Empathy Check-In Month
Michael Rosen was part of Empathy Day in June and we’re very excited to be working with him again on our Empathy Check-in Month to coincide with the November publication of his new book Sticky McStickstick.
What’s an Empathy Check-In?
Back in June, people marked Empathy Day by going on Empathy Walks in their local community and making Empathy Resolutions – something they would do to improve the lives of others.
Now, to inspire us all to keep building our empathy skills, November is Empathy Check-In Month, led by Michael Rosen and linked to the publication of his new book, Sticky McStickstick. The book's walking and empathy themes make it a perfect springboard for empathy-focused work in schools and libraries.
Sticky McStickstick
Sticky McStickstick, launched on 4 November, explores how Michael learnt to walk again after being seriously ill with Covid 19. With the empathetic support of doctors and nurses and his trusty NHS walking stick ('Sticky McStickstick') he embarks on the slow steps to recovery. Illustrated by Tony Ross, this is a beautifully written tale of how the support we receive helps us recover.
Michael’s Empathy Check-In video
Watch this special Empathy Check-In video from Michael. It’s a great introduction to what empathy is, and what our Empathy Check-In Month is all about. He encourages children and young people to revisit the
Empathy Walks and
Resolutions they made on
Empathy Day back in June.
Free school resource
Check out our school resource here. It has nine suggested activities for Empathy Check-In Month, split into our calls to action of READ, CONNECT and ACT. These are:
- Take Michael’s perspective
- Take Sticky McStickstick’s perspective
- Make a Read For Empathy recommendation (card here)
- Do a new Empathy Walk, or revisit the one you did in June
- Take an accessibility-themed Empathy Walk
- Create a Sticky trail
- Make or revisit your Empathy Resolution
- Say thank you
- Be more Sticky!
Sticky McStickstick giveaway
Whatever you do, please remember to share it with us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook tagging @EmpathyLabUK and using #EmpathyCheckIn, and you will be in with a chance of winning a free copy of Sticky McStickstick! Terms and conditions here.
Michael on Empathy Day
Michael discusses his Read For Empathy book recommendation at 7:40 on this Empathy Conversation video. Check out his original Empathy Resolution from Empathy Day at 1:23:09 here.
We so appreciate Michael’s continued involvement in helping children explore the importance and power of empathy. Our thanks to Walker Books, too!