Social awareness involves the ability to understand and empathize with others, particularly with people from different backgrounds than one’s own. This is feeling compassion for others, understanding historical and social norms when in different settings, and recognizing supports such as taking others' perspectives, showing empathy and compassion, and showing concern for the feelings of others. To help my students become more socially aware, I model empathy and respect in how I interact with them. It's easy to get frustrated as a teacher during the school day. I remind myself that, however I behave, I am influencing what my students believe is acceptable behavior. I acknowledge my students' feelings and tell them that I feel those emotions, too. I also think that social awareness is present in my classroom through the use of collaborative lab groups. Learning collaboratively is social, and we discuss what learning collaboratively looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
