Emotional intelligence for Educators

Last week we had the pleasure of working with the staff at Ona Glinton Primary School on Emotional Intelligence for Educators. The focus of this workshop was not only to build EQ skills, but to focus on starting inward. Before we can read a child's behavior with accuracy, we must first be able to read into our own states. The emotional temperature in a classroom can often be linked to the a teacher's emotional temperature.

During our workshop we worked through the five elements of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills, and what each one actually looks like in a classroom. The first three happen inside you. The last two happen between you and someone else.

From there we turned outward. Safety comes before learning, because a brain that does not feel safe will protect itself rather than engage with the lesson. We looked at triggers and the four-step pause, at repair, and at reading the function of a behaviour rather than only the behaviour itself. Teachers sorted real classroom scenarios into escape, attention, tangible and sensory, then worked two behaviours all the way through antecedent, behaviour and consequence as a group.

Connection ran through the whole session, with students, with colleagues and with parents. We finished on how to hold a difficult conversation with a parent without losing the relationship.

It was a pleasure working with this staff, and thank you for being so willing to be honest with each other in the room. We wish them a wonderful year ahead.

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