Emotional Aspects of Learning

1. Emotional Aspects of Learning Key theorists: Carl Rogers, Daniel Goleman

2. Emotional intelligence / Emotional Literacy • Emotional intelligence, or EI is the ability to recognise, understand, handle and appropriately express emotions. • The concept of Emotional Intelligence, developed by Daniel Goleman (1996), means you have a self-awareness that enables you to recognise feelings and helps you manage your emotions. On a personal level, it involves motivation and being able to focus on a goal rather than demanding instant gratification.

3. Key elements: Self awareness Self concept Managing feelings Making decisions Managing stress Personal responsibility Empathy Communication Cooperation with others Conflict resolution Emotional Intelligence / Emotional Literacy

4. Emotional intelligence • Just because someone is deemed 'intellectually' intelligent, it does not necessarily follow that they are emotionally intelligent. Having a good memory, or good problem solving abilities, does not mean you are capable of dealing with emotions or motivating yourself. • Highly intelligent people may lack the social skills that are associated with high emotional intelligence. However, high intellectual intelligence, combined with low emotional intelligence, is relatively rare and a person can be both intellectually and emotionally intelligent..

6. Emotional intelligence • Self-motivated students tend to do better in school exams. • The ability to interact well with others and having a good group of friends, means students are more likely to remain in education, whereas those with emotional difficulties tend to drop out. • On the negative side, low emotional intelligence can affect intellectual capabilities. Depression can adversely affect the results of an IQ test for example

7. Video clip Channel 4 documentary 2001, about Emotional Intelligence (EI). Interesting contributions by Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences, LL week 2) & also Daniel Goleman, originator of Emotional Intelligence as an influential idea.

8. Self-Esteem “The task of enhancing self-esteem is the most important facing any school.” Mosley, J. (1993) Turn Your School Around. Wisbech:LDA

9. I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture, or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanised or de-humanised. (Haim Ginnott from Teacher & Child, Macmillan, 1972)

10. Self esteem is KEY Many children who behave badly in school are those whose self-esteem is threatened by failure. They see academic work as unwinnable. They soon realise that the best way to avoid losing in such a competition is not to enter it. (DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOL: REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY CHAIRED BY LORD ELTON. 1989 –known as The Elton Report)

11. How children see themselves • SELF CONCEPT: a child’s picture of himself • The value the child puts on this self-image is his SELF ESTEEM.

12. Characteristics of children with high self-esteem: • Have a greater capacity to be creative • More likely to assume active roles in social groups • Less likely to be burdened by self-doubt, fear, ambivalence • More likely to move directly and realistically towards personal goals • Find it easier to accept differences between own & others’ levels of performance (academic, physical & relationships) • Worry less about physical appearance • So, will be more effective & successful learners

13. SOCIAL SKILLS • Self-esteem is heavily influenced by a child’s ability to interact socially. • For some children, their own poor behaviour reinforces their low self-esteem.

14. Characteristics of children with poor social skills • Often don’t adapt their behaviour to accommodate needs of others • Tend to choose less socially acceptable behaviours • Have difficulty in predicting consequences of their behaviours • Misunderstand social cues • Unable to adapt / perform social skills required for particular situations • Unable to control impulsive or aggressive behaviour

15. 3 main areas need to be addressed: • Identifying & expressing feelings • Communicating with others • Self-management

16. 2 key approaches: • 1. Circle Time • 2. SEAL (Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning –(DfES 2005) (More on this in Y2 Current Issues – but be aware if including in Assignment 2.)

17. What is Circle Time? (Mosley, J. (1996), Quality Circle Time, LDA) • Circle time is a weekly, timetabled meeting. It provides a group listening system for enhancing children's self-esteem, promoting moral values, building a sense of team and developing social skills. • It is a democratic system, involving all children and giving them equal rights and opportunities. • It offers children a practical opportunity to discuss concerns, consider and debate moral values, practise positive behaviours and work out solutions and action plans in a fun context. • Circle meetings are planned around a theme such as ‘getting to know you’, ‘feelings’, ‘bullying’.

18. Key Benefits of Circle Time(Mosley, J. (1996), Quality Circle Time, LDA) • Sitting in a circle symbolically promotes the notion of equal responsibility. • Participation enables children to have a sense of belonging to a group they can trust. • It actively motivates those involved to share thoughts and feelings. • It initiates collective responsibility for the promotion of self esteem and positive behaviour. • It encourages self-discipline

19. Structure for Circle Time • Reminder of the rules • Introductory phase; game(s) that focus(es) on one of the five skills – thinking, looking, listening, speaking and concentrating • A mix up game • Ice-breaker • Middle phase – open forum; solving problems and achieving goals. • Closing phase – celebration of success. • Wind down – ending ritual, calm game

20. Rules for Circle Time • Listen • Respect other people’s contributions • One person to speak at a time • Allowed to pass • What’s said in the circle stays in the circle* • No names are mentioned • *It is important to stress that you cannot promise children confidentiality. You need to repeat this in every session and give a tangible example i.e. ‘However, you might say something important that I might need to speak to Mrs Dixon about but if I told you something like I’m afraid of the dark, I wouldn’t want you telling everyone in Year 5 about it because they might laugh at me.’

21. Circle Time & what it is not(Mosley, J. (2000), More Quality Circle Time, LDA) • It is not just sitting around in a circle; it is a whole-school model that concerns itself with every moment of the child’s day. • It is timetabled – you don’t have a Circle Time just because there was a fight in the playground. • It is not a quick fix for difficult behaviour – it is a long process of plan-do-review

22. Video Extract: Quality Circle Time in Action Jenny Mosley is shown working with a Key Stage 1 class with very little experience of Circle Time.

23. References: Circle Time • Bliss, T & Tetley J (1995) Circle Time, Lucky Duck Publishing • Bliss, T, Robinson, G & Maines, B (1995) Developing Circle Time, Lucky Duck Publishing (Recommended by the Hants Behaviour Support Team) • *Gutteridge,D. Smith, V. (2008) Using Circle Time for PSHE and Citizenship. Abingdon: Routledge • Mosley, J (1993) Turn Your School Around, Wisbech:LDA • Mosley, J (1996) Quality Circle Time in the Primary Classroom, Wisbech: LDA • Mosley, J (1998) Poems for Circle Time and the Literacy Hour, Wisbech:LDA • Mosley, J. (2000) More Quality Circle Time. Wisbech: LDA • *Mosley, J.(2006) Step-by-step Guide to Circle Time for SEAL. Trowbridge: Positive Press • Roffey, S. (2006) Circle Time for Emotional Literacy. London: Sage • www.circle-time.co.uk • www.ldalearning.com/ (Publishers of the Mosley books - has some free samples) • www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/library/circletime/

24. Suggested Reading IN READING PACK Pound, L ( 2005) ‘Emotional Intelligence in How Children Learn. Leamington Spa: Step Forward Publications Sharp,P.(2001) ‘What is Emotional Literacy?’, Chapter 1 in Nurturing Emotional Literacy. London: David Fulton

25. Emotional Intelligence • Goleman, D. (1996) Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. London: Bloomsbury • Goleman, D. (1999) Working withEmotional Intelligence. London: Bloomsbury • Hook, P. & Vass, A. (2000) Creating Winning Classrooms. London: David Fulton • Sharp, P. (2001) Nurturing Emotional Literacy. London: David Fulton

26. SEAL (Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning) All materials are downloadable from: http://bandapilot.org.uk/primary/seal/ws_resources.html http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/banda/seal