The Values of Off2Class – Compassion

Off2Class knows that empathy helps educators and learners alike. We display empathy towards everyone we encounter and we understand the value of superior communication. We listen, show respect, and act and speak openly.

Foreword

This entry in our series of blogs on the Off2Class company values explores Compassion. Take a look at our previous entries reflecting on Entrepreneurship, Internationalism, Competitiveness and Progressiveness.

As a technology platform with diverse team members and users from all around the world, Off2Class is truly an international community. And with all of us living in different contexts and having unique expectations and experiences, real Compassion and understanding of one another is the indispensable foundation upon which everything we do is built. What does that mean in practice? In this blog we share the thoughts of some members of the Off2Class community to find out.

Compassion and Off2Class

“Honestly, I don’t see how any small business could run productively without compassion as a core value. Until we started hiring, I really didn’t see people as the most important asset of our business. With only three co-founders who were always switched on and ready to go, I assumed the product was the only thing that mattered. Then we started to grow. That’s when I quickly learned via Human Resources how vital compassion is for sustaining a happy, healthy workplace. Few people are truly adept at dealing with other humans; it has certainly taken me time to be a better manager of people, and that has come through learning to be more compassionate.

Second, our customers are busy English teachers. You certainly need compassion towards educators to build them a product that they will love and use. It’s not good enough to build a product that simply does something special. The product has to fit in seamlessly with the crazily hectic schedule of teachers — people who are almost always multitasking under pressure. Compassion towards the true day-to-day reality of our users means we don’t want to disrupt education, we want to make teacher’s lives truly easier.“

James Heywood, Co-founder

“Compassion is a key part of the Off2Class value system. It means that the company and its employees are committed to being understanding, supportive, and empathetic. Compassion at Off2Class is seen in the way team members interact with each other and with users, as well as in the way the company designs and develops its products. The company puts a lot of effort into understanding the needs of its customers and responding to them in a timely and effective manner. The team also takes into account the feedback it receives from users and uses it to further improve its products. Finally, Off2Class is committed to providing the best customer experience possible, and this includes showing compassion towards users and colleagues alike.“

Eisa, Team Member

“There is no doubt that all of the Off2Class Values are important for a company hoping to succeed in the edtech space. However, if I had to choose one as being the most important, it would definitely be Compassion.

Why do I feel compassion is so important? Well, that’s simple. Without Compassion — without being able to understand the difficulties, challenges and needs of others — it is impossible to form truly productive relationships. Consequently, it is also impossible to fully collaborate and solve problems. Compassion for coworkers, users and other stakeholders necessarily underpins all that a successful company does. This is especially true for a remote company like Off2Class, because we will never actually sit in the same room as most of the people with whom we interact.

More than that, though, Compassion is a fundamental aspect of teaching a language. Anyone who has ever tried to learn another language will know that it can be a highly frustrating, tiring and demotivating task if approached in the wrong manner. I am delighted to play a small part in the success of Off2Class, which ensures that language learners across the globe are able to learn a new language in a supportive, Compassionate way.“

Daniel, Team Member

Compassion-focused lessons

For those looking to bring these ideas of Compassion into their classrooms, we recommend the lessons below:

R501 – A difficult decision (C1): It is always easy to tell someone good news, but how do you tell them bad news? What is the most Compassionate way to tell someone something that is going to disappoint or upset them? This advanced-level reading lesson considers these questions more with a text about a canceled wedding.

R411 – Amnesia (B2): This reading lesson explores the challenging topic of a fading memory. Whether through an accident, illness or simply old age, how can we show Compassion to those who need us more the further detached they become from their own memories?

R503 – Embarrassing friends (C1): We can all think of a friend or family member who says or does things that make us feel embarrassed. Is Compassion overlooking these annoyances for the sake of your relationship? Or is it somehow raising the issue with that person? The reading text presented in this advanced-level lesson presents a number of difficult scenarios for students to reflect on.

Over to you

We hope that you have enjoyed reading through some of our experiences and opinions regarding the Value of Compassion. What does Compassion mean to you? Do you have a story to share of how Compassion has played a part in your language teaching? Please share your stories with us in the comments section or our official Off2Class Facebook group!