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Well, you can't really force him to eat the veggies, guys…

“Well, you can't really force him to eat the veggies, guys, but your job is to make sure they're on his plate. He can't eat them if they're not even on his plate" -pediatrician "I've thought about that a lot over the years. I think about it with teaching. My students can't learn what I don't teach…” quote by R.J. Palacio
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““Well, you can't really force him to eat the veggies, guys, but your job is to make sure they're on his plate. He can't eat them if they're not even on his plate" -pediatrician "I've thought about that a lot over the years. I think about it with teaching. My students can't learn what I don't teach them. Kindness. Empathy. Compassion. It's not part of the curriculum, I know, but I still have to keep dishing it out onto their plates every day. Maybe they'll eat it; maybe they won't. Either way, my job is to keep on serving it to them. Hopefully, a little mouthful of kindness today may make them hungry for a bigger taste of it tomorrow" -Mr. Browne””

R.J. Palacio

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Educators must consistently provide kindness, empathy, and compassion even when not explicitly taught, hoping students will eventually value them.

In simple terms: Teach kindness daily even if not required.

Key Takeaway

Keep offering compassion regardless of immediate uptake.

Themes

education empathy compassion teaching curriculum

Mood

reflective encouraging

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

  • classroom lessons
  • parental guidance
  • mentor meetings
  • team workshops

Key Concepts

social learning emotional intelligence modeling behavior

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you embed empathy into daily routines?
  • What signs show kindness is being absorbed?
A Different Perspective

Students may reject kindness if not reinforced regularly.

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