I love teaching and building connections with students, but I hate the stress that comes with giving and receiving grades. My waterfall encounter encouraged me to think about ways I might improve this part of the teaching experience. We discuss the concept of empathy on the first day of class, and I continue referring to it during the semester. These events and conversations had a significant impact on the mood in the "Jews and Antisemitism" class I was teaching at the time. Especially in times like these, I have found that the framework of empathy has served both my students and me well.