5-Minute Film Festival: Videos on Kindness, Empathy, and Connection

I'd like to offer up a video playlist to remind all of us about the power of empathy, kindness, and human connections. It's always a good time to practice gratitude for the relationships that sustain us all -- for the people who have taught us in a school setting and beyond, and for the young ones we are able to nurture and inspire.

I was also thinking about how many of us are living out the paradox of being ever more plugged in, and ever more aware of what's happening in our community via social media platforms, while at the same time, face-to-face interactions are less frequent than ever before. We are in constant touch, but barely touching. Watching these videos made me remember the importance of re-connecting, treating people with kindness and respect, and being generous and compassionate to both loved ones and strangers. If each of us pledged to do more of that, we'd make a better world for all of us to learn and grow in.

Video Playlist: Kindness, Empathy, and Connection

Watch the first video below, or watch the whole playlist on YouTube.

More Resources for Teaching Kindness and Empathy

If you agree that raising a generation of kinder, more compassionate, generous, and connected kids will benefit us all, the next step is to find resources to teach all those wonderful skills. Fortunately there are a number of organizations out there that offer tools for parents and educators to do just that. I've collected just a small sample below. But do remember that one of the best ways we can teach our kids to be thoughtful and empathetic is to model it ourselves! So start making time for kind and generous acts, no matter how small -- they can make a huge difference.