Emotional Intelligence and Diversity in Education
Do you often wish your child or your students had the ability to:
- know and feel comfortable with who they are;
- communicate effectively with others;
- be resilient in the face of disappointment and failure;
- resist peer pressure and stand up to the bullying of others;
- manage anger and conflict without resorting to heated exchanges or physical violence;
- develop generosity, compassion and kindness toward others?
If these outcomes are important to you and your school, then Emotional Intelligence and Diversity has much to offer. While some schools and families may help students develop these skills, they are seldom taught in a systematic and intentional way. Without such skills, students are more likely to behave in self-destructive ways. Dropping out, withdrawing, acting out aggressively and feeling lost are just some of the negative behaviors adolescents lacking emotional intelligence might manifest. Yet in today’s complex time of economic upheaval, global competition and societal change schools face tough realities such as:
- 30% dropout rate
- disengaged students and frustrated teachers and parents
- conflict and violence on campus
- tragic consequences of bullying and negative peer pressure
- underutilized talent and unrealized potential of students
The job of schools is advancing students academically. But that’s not enough. Developing students emotionally and helping them master their interpersonal skills is also essential to their ability to learn, use their talents fully and resist peer pressure. Childhood and adolescence are times of strong and powerful emotions that often go unchecked. Emotions drive behavior and when students don’t know how to manage them, the results are wasteful at best and tragic at worst. The good news is that Emotional Intelligence and Diversity provides a proven strategy to give students the skills to manage their emotions effectively. This, in turn, leads to success in many areas that lay the groundwork for academic accomplishment:
- Increased engagement in learning
- Greater accountability and responsibility for behavior
- Higher morale among students and faculty
- Skills and tools for dealing with the difficulties of peer pressure
- Stronger partnerships between and among students, parents and teachers
- A community that is invested in helping each student develop skills that lead to a productive and joyful life
- A safe environment in which students can learn
How Does EID Work?
Emotional Intelligence and Diversity builds on the resources and mechanisms already existing at schools. We train:
- Teachers
- Counselors
- Administrators
- Staff
- Parents
who then take this approach to the students. Materials consist of activities, exercises and tools that build skills in a systemic way through carefully designed learning experiences. This approach and these methods have been proven effective in business and higher education and form the core of pilot programs in secondary schools.
Methodology
Content and methodology are based on sound principles of human behavior drawn from the fields of anthropology, psychology and sociology. Students are led through a carefully designed sequence using the PIT model: personal to interpersonal to task. Beginning with the personal level, students relate content to themselves and their own experiences. They then move on to an interpersonal level they consider the impact of their behavior on others. The final stage guides them to apply what they have learned. They transfer the awareness, knowledge and skills gained through the program to all areas of their lives.
Sessions are highly interactive and motivating. They include a variety of instructional methods, including personal assessment and experiential activities, worksheets, paired and group sharing and problem solving. Application to “real life” situations is emphasized and cases are drawn from experiences faced daily by students.
Students leave with awareness, knowledge and tools they can apply immediately to improve their lives, their classrooms and their schools.
Why Students Want EID...
What I’d want to learn about Emotional Intelligence…
- What I’d like to learn how to deal with is anger, because when I’m mad my biggest fear is to hurt someone I love, especially if they didn’t do anything.
- I’d like to learn how to handle my feelings better, how to be good to others and how to care about other people’s feelings.
- I would want to learn about self-control and anger, about rage and how far it can go and how you can stop it.
- I’d like to learn to know the right things to say at the right time.
- I’d like learn how to confront someone in the nicest possible way and tell them how I feel about something I think they are doing wrong.
- I’d like to be able to talk about what is wrong.