More than just knowing stuff!

Learning with Heart

February 11, 2012

It’s been nearly a decade since I first started exploring the importance of emotions in teaching and learning. For me there have been mixed messages.  That students need to be resilient, that teachers and leaders need to keep calm at all times, that teachers are too emotional and that is why we are not a profession!!

I’m not sure about other educators, but to try to educate and to try to learn without emotion…for me…seems a bit odd.  My emotions teach me a lot and I should not play them down.  They teach when I need to rethink a problem, when to try a new approach, and when to go forward.  They guide my thinking and help me make sense of the multitude of skills and tasks we need to balance.

Last week I shared a video from Edutopia about social and emotional intelligence. The video dates back to 2001 yet still rings true for the needs of our children. As educators we teach our students if they cannot read and if they cannot tie their shoe laces.  But we also need to teach them how to get along, resolve playground issues and use their emotions in productive ways.

The video was used as a ‘hook’ to generate discussion and thinking about how we can support our students further.

I followed up with a reading from Attachment theory and the teacher-student relationship: a practical guide for teachers, teacher educators and school leaders by Philip Riley, my senior lecturer for my Masters in School Leadership.  We will use this to explore how relationships form in the classroom and help us work proactively in creating a safe learning environment.

I’m looking forward to seeing how that discussion unfolds.

Entry Filed under: leadership,learning,Professional Learning. Posted in  leadership ,learning ,Professional Learning Tags: Edutopia, emotional intelligence, emotions, environment, learning, professional learning.