they draw their thoughts and perspectives and then write what "really" is happening.

They choose a person, a group, or an idea of their own and put it in the center. Then they try to see how people might feel about what they chose. They were so thoughtful and imaginative! I think that sometimes kids can view things from a better vantage point than some of us adults. Maybe because they have not formed such strong opinions or have become stuck in their thoughts. So, let's all take some lessons from kids and try to be more understanding, more empathetic and look at things from someone else's perspective. It could open up a whole new world!