Teacher: "Thank you for asking this question. One of the most important thing anyone can learn in this life is empathy, the ability to put oneself in someone else's shoes. This exercise does just that. I wanted you to be able to put yourself in the situation of being a proud parent and think of a name that would stay with this new person for the rest of his/her life."
  The heavy atmosphere of the class immediately lifted. The student got an answer, the class benefited from the student's question and I was uplifted by this practice of involving my heart in learning. The student no longer assumed the same tone and became a respectful student, having been treated with respect herself and continued the study of Japanese until graduation.
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