Introduction:

Nobody cares how much knowledge an individual has until they know how much you care for them. Stress doesn’t make us weak but our actions and our responses to those stressful events conclude our emotional health.
Research shows that the emotional brain
responds to an event more quickly than the thinking brain. When it comes to academic performance emotionally intelligent students score better as they are better equipped to deal with negative emotions that might be challenging in disrupting their learning because ei is as important as their cognitive intelligence and conscientious attitude. Emotional quotient plays a significant role in students’ academic achievement, mental health, and social development, as well as in the effectiveness of educators.

Elements of emotional intelligence:

Empathy: feeling, acceptance, absorption, and sharing of emotions by understanding the other’s perception too.
Social skills: communicating, collaborating, and building positive relationships with others
Self-awareness: recognizing and understanding one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement.
Self-regulation: managing and controlling one’s emotions, impulses, and reactions healthily and appropriately.
Motivation: acceleration to aim and achieve, face challenges, overcome struggles, and reach goals successfully.

Why emotional intelligence in education?

There are many reasons as mentioned in the infographic. Below are some important aspects:
Mental health and well-being: emotional intelligence is directly proportional to better mental health and overall well-being of students & staff. Students with higher emotional quotient have more effective coping strategies which leads to lower levels of stress and anxiety, thereby having a greater sense of self-worth, happiness, and wellbeing.
Classroom ambience and environment: focus on emotional intelligence in class/school develops a positive, supportive, and inclusive classroom environment that helps in promoting a sense of own-ness & belonging thereby reducing instances of bullying or negative behaviours among the students.
Academic progress & attainments: it is seen that emotional intelligence has a strong correlation with academic progress & attainments. Life skills like problem-solving, greater resilience, and effective study habits among highly emotionally intelligent students are more effective which in turn contribute to their improved academic performance.
Social development: students with high eq/emotional intelligence tend to have better social skills and relationship-building abilities which helps them to face and navigate social situations positively, collaborate & work in a team effectively, and form strong peer bonding thereby adding progressions to their overall development in scholastic and co-scholastic areas.

Emotional intelligence and educator’s role in its development

In this fast-paced world, most of our generation next is facing challenges in basic requirements of life like emotions, feelings, care, bonding, etc. Here educators play a vital role in developing emotional intelligence to help students imbibe those skills by:
Spreading awareness about the acceptance and development of emotional intelligence.
Encouraging and promoting open communication and active listening.
Teaching students about emotions and types of moods.
Providing the students with the vocabulary to express their feelings.
Creating a supportive and emotionally safe learning environment.
Curriculum modifications and integration of emotional intelligence into lessons and academic curricular activities.
Role modelling emotionally intelligent behaviours, such as empathy, self-regulation, social skills, and effective communication.
Providing opportunities for students to practice and develop their emotional intelligence skills through collaborative activities/group work, dramatisations/role-plays, and other interactive activities.

Emotional intelligence is directly proportional to the educator’s effectiveness

Emotional intelligence is not only applicable and vital for students’ positive progression but also for educators, as educators with high eq/ei are more effective, impactful, confident, and successful in delivering their responsibility, as they
Are sound in their behaviour and working habits.
Are confident and manage challenges and situations with positivity and tolerance.
Manage their own emotions and stress, resulting in better overall well-being and job satisfaction.
Develop strong connections and positive relationships with their students thereby creating a positive and supportive learning environment.
Design and effectively implement the teaching strategies to meet all the diverse emotional and learning needs of their students.
Feel job satisfied thereby communicating effectively with peers, staff, and parents; and fostering understanding, support, and collaboration.

How to develop emotional intelligence in schools

Some of the ways to improve emotional intelligence in schools are as mentioned below….
Continuous professional development: these cpd sessions can provide
opportunities for educators to understand, and learn about emotional intelligence, its importance in education, and its positive effects on the student’s academic development.
Integrating social & emotional learning in curriculum: the adaptation in curriculum and further integration of socio-emotional intelligence skills in the teaching-learning process can enhance the educators’ and students’ ei progressions and overall development of students and staff.
Mindfulness practice: implementing mindfulness and stress-reduction practices to help both students and educators manage their emotions and improve overall well-being.
Well-being and happiness index: encouraging the culture of values of emotional intelligence across all the stakeholders thereby enhancing the wellness index throughout.
Developing inclusive education department: involving school counsellors/psychologists or mental health professionals to address any challenges or concerns/issues related to students’/staff’s emotional development.
Co-scholastic activities and clubs: promoting impactful emotional intelligence through the activity clubs which may include collaborative events, hobby classes, one-to-one activities, peer mentoring, conflict resolutions, community service initiatives, etc.

Conclusion:

In this developing era, each school has started understanding the importance of emotional intelligence in the school system and hence greater emphasis is given to socio-emotional learning. Investment in resources, materials, and opportunities related to emotional intelligence skill development has increased. New strategies and new initiatives to maintain the happiness and well-being of all stakeholders in school will surely enhance quality of school standards, performance, and progression. Collaborativeevents & happenings and interconnectedness will boost the support for emotional intelligence importance & its various effective influences in students’ lives. For a sustainable society with emotional intelligence skills, the need of the hour is to • Identify emotions, • Use emotions • Understand emotions, and • Regulate emotions

As we continue to explore, understand, and learn more about the positive impact of emotional intelligence on academic achievement, mental health, and social development, schools must prioritize and invest in the cultivation of these vital skills. While teaching quality, resources, and other environmental factors help students achieve their best, students’ personal qualities can give them an edge over others and emotional intelligence is the most important of them. Let’s embed it, and adapt it to our regular curriculum effectively.