“The empathy interviews, while seemingly simple, were something we hadn’t prioritized in decision-making,” Toole says. “Asking students to reflect on their classroom environment and experiences transformed our approach to supporting EB students. We discovered that engaging parents early was critical to success.”
For Toole, the experience has helped her adopt what she calls a “think big, act small” approach, testing ideas with a single class or teacher over a short period before deciding whether to expand them.
“Often, we look at data, come up with a research-based idea, and immediately decide, ‘Yes, we all need to do that!’ without first identifying unforeseen barriers or balancing effectiveness with practicality,” Toole says.