School Leadership

This study will examine school administrators and their experiences with compassion fatigue. Prinz (2011) describes empathy as “a vicarious emotion one experiences when reflecting on the emotion of another” (p. 1). Compassion fatigue has been defined as “the cost of caring” (Hamilton, 2008, p. 10) and used to describe the emotional reaction of a helper to another person’s trauma. This study examines the negative effects that are a result of empathy and compassion may have on school leaders.

Educators must spend time gaining knowledge inside their schools and through their students’ learning experiences to transcend centralized decision making and  implement systematic change (Laici & Orlandini, 2016).

Using the insights and knowledge acquired by implementing “hacks”, school leaders may gain a better understanding of how to systematically improve the school culture increasing student satisfaction and student academic achievement.

Educators must spend time gaining knowledge inside their schools and through their students’ learning experiences to transcend centralized decision making and  implement systematic change. (Laici & Orlandini, 2016)

Using the insights and knowledge acquired by implementing “hacks,” school leaders may gain a better understanding of how to systematically improve the school culture increasing student satisfaction and student academic achievement.

Educational leaders have the capacity to effect change within the system. Principals and others gained a deeper understanding of the student and teacher school experience from shadowing a student for a day. Themes for change included strengthening community, structural changes in the school day, supporting connectivity, and finding new opportunities. This presentation provides the results of a qualitative content analysis framed in empathetic design thinking and based on personal experiences, observations, and reflections influencing future actions.