Emotional Intelligence gives students a critical edge in school, career, and life. Students who are skilled in emotional intelligence tend to do better in school, perform better on standardized tests, have higher grades, forge deeper relationships with others, are more engaged in learning, manage conflict well, make sound decisions, and communicate effectively.
Students who would benefit from emotional intelligence education:
- All Students!! The time to begin is in preschool and kindergarten.
Students who need social-emotional learning now:
- Students who have emotional outbursts
- Students who need help identifying and labeling emotions with accuracy
- Students who need help understanding underlying themes of emotion
- Students who allow their feelings to control their actions
- Students who lack understanding of the role of emotions
- Students who have difficulty understanding the value in listening
- Students who have trouble managing triggers
- Students who have no idea of what to do with their emotions
- Students who worry about what they feel
- Students who completely ignore their emotions
- Students who have trouble paying attention in school due to emotional noise
- Students who have lots of conflict in school
- Students who have difficulty making or maintaining friendships
- Students who lack motivation
- Students who lack confidence
- Students who make poor decisions
- Students who blame others for their problems
Benefits of Emotional Intelligence (at the elementary level):
- Increases self-awareness
- Increases self-motivation
- Builds stress management skills
- Boosts self-regard
- Increases assertiveness
- Improves effective communication
- Increases sound decision making
- Improves handling of triggers
- Increases adaptability
- Promotes positive outlook
- Promotes emotional balance
- Boosts introspection
- Promotes self-control /self-regulation
- Builds confidence
- Promotes mindfulness
- Builds resilience
- Builds perseverance
- Improves engagement
- Fosters empathy
Emotional intelligence is a treasure; it’s also a complex subject. It will take years for our children to become well-skilled, and the time to begin teaching them is now. Emotions play a crucial role in learning, thinking, connecting with others, decision making and so on. Kids need to learn what to do with their emotions, and the sooner, the better.
I wholeheartedly believe that teaching our children emotional intelligence competencies might just be the greatest gift we could ever give them. Yep, better than treats, toys, laptops, karate classes, parties, puppies, and elaborate vacations . . . and it doesn’t even require batteries!
