Empathy as a Professional

To care for anyone else enough to make their problems one's own, is ever the beginning of one's real ethical development.--Felix Adler

There are both pros and cons to empathy and compassion. Although I agree with Adler in that the qualities help to develop one's ethic, there is a limit. When one makes another's problems his own, he risks his own personal well-being, and possibly that of others (family, friends, or other individuals in his/her care). Obviously, this does not apply to all relationships, but in the professional world of social work and education, it is important to have a level of emotional de-tachment. This is a reality that I must address before I begin service learning at the Milagro House.

Interestingly, we discussed this very concept in my education course, Family, School and Community Partnerships. The professor talked about when she began her career in school counseling. Every day she worked with children whose issues were far beyond what she had experienced in her own life. At the end of her first month, her husband told her that she needed to find a way to leave the issues at work so that it wouldn't affect her personal and family life.

At the same time, I believe that being able to walk in another's shoes and feel their pain can have positive outcomes. Feeling and showing compassion to a friend in need may bring two people closer; a student who knows her teacher cares about her will be more inclined to open up about her struggles as opposed to internalizing them. However, if a person completely takes on the problems of another, they risk becoming too vulnerable to actually take action and make a difference. This is a balance that I must establish and a limit that I must be conscious of in the future.

After considering the different placement options at the Service Learning Fair, I have decided to go with Milagro House in Lancaster. I sent an email to them yesterday, but have not heard back. The Milagro House is a women's shelter; it serves women with children who are homeless or out of options to maintain a feasable living situation. Since the aim of the service hours is to get exposure to people with a different socio-economic background, and because I have an interest in teaching in an urban environment, the Milagro House appealed to me.

www.milagrohouse.org

Service Learning Fair (Edited)

On Wednesday I will be attending a Service Learning Fair to determine my placement for Human Behavior in the Social Environment. I believe service learning is extremely important in my growth as a professional, as well as an individual. Wherever I choose to work will broaden my experiences as a pre-service teacher because I will network with people in the work force (employees of agencies such as the Milagro House, Ronald McDonald House, etc.). In addition, the experience this semester will support the information I am learning in my Elizabethtown College courses.

Although the service learning is a requirement, I anticipate that it will benefit me in my growth as a person. The invaluable lessons learned from working with people of all walks of life will carry in to facets of my social, emotional and spiritual self. Not only will I gain from working with others, but I hope to leave my mark as well. One of the most important measures of a meaningful life is having some sort of purpose. I am confident that whatever agency I choose on Wednesday will reap academic and personal benefits.