From Wanda Schmidt We face a life skills crisis. The crisis can be conceptualized as a potentially catastrophic imbalance between supply and demand. Much is being made these days of the need to boost academic achievement. In reality, though, in terms of importance, the need to boost academic achievement runs a distant second to the need to boost life skills. For the happiness and success of our students and the productiveness and success of our society, as educators we need to admit, face, and address the life skills crisis. Being in the profession of teaching for as long as I have, I can tell students today are radically different from students a generation ago. Students of past generations came to class with basic virtues and life skills such as honesty, courtesy, and perseverance. If we fast-forward from that time to today, we find the norm has become dishonesty, rudeness, and impulsiveness. Students were sensitive to the feelings of others; today's students too often treat others as objects. An alarming percentage of students have lost the fundamental values of respect, honesty, kindness, and lawfulness. In short, today's students do not come to school with basic life skills. Compared to students of a generation ago, students today lack basic social skills. They are rude, and uncooperative. They lack emotional skills: They act out their feelings without awareness of the feelings. They lack personal, organizational, and planning skills, and do not have basic citizenship skills. The chapter states, “When we learn to deal with the psychological requirements of learners, and when we become sensitive to what makes them want to learn, we can then focus on what they need to learn. Affective needs are more important than cognitive needs”. A humanistic approach is needed to view the child as a whole and everything that makes him an individual. Instruction in emotional intelligence is not a quick fix or a one-time lesson. Social and emotional learning programs work best when parents and teachers are partners, and that means schools need to train both parents and teachers in ways to promote behavior that improves communication, empathy, self-awareness, decision-making, and problem-solving. Parents, educators, policymakers, and business people all have a role to play in supporting the social and emotional learning of schoolchildren. It’s a whole new vision of education that says that educating the heart is as important as educating the mind.
Emotional intelligence is seen as a neglected part of the education system. Many educators say we a providing a disservice to students by not focusing on emotional intelligence. The fact is that both rational and emotional aspects of individuals are crucial to complete living. Today, educators encourage students to stick to the facts when they argue points. However, when a person argues their point on a subject they rarely leave out their emotions. Emotions lead a human’s action, no matter how hard we try not to let emotions lead us. Students need to know how to deal with those emotions when they have to use them in society. Salovey stated ways that can allow people to bring intelligence to their emotions. Those areas include: self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating one-self, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships. These should be taught in the curriculum, because students need to know how to handle their emotions in everyday life. In a school like mine, it is important for kids to handle their emotions because one wrong word to someone can cause fights. Emotional intelligence can be addressed by teachers teaching social skills or character education. I believe there is a need to implement emotional intelligence into curriculum. This would prepare students for careers and everyday life.
Emotions strongly influence how we relate to people, treat information, and construct meaning. Emotions affect the actions we choose to make. In my opinion, there is no way to keep emotion out of curriculum because it drives what we do. I like how the books states that educators have urged students when making arguments to “stick to the facts” or “be logical”. But, we can’t make an argument using logic without some sense of feeling about the argument. We can’t be emotionally neutral in our relation to a lesson or a topic of inquiry. We have to address emotional intelligence when teaching because there is no way to keep emotion out anything we do in life. Just look at Peter Salovey’s five main domains that expand personal intelligences: self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships. Educators, especially at the elementary level, teach these skills on a daily basis because many children wouldn’t learn these skills correctly if it weren’t done in school. Emotional intelligence is very important in order to mold students’ who are well-rounded individuals that can handle their emotions and perform their personal responsibilities.
I agree with Kristin: "I believe there is a need to implement emotional intelligence into curriculum. This would prepare students for careers and everyday life."
I agree with Kristin because of the following: Individuals employ their emotions in regulating how they act, just as they draw on their intellect or their cognitive knowledge. Salovey designed five domains in which an individual can bring intelligence to his or her emotions. The five domains of emotional intelligence include the following: self awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships. While teaching first grade students, I observed that students have a difficult time communicating their emotions to one another, and deviate most of the time from what we are learning. The usage of pencils can demonstrate how first graders are egocentric, lack social skills, and do not possess the five domains of emotional intelligence. It is vital to incorporate emotional intelligence in the classroom, so that students may learn social skills and academic learning can take place. For example, the majority of the students in first grade, possess lots of anger and do not follow the five domains of emotional intelligence which hinders them from reaching academic success. If I ask students to get two pencils from the basket, the majority will get more than two. Therefore, the rules have been addressed many times and they still get more than two pencils not realizing that they will have consequences immediately after getting the pencils; not possessing (self-awareness). I have to walk around and take away the pencils which the student took, possessing much uncontrollable anger from the student not following the rules (managing emotions). I have learned that when a student gathers more than two pencils they play with it and tend to show others that they have more pencils, creating more anger among the students and the majority will complain when they see a student with more pencils. Some students will come to the basket and get more pencils after seeing the other student with more than two pencils; not managing emotions. I have also observed, when I place the basket away, some will find pencils on the floor and gather them. Other student will break the pencil on purpose to see if they can gather more than two pencils. Additionally, student A may get up to the restroom and student B will take the pencil that was on the desk. Student A will then approach his/her desk and complain while I am teaching that he/she does not have a pencil. Student A will approach student B because he/she sits near her and student A will snatch the pencil from student B; lacking self control (motivating oneself). I have attempted several means of controlling the chaos created by pencils. In the end, I would like to incorporate more opportunities to enhance social skills in the classroom. However, after explaining the rules of the pencils, and experiencing consequences, the majority continue to seek and gather more than two pencils. Overall, first graders are extremely ego-centric they do not (recognize the emotions of others or know how to handle relationships). I believe that more time should be dedicated to addressing the emotions of first graders so that they can learn social skills. Unfortunately, academic learning is enforced more than social skills in the classroom. I can see how separating emotions from academics can lead to the tormenting chaos of the usage of pencils. I believe that the students used the pencils as a tool to express their lack of emotional intelligence in the classroom.
According to the book, our society seems to be one of a social interactions realm, not a technological realm. When students are required to debate or reason, some type of emotion is involved on some level. It is highly difficult for a student to remain emotionally neutral when they are asked to compare/contrast, take a position, and/or argue about a topic. Daniel Goleman points out that “a view of human nature that ignores the emotional aspect of humans is shortsighted”. As educators, we cannot negate the importance of one’s emotional being. Emotions strongly shape and influence how a person relates to others and how one looks at information. Small children especially are driven by pure emotion. As adults, we learn to suppress our emotions. Regardless, emotions drive action. If we can tap into a student’s emotional intelligence, we can move them to produce. Post-modernists are now looking at emotions as part of one’s intelligence. Looking at today’s diverse student population with so many issues they face: poverty, racial issues, cultural differences, disintegration of the family unit, etc. it is critical that educators take into account a student’s emotional intelligence. Our curriculum should reflect the needs of our students and know that research shows that our emotional worlds and knowledge worlds cannot be separated, but are indeed interconnected. Students should be encouraged to bring their emotional intelligence to the table in order to construct meaning and making the information meaningful to them, which is in essence, how learning takes place.
Andrea said...I agree with Debbie about the importance of emotional intelligence. There's not one thing in life we do that doesn't involve our emotions and feelings. How many times have we heard or said "put some emotion into what you're saying or doing"? We teach our students to say and do things with lots of expression, which is directly related to their emotions about the situation. Emotions direct our attitudes about tasks and determine whether the outcome is going to be postive or negative. We have to encourage emotional intelligence in order to get the most out of our students. Without emotion, the activity at hand becomes dormant.
I agree with Wanda. Kids today do not act the way most of us were taught to act around adults and peers. There are many times at the beginning of a school year that I see how differnt my generation was from the current generations of students. They do things to adults I would have never thought of doing. They are rude and disrespectful not only to the teaher, but their peers too.
I have seen this many times with my classes. On the first day of school I sit my kids down and we talk about what behaviors are allowed and are not allowed. The students are not learning respect at home so it is up to the teachers to show them what respect is. This is just one example of how emotional intelligences needs to be taught in schools. The students need to learn how to control thier emotions and how to express them where no one gets hurt. It will also help them prepare for their future careers.
Response to Wanda's comments. I couldn't agree with you more in that our students today lack compassion, social skills, life skills and basic citizenship skills. Basic virtues and values have become distinguished. I couldn't agree with you more that parents, teachers, and all stakeholders have to work together to instill these critical values in the children. You are spot on when you say educating the heart is as important as the mind!
Some argue that if we neglect the emotional mind of individuals we may do them a greater disservice than if we shortchange the development of their rational mind. Individuals employ their emotions in regulating how they act, just as they draw on their intellect or their cognitive knowledge. Salovey designed five domains in which an individual can bring intelligence to his or her emotions. The five domains of emotional intelligence include the following: self awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships. While teaching first grade students, I observed that students have a difficult time communicating their emotions to one another, and deviate most of the time from what we are learning. The usage of pencils can demonstrate how first graders are egocentric, lack social skills, and do not possess the five domains of emotional intelligence. It is vital to incorporate emotional intelligence in the classroom, so that students may learn social skills and academic learning can take place. For example, the majority of the students in first grade, possess lots of anger and do not follow the five domains of emotional intelligence which hinders them from reaching academic success. If I ask students to get two pencils from the basket, the majority will get more than two. Therefore, the rules have been addressed many times and they still get more than two pencils not realizing that they will have consequences immediately after getting the pencils; not possessing (self-awareness). I have to walk around and take away the pencils which the student took, possessing much uncontrollable anger from the student not following the rules (managing emotions). I have learned that when a student gathers more than two pencils they play with it and tend to show others that they have more pencils, creating more anger among the students and the majority will complain when they see a student with more pencils. Some students will come to the basket and get more pencils after seeing the other student with more than two pencils; not managing emotions. I have also observed, when I place the basket away, some will find pencils on the floor and gather them. Other student will break the pencil on purpose to see if they can gather more than two pencils. Additionally, student A may get up to the restroom and student B will take the pencil that was on the desk. Student A will then approach his/her desk and complain while I am teaching that he/she does not have a pencil. Student A will approach student B because he/she sits near her and student A will snatch the pencil from student B; lacking self control (motivating oneself). I have attempted several means of controlling the chaos created by pencils. In the end, I would like to incorporate more opportunities to enhance social skills in the classroom. However, after explaining the rules of the pencils, and experiencing consequences, the majority continue to seek and gather more than two pencils. Overall, first graders are extremely ego-centric they do not (recognize the emotions of others or know how to handle relationships). I believe that more time should be dedicated to addressing the emotions of first graders so that they can learn social skills. Unfortunately, academic learning is enforced more than social skills in the classroom. I can see how separating emotions from academics can lead to the tormenting chaos of the usage of pencils. I believe that the students used the pencils as a tool to express their lack of emotional intelligence in the classroom.
From Wanda Schmidt
ReplyDeleteWe face a life skills crisis. The crisis can be conceptualized as a potentially catastrophic imbalance between supply and demand. Much is being made these days of the need to boost academic achievement. In reality, though, in terms of importance, the need to boost academic achievement runs a distant second to the need to boost life skills. For the happiness and success of our students and the productiveness and success of our society, as educators we need to admit, face, and address the life skills crisis.
Being in the profession of teaching for as long as I have, I can tell students today are radically different from students a generation ago. Students of past generations came to class with basic virtues and life skills such as honesty, courtesy, and perseverance. If we fast-forward from that time to today, we find the norm has become dishonesty, rudeness, and impulsiveness. Students were sensitive to the feelings of others; today's students too often treat others as objects. An alarming percentage of students have lost the fundamental values of respect, honesty, kindness, and lawfulness.
In short, today's students do not come to school with basic life skills. Compared to students of a generation ago, students today lack basic social skills. They are rude, and uncooperative. They lack emotional skills: They act out their feelings without awareness of the feelings. They lack personal, organizational, and planning skills, and do not have basic citizenship skills.
The chapter states, “When we learn to deal with the psychological requirements of learners, and when we become sensitive to what makes them want to learn, we can then focus on what they need to learn. Affective needs are more important than cognitive needs”. A humanistic approach is needed to view the child as a whole and everything that makes him an individual.
Instruction in emotional intelligence is not a quick fix or a one-time lesson. Social and emotional learning programs work best when parents and teachers are partners, and that means schools need to train both parents and teachers in ways to promote behavior that improves communication, empathy, self-awareness, decision-making, and problem-solving.
Parents, educators, policymakers, and business people all have a role to play in supporting the social and emotional learning of schoolchildren.
It’s a whole new vision of education that says that educating the heart is as important as educating the mind.
Hi miss Wanda. Thank you for this wonderful answer of yours. This is exactly i am looking for.
DeleteEmotional intelligence is seen as a neglected part of the education system. Many educators say we a providing a disservice to students by not focusing on emotional intelligence. The fact is that both rational and emotional aspects of individuals are crucial to complete living. Today, educators encourage students to stick to the facts when they argue points. However, when a person argues their point on a subject they rarely leave out their emotions. Emotions lead a human’s action, no matter how hard we try not to let emotions lead us. Students need to know how to deal with those emotions when they have to use them in society. Salovey stated ways that can allow people to bring intelligence to their emotions. Those areas include: self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating one-self, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships. These should be taught in the curriculum, because students need to know how to handle their emotions in everyday life. In a school like mine, it is important for kids to handle their emotions because one wrong word to someone can cause fights. Emotional intelligence can be addressed by teachers teaching social skills or character education. I believe there is a need to implement emotional intelligence into curriculum. This would prepare students for careers and everyday life.
ReplyDeleteEmotions strongly influence how we relate to people, treat information, and construct meaning. Emotions affect the actions we choose to make. In my opinion, there is no way to keep emotion out of curriculum because it drives what we do. I like how the books states that educators have urged students when making arguments to “stick to the facts” or “be logical”. But, we can’t make an argument using logic without some sense of feeling about the argument. We can’t be emotionally neutral in our relation to a lesson or a topic of inquiry. We have to address emotional intelligence when teaching because there is no way to keep emotion out anything we do in life. Just look at Peter Salovey’s five main domains that expand personal intelligences: self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships. Educators, especially at the elementary level, teach these skills on a daily basis because many children wouldn’t learn these skills correctly if it weren’t done in school. Emotional intelligence is very important in order to mold students’ who are well-rounded individuals that can handle their emotions and perform their personal responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kristin: "I believe there is a need to implement emotional intelligence into curriculum. This would prepare students for careers and everyday life."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kristin because of the following:
Individuals employ their emotions in regulating how they act, just as they draw on their intellect or their cognitive knowledge. Salovey designed five domains in which an individual can bring intelligence to his or her emotions. The five domains of emotional intelligence include the following: self awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships.
While teaching first grade students, I observed that students have a difficult time communicating their emotions to one another, and deviate most of the time from what we are learning. The usage of pencils can demonstrate how first graders are egocentric, lack social skills, and do not possess the five domains of emotional intelligence. It is vital to incorporate emotional intelligence in the classroom, so that students may learn social skills and academic learning can take place.
For example, the majority of the students in first grade, possess lots of anger and do not follow the five domains of emotional intelligence which hinders them from reaching academic success. If I ask students to get two pencils from the basket, the majority will get more than two. Therefore, the rules have been addressed many times and they still get more than two pencils not realizing that they will have consequences immediately after getting the pencils; not possessing (self-awareness). I have to walk around and take away the pencils which the student took, possessing much uncontrollable anger from the student not following the rules (managing emotions).
I have learned that when a student gathers more than two pencils they play with it and tend to show others that they have more pencils, creating more anger among the students and the majority will complain when they see a student with more pencils. Some students will come to the basket and get more pencils after seeing the other student with more than two pencils; not managing emotions. I have also observed, when I place the basket away, some will find pencils on the floor and gather them. Other student will break the pencil on purpose to see if they can gather more than two pencils. Additionally, student A may get up to the restroom and student B will take the pencil that was on the desk. Student A will then approach his/her desk and complain while I am teaching that he/she does not have a pencil. Student A will approach student B because he/she sits near her and student A will snatch the pencil from student B; lacking self control (motivating oneself). I have attempted several means of controlling the chaos created by pencils. In the end, I would like to incorporate more opportunities to enhance social skills in the classroom. However, after explaining the rules of the pencils, and experiencing consequences, the majority continue to seek and gather more than two pencils. Overall, first graders are extremely ego-centric they do not (recognize the emotions of others or know how to handle relationships). I believe that more time should be dedicated to addressing the emotions of first graders so that they can learn social skills. Unfortunately, academic learning is enforced more than social skills in the classroom. I can see how separating emotions from academics can lead to the tormenting chaos of the usage of pencils. I believe that the students used the pencils as a tool to express their lack of emotional intelligence in the classroom.
According to the book, our society seems to be one of a social interactions realm, not a technological realm. When students are required to debate or reason, some type of emotion is involved on some level. It is highly difficult for a student to remain emotionally neutral when they are asked to compare/contrast, take a position, and/or argue about a topic. Daniel Goleman points out that “a view of human nature that ignores the emotional aspect of humans is shortsighted”. As educators, we cannot negate the importance of one’s emotional being. Emotions strongly shape and influence how a person relates to others and how one looks at information. Small children especially are driven by pure emotion. As adults, we learn to suppress our emotions. Regardless, emotions drive action. If we can tap into a student’s emotional intelligence, we can move them to produce. Post-modernists are now looking at emotions as part of one’s intelligence. Looking at today’s diverse student population with so many issues they face: poverty, racial issues, cultural differences, disintegration of the family unit, etc. it is critical that educators take into account a student’s emotional intelligence. Our curriculum should reflect the needs of our students and know that research shows that our emotional worlds and knowledge worlds cannot be separated, but are indeed interconnected. Students should be encouraged to bring their emotional intelligence to the table in order to construct meaning and making the information meaningful to them, which is in essence, how learning takes place.
ReplyDeleteAndrea said...I agree with Debbie about the importance of emotional intelligence. There's not one thing in life we do that doesn't involve our emotions and feelings. How many times have we heard or said "put some emotion into what you're saying or doing"? We teach our students to say and do things with lots of expression, which is directly related to their emotions about the situation. Emotions direct our attitudes about tasks and determine whether the outcome is going to be postive or negative. We have to encourage emotional intelligence in order to get the most out of our students. Without emotion, the activity at hand becomes dormant.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Wanda. Kids today do not act the way most of us were taught to act around adults and peers. There are many times at the beginning of a school year that I see how differnt my generation was from the current generations of students. They do things to adults I would have never thought of doing. They are rude and disrespectful not only to the teaher, but their peers too.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this many times with my classes. On the first day of school I sit my kids down and we talk about what behaviors are allowed and are not allowed. The students are not learning respect at home so it is up to the teachers to show them what respect is. This is just one example of how emotional intelligences needs to be taught in schools. The students need to learn how to control thier emotions and how to express them where no one gets hurt. It will also help them prepare for their future careers.
Response to Wanda's comments. I couldn't agree with you more in that our students today lack compassion, social skills, life skills and basic citizenship skills. Basic virtues and values have become distinguished. I couldn't agree with you more that parents, teachers, and all stakeholders have to work together to instill these critical values in the children. You are spot on when you say educating the heart is as important as the mind!
ReplyDeleteSome argue that if we neglect the emotional mind of individuals we may do them a greater disservice than if we shortchange the development of their rational mind. Individuals employ their emotions in regulating how they act, just as they draw on their intellect or their cognitive knowledge. Salovey designed five domains in which an individual can bring intelligence to his or her emotions. The five domains of emotional intelligence include the following: self awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships.
ReplyDeleteWhile teaching first grade students, I observed that students have a difficult time communicating their emotions to one another, and deviate most of the time from what we are learning. The usage of pencils can demonstrate how first graders are egocentric, lack social skills, and do not possess the five domains of emotional intelligence. It is vital to incorporate emotional intelligence in the classroom, so that students may learn social skills and academic learning can take place.
For example, the majority of the students in first grade, possess lots of anger and do not follow the five domains of emotional intelligence which hinders them from reaching academic success. If I ask students to get two pencils from the basket, the majority will get more than two. Therefore, the rules have been addressed many times and they still get more than two pencils not realizing that they will have consequences immediately after getting the pencils; not possessing (self-awareness). I have to walk around and take away the pencils which the student took, possessing much uncontrollable anger from the student not following the rules (managing emotions).
I have learned that when a student gathers more than two pencils they play with it and tend to show others that they have more pencils, creating more anger among the students and the majority will complain when they see a student with more pencils. Some students will come to the basket and get more pencils after seeing the other student with more than two pencils; not managing emotions. I have also observed, when I place the basket away, some will find pencils on the floor and gather them. Other student will break the pencil on purpose to see if they can gather more than two pencils. Additionally, student A may get up to the restroom and student B will take the pencil that was on the desk. Student A will then approach his/her desk and complain while I am teaching that he/she does not have a pencil. Student A will approach student B because he/she sits near her and student A will snatch the pencil from student B; lacking self control (motivating oneself). I have attempted several means of controlling the chaos created by pencils. In the end, I would like to incorporate more opportunities to enhance social skills in the classroom. However, after explaining the rules of the pencils, and experiencing consequences, the majority continue to seek and gather more than two pencils. Overall, first graders are extremely ego-centric they do not (recognize the emotions of others or know how to handle relationships). I believe that more time should be dedicated to addressing the emotions of first graders so that they can learn social skills. Unfortunately, academic learning is enforced more than social skills in the classroom. I can see how separating emotions from academics can lead to the tormenting chaos of the usage of pencils. I believe that the students used the pencils as a tool to express their lack of emotional intelligence in the classroom.
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ReplyDelete