Emotional Intelligence for Teachers

In the current age of stress, anxiety and challenges, emotional intelligence for teachers is as important as is soul to our body because without understanding our own emotions and those of others, success in teaching field in not possible. In the past, having IQ was considered the key to success but now EQ is at the top level demand for both getting and retaining success.

Now the question arises, “What is emotional intelligence for teachers?”

In simple words, knowing your own emotions and of your students as well and using those emotions to achieve your common goals regarding studies and life skills come under the category of emotional intelligence for teachers.

Emotional intelligence for teachers can be sub divided under five sub headings which are as followed:

Self awareness

If a teacher is not aware of his own feelings and emotion, how he can utilize them to regulate his emotions. Before entering into the classroom, a teacher ought to know his emotional state which will enable him to manage his behavior with the students in the class.

Coping skills

Impulse control, stress tolerance, problem solving, flexibility and optimism come under the category of coping skills. These elements play an important role to enhance the emotional intelligence for teachers. In effective parenting, these factors also are of key significance.

Sometimes, a sudden impulse comes while teaching in the class but teacher considers the logic behind this sudden impulse and manages it as soon as possible.

If a teacher himself is in stress and does not know how to manage it, he cannot be a torch bearer for his disciples. Along with this flexibility in teaching style and approach are very important for a teacher observing emotional intelligence.

Optimism in the personality of teacher motivates the learners to improve themselves with the passage of time. Great teachers are always highly motivated because they know that having either optimism or pessimism in teaching is a choice. So, they choose optimistic view of life and make this world a better place to live.

Interpersonal skills

While talking about emotional intelligence for teachers, empathy and social responsibility are of essential importance because these two qualities are the basis of interpersonal skills. Understanding and feeling the emotions of your students leads you towards an effective teaching.

Alone empathetic attitude regarding your students and classes can have the possibility to make the best teacher of your institute. Sometimes, losing a pencil may be a big loss for a prep class student and if you say to your student that there is no problem, then that particular student may feel bad about you for not considering her issue.

So, the main point regarding this is to keep in mind the level of students and their minor and major challenges accordingly.

Another main point of interpersonal skills is social responsibility as it takes you towards highest level of emotional intelligence. As a teacher when you are ready for taking your social responsibility, you contribute in building a better society for human beings to live peacefully and happily.

Effective relationships

Building and enjoying effective relationships is the outcome of emotional intelligence because without building harmonious relations with other human beings, existence of human society is just a daydreaming.

As we are social animals, we cannot live alone. Art of making relationships has been shared by Dale Carnegie is his masterpiece, “How to win friends and influence people.” I, Ajmal Dass Jaipal, have also written the summary of this book by the name of “win friends and influence people.”

Personal and interpersonal effectiveness

Self actualization and happiness are the final goals of emotional intelligence. Knowing yourself takes you towards self actualization while making healthy relations with people moves you towards happiness and fulfillment.

In a nutshell 

Finally, we can say that understanding your emotions and using those emotions to achieve tasks and happiness is the first step of emotional intelligence. Furthermore, assessment of others’ emotions and using those emotions to get common goals is the ultimate target of emotional intelligence for teachers.