Integrating Compassion into the Course Syllabus
Educating the heart
It’s the end of another academic year, and summer stretches tantalizingly forward. A good opportunity to reflect on the past year’s teaching practice, what went well, and what can be improved.
Here is a wise metric to guide reflective practice on teaching and learning:
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
– Aristotle
Well-written learning objectives tend to be concrete and measurable, guided by what students should be able to do at the end of a course. But it’s equally important that we not lose sight of supporting students’ learning how to be.
Compassion might just be the most important course learning objective, regardless of our discipline or field of practice…and the most important life learning objective?
This summer, I will be thinking about how to more intentionally integrate compassion as an overarching and foundational objective in my own teaching – and learning.
educateria 
In this part of the world where I’m at, it’s winter and the semester is winding down before the examination frenzy hits town. I’m closing the Advertising & Promotion course that I am teaching, with team presentations on their campaigns of how to resurrect a dead or dying brand. Reading your post, it reminded me of my closing words to a rather stressed team – “Getting high marks are important, but having fun is just as important. Have fun doing it – and it’s when you’re having fun on the project that you do your best and learn the most.” Thanks for the affirmation that I’m not that far out in the left field.