This really resonates with me. As a teacher, I often get the feedback from our admin that I need to be "tougher" with my students. That I should always use a commanding voice and have students fear me. That is the complete opposite of who I want to be as a person. Instead of giving detentions every 5 minutes, I try to pull kids aside as often as I can and have a heart-to-heart talk. I find out things like how they are living with their grandparents because their mom doesn't want them. Or that someone in their family just died. All sorts of things that can make a kid act out.

It's incredible what kids will tell me when I just give them a few minutes. To me, that is so much more beneficial than a detention. I will always teach with a soft heart. That is my best way of teaching empathy... which the world needs more of.