Zealous Teaching: Identifying Empathy Strain and Finding Ways to Reconnect with our Clinic Students

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Session Type: Concurrent Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: N/A

Room: Union Square 3&4

Floor: 4th Floor

This session will ground participants in a skills-based definition of empathy and the reality that most clinicians experience empathic disconnection with some students, some of the time. We’ll explore common situations when teacher-student disconnections arise and examine how learner-centered pedagogy can obscure our own contributions to such disconnections. We’ll examine research showing that empathy often flows most easily toward those we perceive as similar to ourselves, and why and how we must incorporate this understanding into our “zealous teaching.” Finally, we’ll explore ways to anticipate and avert teacher-student empathy strain, as well as concrete strategies for reconnection when it happens.