Inside the Staffroom
HOW CAN TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS
FOSTER EMOTIONALLY-INTELLIGENT CLASSROOMS
BY CHASSIE SELOUANE
D
r. Covey famously said “We
only get one chance to
prepare children for a world
none of us can possibly
predict, what are we going to do with
that one chance?”
Social,
Emotional
and
Moral
Intelligence have become quite topical
recently throughout education circles in
the Middle East and beyond. To foster
emotionally intelligent classrooms,
educators must first understand and
be aware that emotions can and do
drive our students’ behaviour and
can impact our classrooms both
positively and negatively. Learning
how to manage those emotions – both
our own and others – especially when
we are under pressure, is vital. It is
important to realise that there are a
broad range of skills considered as
Emotional Intelligence, and these
skills can be divided into two broad
skills competencies; Personal and
Interpersonal Skills. Personal Skills are
those that you use to manage your
own emotions and behaviours, while
Interpersonal Skills are the skills we use
to interact with other people. These
skills are then broken down further into
sub-categories. Personal Skills include:
Self-Awareness,
Self-Management,
and Motivation. Interpersonal Skills
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include: Empathy, and Social Skills.
Research has shown that people with
higher levels of emotional intelligence
enjoy more satisfying and successful
careers and relationships. When
children learn how to recognise and
express their feelings, this sets them up
for an emotionally healthy adulthood.
5 Steps to Nurturing Emotional
Intelligence in Children
1. Be aware of your students’
emotions- validate students’ voices
through empowering them that
their opinions matter. Everyone can
be a Leader, and there are various
ways to be a leader.
2. Recognize that emotions are an
opportunity to connect- Everyone
is a genius, and each of us learn
in different and unique ways.
Encourage and praise creativity and
thinking outside of the box.
Class Time
3. Listen with empathy- Model behavior
and encourage and empower
students to take accountability and
responsibility for their actions, and
seek to understand the causes of the
actions of others.
4. Help the child put names to their
feelings and encourage them to
talk about them. Understanding
and being honest about their
feelings and the feelings of others
is an important part of whole self-
development. Students have to
understand their own feelings in
order to empathize with others.
5. Set limits and help them with
finding solutions to their problems-
Learning to compromise and solve
problems with strategic win win
outcomes is a lifelong skill that will
always be beneficial. This is a crucial
life skill needed in school, college
and careers.
The Leader in Me program is a valuable
tool that helps students develop
Emotional Intelligence skills that are
needed to be successful in life and
does all 5 of these important things.
This program blends what teachers,
parents and business leaders all want
schools to teach and instill in students
through Dr. Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits
of the Highly Effective Person. This
empowerment of the future generation
begins with the parents and teachers,
only to be followed through by the
students. Covey teaches us that change
begins with ourselves and then inspires
others. Our schools should not merely
be focused on improving test scores,
but should provide opportunities
for students to develop their full
potential and be emotionally intelligent
individuals, ready to take on the future
and participate fully in careers that may
or may not exist yet.
Chassie Selouane has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre & Education, a Master’s of
Education Degree- Curriculum Instruction with a Specialization in ESL Education,
a PMC in ESL Education, a PMC in Instructional Leadership & is a dual candidate
for a PHD in ESL and PHD in Instructional Leadership. Chassie is an Edmodo
Ambassador & Certified Edmodo Trainer. She serves as the GCC ASCD UAE
Ambassador. Chassie is the founding Director of Learning at Rising School Dubai.