Emotional intelligence in the educational context

Definition and Pillars of Emotional Intelligence

It was Daniel Goleman who coined the term emotional intelligence, defining it as the ability to recognize our own feelings as well as those of others.

This skill also includes the ability to motivate ourselves and manage emotions well, both in ourselves and in our social relationships.

Emotional intelligence is essential for the approach in educational institutions, especially with students at an early age who still do not manage their emotions well.

It is made up of personal skills, such as self-knowledge and self-confidence, and social skills, such as empathy and management of interpersonal relationships.

Students who have a high emotional intelligence learn better, are more focused, have fewer behavioral problems, and adapt better to the school environment.

The Importance of Teaching to Feel Assertively

It is the task of all those who work in the educational field to give it priority to socio-emotional learning, not just technical content.

From a very young age, children are often taught to repress negative emotions, telling them not to cry, which is a completely wrong practice.

It is necessary to teach our students that it is okay to feel all emotions, and that what is truly important is what we do with them once they appear.

We must educate them to learn to express their feelings assertively, that is, without attacking others, but also without submitting to the will of others.

This learning will allow them to manage their conflicts and frustrations in a much more adaptive way, reducing disruptive behaviors that occur in the classroom.

Classroom Strategies: The Emotions Diary

One of the strategies that we can use in the classroom to promote emotional intelligence is to keep an emotions diary.

We can ask our students to have a notebook where they can express what they have felt and what has happened to them during the week.

This practice helps them not only to recognize their emotions and name them, but also fosters group cohesion when they decide to share their experiences.

By listening to what others feel, empathy and the ability to connect with other people in a much deeper way are developed.

Classroom Strategies: The Calm Corner and the Traffic Light

Another very useful strategy is to create a "calm corner" within the classroom, which is a space designed for emotional self-regulation.

When a student feels overwhelmed by anger or sadness, they can go to this space to relax and calm down before returning to the activity.

We can also apply the "emotion traffic light" strategy, placing emotions in colors such as green for happiness or red for anger.

At the beginning and end of class, Students can place their name on the color that represents how they feel at that specific moment.

This tool not only allows the student to identify their emotion, but also gives the teacher valuable information about the mood of the group.