Practicing Emotional Intelligence in Education

Prof. Dr. Ruby Bakshi Khurdi
Doctorate in Business Administration, Master in Business Administration (Specialisation in Human Resources Management), Award winning International Motivational Speaker Leadership Coach & Trainer


Abstract

Introduction

Learning is a constant process of gaining information, experience, new skills and techniques in different situations. It is an on-going phenomenon, we learn new things practically every-day by observation, reading, researching, environment around us as well as by our students. All of us have the ability to learn but the level of perception varies from one person to another. Our educational system is highly governed by assessment requirements – the teachers use different methods of evaluation to test the skills of students at all levels. The students are facing cut throat competition to prove themselves every day; study hard consistently and finally get their dream job placements. However, the modern-day educationists believe that teaching and learning should be fun; it should be a win-win both for educators as well as learners. The learning experience for our students should not be stressful, it should have the right balance of using technology, creativity and innovative ideas.

Practicing Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Students tend to perform better and emerge more confident when educators practice Emotional Intelligence (EI). The classes tend to be more engaging, create an environment of comfort and assurance. The works on EI in teacher education is recognized by educationalists Tickle, 1991; Hayes, 2003; O’Hanlon, 2005 and stated in Sutton & Wheatley’s review:
Researchers know surprisingly little about the role of emotions in learning to teach, how teachers’ emotional experiences relate to their teaching practices….

(Sutton & Wheatley, 2003.328)

But what is Emotional Intelligence? EI is the ability to understand one’s own emotions and further for social development, understand & connect with emotions of other people in the society. In teaching, normally when students like a particular teacher, they tend to understand his courses better, they pay more attention and like everything about that course. However if students do not like a particular teacher as he doesn’t respect them or insults them; students do not like that particular course. It’s the emotional reaction of students that makes them like or dislike a particular course.

Benefits of fostering Emotional Intelligence (EI)

The constant changes in work styles or management, can be very challenging & stressful for employees, the students in higher education should be taught how to deal with those situations. Certain universities have initiated courses to help students understand & develop competencies in emotional intelligence (Boyatzis & Saatcioglu, 2008). Inspirational leadership, dealing with conflict, managing change, cultural catalyst, keeping calm under stressful situations are some of EI Competencies…Each expertise plays a crucial role in managing ethical decisions and smart teams.

Figure :HR Life / Leadership

In order to foster EI in higher education, learners need to understand The Mayer-Salovey Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence. Dr. John D. Mayer & Dr. Peter Salovey published their work on EI in 1990 and later in 1997. This revised theory further elaborated the existence of four related areas of emotional intelligence:

(J. D. Mayer et al., 1999; J. D. Mayer & Salovey, 1997).

  1. Emotional perception is the ability to recognize feelings of other persons and ourselves. For example – when a baby cries, the mother instantly understands that she / he is hungry.
  2. Emotional facilitation is the ability to use emotions in order to make others understand our point of view. For example – Teachers can use role-playing technique to teach students ethical behavior Vs unethical behavior at workplace.
  3. Emotional Understanding is the ability to recognize different stages of emotions. For example –The ability of a teacher while lecturing in class to recognize when students are paying attention, when they are distracted, when they are getting bored or when they need a break.
  4. Emotional management refers to how one can manage his / her emotions in personal or professional situations. For example – In hospitality, the employees need to camouflage their real emotions. No matter how they are feeling – angry, tired or sad they have to keep a smiling face and control their real state of mind.

3-E Theory of Dr Ruby

Conclusion

In today’s modern technological era, HRM educators should be competent to teach in various innovative and creative styles. Gamification and emotional intelligence should be employed by educators for higher engagement and performance of students during lectures. The millennials learn better and faster with audio-visual aids and problem-solving techniques. Teachers should empathize with students coming from diverse cultural, academic and professional backgrounds. Teaching methodology should be flexible, educators can experiment using different assessment methods to evaluate the students. Therefore, teaching and learning should have the right balance of components from different theories and engaging styles. The teachers should try to create a positive learning environment where students feel confident and happy to learn and deliver. Learning should be open, feedback based and trust oriented. Students will be motivated and self-driven if the teacher recognizes their learning needs in an appropriate way.

The success of teaching process in higher education is greatly influenced by emotional intelligence of educators. They should have the right balance of intellectual and emotional competence to teach efficiently. Thus, the educators should offer customized methods of eaching, tailored to suit individual needs of the hospitality and business students.

Profile

Dr Ruby Bakshi Khurdi is a highly acclaimed Powerful Speaker on Emotional Intelligence and Women Empowerment in the global market. Recently she was awarded as inspiring Educationist & Author by the Lieutenant Governor of J&K Honorable Manoj Sinha at Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural University, Srinagar. She is the only verified Kahoot educator in Switzerland & popularly known as Kahoot Professor by her students. Her teaching style focuses on gamification and perceptual learning. Recipient of many National & International Awards for conducting successful workshops across the world in London, Bahrain, Amsterdam, India, Nepal, China, Paris, Portugal & Prague. In Switzerland she has conducted highly successful training sessions at United Nations Geneva, Good festival in Lausanne, Nestle Vevey and Science Congress in Zurich. During challenging times of COVID19, she participated in various webinars, conducted Live Master classes & talk shows to motivate people across the world. She is frequently seen sharing her expertise on topics like Education, Communication, Leadership, Public Speaking, Empowerment, Stress management and Practicing Resilience!

She firmly believes Education & Communication are strong pillars in developing a progressive nation! Her family and two kids have always been her priority! She is a Role Model and Mentor to various international students from Business and Hospitality Management Colleges. She received a standing ovation for my first TEDx talk titled – “Learning Human Values via Emotional Intelligence”.

As an Educationist, she is always looking for creative ways to connect with her students in actual as well as Virtual Learning Environment! A very passionate person with a vision to educate people with life skills & connect emotionally towards building a creative society. Her selfless contributions towards Education & Society have been recognized by World Book Of Records UK. She has been featured on Cover page of Elite Businesswomen Magazine, The Ambassador, Career Beacon as 50 Elite Exemplary Women, Swiss Star in The Explore Journal & WOW India.

She has been interviewed on Doordarshan Kashmir, Swiss Radio, Swiss RTS, Local TV channel & various international magazines as a Global inspirational Educationist creating an Impact. She wants to leave a rich legacy in education – she has been working consistently since few years to make her vision a reality…