Fostering Connections: The Role of Empathy in Our Lives
We live in a society where we’re constantly encouraged to be positive, find the silver lining, and “stay strong.” But what if that advice isn’t always what people need? What if, instead of trying to fix things, we simply need to be present with others in their pain? That’s where empathy steps in, making a […]
Navigating Conflict: Essential Skills for De-Escalation
Conflict is a natural part of life. Whether it’s a disagreement with a friend, a debate at work, or a clash of ideas, conflicts are inevitable. But here’s the good news: you can de-escalate conflicts effectively, turning them into opportunities for growth and understanding. Let’s dive into some essential skills for de-escalation, including staying calm, […]
Eco-Friendly Living: Tips and Tricks for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint at Home
These days, environmental issues are a big part of international discussion, so more and more people are looking for ways to live healthier lives and contribute less of a carbon footprint. One of the most important places to start making a difference is at home. Adding environmentally friendly habits into our daily lives can foster […]
Ways to Implement Self-Care in Young Children
In today’s fast-paced world, instilling the value of self-care in children is more important than ever. Self-care means taking care of the whole self. It is the foundation on which we build our care and love for the world (We R Native, 2021). The Medicine Wheel is an ancient symbol used by some of the […]
Understanding Compassionate Empathy: Connecting with Others on a Deeper Level
Empathy is a basis of human interaction, allowing us to understand and share the emotions of those around us. Among its various forms, compassionate empathy stands out as particularly impactful. While emotional and cognitive empathy focus on understanding, compassionate empathy goes further, driving us to take action to aid in relieving the heavy emotions another […]
From Screen Time to Green Time: Promoting Outdoor Learning Experiences for Children
This is the digital age, and kids spend more time than ever before glued to screens, like computers, phones, and tablets. Technology does have some useful educational resources, but kids who spend too much time in front of screens can hurt their physical, emotional and mental health, and overall development. Because of this, there is […]
Fostering Peace Skills in Youth Through Representation
In today’s diverse and media-heavy world, the power of representation is greater than ever, particularly for youth. Representation extends beyond visibility and helps teach youth valuable life skills. Media representation refers to how the media portrays groups or individuals with different characteristics. It refers to how some aspects such as gender, age, ethnicity, physical ability, […]
Using the Enneagram as a Tool for Empathy
I’ve never had much interest in personality tests, until I was introduced to the Enneagram of Personality by a close friend (and former TREE facilitator!) around five years ago. Since then, it’s something that I reflect on often as a way to have a deeper understanding of myself and to have a stronger understanding of […]
The Rewards of Celebrating Differences
One of the TREE workshops that I facilitated in the last session was with a Grade 1/2 split class, using the TREE Grade 2 curriculum. I really enjoyed working with the students and their teacher, since they were nice students who listened quite well and had high participation in group activities. But of course, some […]
Building Empathy
In the fourth week of TREE’s Grade 3 Conflict Resolution curriculum, the focus is on Empathy. How to build empathy for another person, and how to show empathy to another person. At the beginning of the class, the students are asked to share some of the feelings that they have experienced before. Everything from sad, […]
