Compassion is the only way to success!

Compassion is in high demand these days more than any other time. My working definition of compassion for this article is caring for others and willing to change perspectives to demonstrate sympathy in one’s actions.

We are facing unprecedented challenges due to a pandemic. Especially in higher education, all of us are scrambling to prepare for the fall 2020 semester. Many faculty members are anxious. They need to figure out what to do with their classes to prepare for various scenarios.

The possibilities include remote teaching combined with in-person instruction, which complicates course preparation. The extra work associated with COVID-19 considerations could turn out to be grunt work very quickly.

However, with compassion towards our students, this extra work may become an act of kindness and caring. As educators at heart, we all care about our students and want them to succeed even in this uncertain world of COVID-19. Many of us signed up for our job, knowing that teaching is a heart-centered profession requiring passion for helping students develop their own passion. We work with our hearts, which is why I consider teaching a profession of compassion.

What about students? They need to have sympathy and patience for what their professors are going through right now with all the changes they are facing and the work associated with them. Their teachers need to change their pedagogy overnight and make significant adjustments in their course content. After all, students have to be the master of their own educational journey. This moment could be a growth opportunity for them to be compassionate by embracing the idea of remote learning and exploring the novel and innovative ways to learn online.

The current challenge is a great chance to change our mindset towards education to become more proactive and agile teachers and learners. I genuinely believe that we will not only survive the fall semester and beyond but also establish a strong foundation to thrive for the foreseeable future if we keep ourselves open-minded and try to directly confront this new style of education. That is, education through compassion and with our hearts.

I bet that all of us will be able to improve our self-leadership skills significantly, too. A majority of students and educators I know, I am sure, will take the road of compassion and thrive.

Compassion is the only way to success.