Previous research (Jaber et al., 2018) claims that empathy can be developed through epistemic activities—activities that aim to support teachers in constructing, communicating, and critiquing knowledge. Such activities enhance teachers’ understanding of and appreciation for students’ sense making processes and emotions elicited in class. In this talk, we will be exploring two activities—Living in base 7 and T-numeration— that we argue can foster the conditions for developing empathy for mathematics learners. Based on our experiences with elementary teachers, these activities have supported them to experience the emotions involved in using what they know in new ways. As such, teachers develop empathy for learners of mathematics which is important because it supports the development of their practice to be more responsive to what students are saying and doing.