Comments on: Experimenting on Students http://6seconds.org/blog/2008/03/06/experimenting-on-students.html Emotional Intelligence News and Views Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:38:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Tessy http://6seconds.org/blog/2008/03/06/experimenting-on-students.html#comment-227 Tessy Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:21:30 +0000 http://6seconds.org/blog/2008/03/06/experimenting-on-students.html#comment-227 Cath and Josh I think it is almost impossible to teach emotional intelligence untrained, just as with any other subject. I don't believe you can get full engagement from young people if you don't model EI, understand it and have great enthusiasm for it! For some teachers SEALs and similar widespread programmes can be seen as another top down initiative which is a great pity. As you say Cath, teachers need ownership - and some space for creative initiatives which can only be envisioned with some real understanding. Cath and Josh
I think it is almost impossible to teach emotional intelligence untrained, just as with any other subject. I don’t believe you can get full engagement from young people if you don’t model EI, understand it and have great enthusiasm for it! For some teachers SEALs and similar widespread programmes can be seen as another top down initiative which is a great pity. As you say Cath, teachers need ownership - and some space for creative initiatives which can only be envisioned with some real understanding.

]]> By: Josh http://6seconds.org/blog/2008/03/06/experimenting-on-students.html#comment-224 Josh Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:38:11 +0000 http://6seconds.org/blog/2008/03/06/experimenting-on-students.html#comment-224 Thanks Cath - that makes SO much sense to me -- as Anabel Jensen says, "You teach what you are." So teachers who start by developing their own EQ ought to be far more effective at SEAL or SEL. Thanks Cath - that makes SO much sense to me — as Anabel Jensen says, “You teach what you are.” So teachers who start by developing their own EQ ought to be far more effective at SEAL or SEL.

]]> By: Cath Corrie http://6seconds.org/blog/2008/03/06/experimenting-on-students.html#comment-223 Cath Corrie Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:33:48 +0000 http://6seconds.org/blog/2008/03/06/experimenting-on-students.html#comment-223 Hi Josh I agree with what you have said in you blog and would like to add something. In one area where I have been working with teachers for the last five years, the woman in charge of introducing ‘SEAL’ went to see schools where teachers had previously worked on their own EI with me first. She was looking to see if these "EQ prepared" teachers would work differently/more effectively with the material than schools where this was all new to them. It is early days yet, however they have told me the difference is marked, teachers and support staff in the "prepared schools" have a level of understanding which enables tham to empathise, support and be compassionate when working with the pupils. When this is rolled out to high schools the work with staff is going to be even more important otherwise this experiment will be a failure. Just one more initiative that wasn’t really taken on by schools. Teachers need to own it, understand it, and support it and if they have no interest in EI for themselves they won't value it enough to teach it to others. It is, however, urgent that we do this work, at the moment asbos are being used in this country to manage young peoples emotions and we are allowing that to happen. Hi Josh I agree with what you have said in you blog and would like to add something. In one area where I have been working with teachers for the last five years, the woman in charge of introducing ‘SEAL’ went to see schools where teachers had previously worked on their own EI with me first. She was looking to see if these “EQ prepared” teachers would work differently/more effectively with the material than schools where this was all new to them.

It is early days yet, however they have told me the difference is marked, teachers and support staff in the “prepared schools” have a level of understanding which enables tham to empathise, support and be compassionate when working with the pupils.

When this is rolled out to high schools the work with staff is going to be even more important otherwise this experiment will be a failure. Just one more initiative that wasn’t really taken on by schools. Teachers need to own it, understand it, and support it and if they have no interest in EI for themselves they won’t value it enough to teach it to others.

It is, however, urgent that we do this work, at the moment asbos are being used in this country to manage young peoples emotions and we are allowing that to happen.

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