#100, Article: ‘Emotional Intelligent (EI): The Need of the Hour’ by Shoba Rao

ELTWeekly Vol. 3 Issue#100 | October 3 | ISSN 0975-3036

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What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?

Emotional quotient (EQ) or Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the way we understand and shape how we think, feel and act (Corrie, Catherine, 2009).  These are soft skills unlike hard skills or intelligent quotient (IQ) which are important for professional and personal success.

Though Emotional Intelligence can be traced back to Darwin’s work, ‘The expression of the emotions in man and animals’ (1872) ,but it was first coined by Wayne Leon Payne (1985) in  his doctoral thesis, ‘A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence’. Further, Emotional intelligence came into the limelight with the publication of the bestseller ‘Emotional intelligence’ by Daniel Goleman (1995). According to him Emotional Intelligence can be honed through focus and self awareness brought about by Emotional Intelligence Training. This is the reason why there are many corporate firms that spend a lot of money on soft skills training for their employees. Besides, there are other prominent psychologists such as Howard Gardner, Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer who have done useful work on Emotional intelligence.

Models of Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman (1995) identified five domains of Emotional Intelligence. They are:

• Knowing your emotions
• Managing your own emotions
• Motivating yourself
• Recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions
• Managing relationships, i.e., managing the emotions of others.
• accurately perceive emotions in oneself and others
• use emotions to facilitate thinking
• understand emotional meanings,
• manage emotions

Similarly, the four branch model of Emotional Intelligence according to Mayer and Salovey, (1997) involves the abilities to

We therefore come to understand that Emotional Quotient helps us to understand and handle our own emotions and also judge other people based on their behaviour, attitude and interpersonal skills. We can thus say that these days, it is just not sufficient to test candidate’s IQ for suitability of a job. It is equally important to understand a person’s behavioural and attitudinal aspects as well.

Emotional intelligence: An important factor for students

• Students learn by observation .So whatever happens in class is instantly picked up. Therefore it is a best stage to train them to be emotionally intelligent.
• Emotional Intelligence enhances good qualities like self-awareness, motivation, empathy, and accountability. It also promotes positive thinking, compassion, non-violence, and responsibility.
• Aspects of emotional intelligences can be easily observable and hence impolite behaviour can be changed through activites, stories and self introspection.
• Students can be made to understand the when and why of their behaviour and take remedial steps to change themselves for good.
• Analysis of their strength, weakness, opportunities and Threat (SWOT) can help students become more accountable to themselves and to others. This promotes positive thinking and helps them grow into individuals who can bring about a change they wish to see in the society and world.
• Students can also be made to understand when and why others behave in an impolite way with them and how they could change themselves and the others around them.
• Big companies today test both IQ (Intelligent Quotient) as well as EQ (Emotional Quotient) in their recruitment drives.

Therefore, today soft skills are integrated into the course syllabus at the tertiary level. It is tested so that students take it seriously and imbibe some traits that are essential for a successful life.

Do you have the Emotional Quotient as a teacher?

Here is a check list for you.

Answer these questions	Answer Yes/ No and in a sentence give reasons to support your stance
1. Do you know yourself?
2. Do you appreciate children?
3.   Am I a warm person?
4. Do I express myself to others without any inhibitions?
5. Am I acceptable to myself  and others?
6. Am I supportive to students and staff?
7.  Am I flexible to students and staff?
8. Do I show empathy to students and staff?
9.  Do I respect my students and staff?
10.  Am I accountable and dependable?
11.  Am I goal oriented?
12. On a five point scale, where do you rate yourself?	1     2      3    4    5

(Adapted from Corrie, Catherine, 2009)

STRATEGY: THE SEVEN GOLDEN STEPS

Step 1

Select a good literary piece for students to read

Step 2

Read it a loud so that if students can clarify any doubts after your reading

Step 3

Allow students to read the text by themselves.

Step 4

Give them an exercises related to the content of the text

Step 5

Ask them to reflect on the text and elicit the emotions in the text. (Knowing the emotions)

Step 6

Ask them if they choose those emotions as a part of their life. (Internalizing the emotions)

Step 7

Ask them to state how they would bring about a change in their life using those emotions

(Bringing about attitudinal change)

Conclusion:

In this way, by using a variety of literary texts, the teacher can focus on the emotional quotient and help students imbibe a lot of soft skills in the class. This paper states only one strategy of making students emotionally intelligent. However, teachers can use their creativity and come out with different myriad activities to achieve this objective .In this way; we can prepare students to face challenges outside the classroom. Teachers can definitely observe behavioural changes in students when such kinds of activities are carried out in the classroom.

I believe the means that students adopt to climb the ladder of success should be strong, stable and powerful as ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS IN THE JOB AND PERSONAL FRONT. Many great leaders, scientists and business tycoons have become successful because their EQ have complemented their IQ.

References:

Darwin, Charles (1872), The expression of the emotions in man and animals, London: John Murray, http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F1142&viewtype=text&pageseq=1 .

Corrie, Catherine (2009) Becoming Emotionally Intelligent: Continuum International Publishing Group)

Mayer, J. D. & Salovey, P. (1997).  What is emotional intelligence?  In P. Salovey & D. Sluyter (Eds).  Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Educators (pp. 3-31).  New York: Basic Books.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Daniel+Goleman+:+Emotional+Intelligence-a085608627