Emotional Intelligence and Adolescents

1
Emotional Intelligence and Adolescents

• Building a Foundation to Assist Adolescents to
  Succeed Academically

2
Characteristics of Young Adolescents

• Social Traits
• Strong need to belong to a group
• Social Skills lack behind their mental and
  physical maturity
• Desire recognition for their efforts and
  achievements
• Are in search of self
• Overreact to ridicule, embarrassment and
  rejection
• Are socially vulnerable

• Emotional Traits
• Experience Mood Swings
• Seek to become increasingly independent
• Concerned about peer acceptance
• Self-Conscious
• Believe that personal problems are unique to them
• Overly concerned about physical growth and
  maturity

3
Characteristics of Young Adolescents

• Intellectual Traits
• Transition period from Concrete thinking to
  Formal Operational / Abstract thinking
• Intensely curious
• Prefer active over passive learning
• Have a strong need for approval
• May be easily discouraged
• Are inquisitive and often challenge authority

4
Five Domains of Emotional Intelligence - D.
Goleman

• Self Awareness Knowing ones emotions and
  recognizing them as they happen
• Managing Emotions Handling feelings so that they
  are appropriate
• Motivating oneself Emotional self control stops
  impulsiveness
• Recognizing emotions in others Empathy
• Handling Relationships Developing and building
  relationships by managing the emotions in others.

5
So, How do we provide for the unique needs of
young adolescents?

• Reduce Stress in the classroom Anxiety and
  stress affect the quality of students cognitive
  processing, disrupting their ability to process
  information
• Under conditions of real or imagined threat or
  anxiety, there is a loss of focus on the learning
  process and a reduction in task focus.
• Stress in the classroom is caused in many ways
  and is usually done unwillingly by the classroom
  teacher.

6
So, How do we provide for the unique needs of
young adolescents?

• Establish a Caring Environment
• Establish personal relationships with adults in
  the school
• Encourage positive student relationships
• Encourage cognitive risk taking by making the
  classroom emotionally safe
• Recognize and respond to the diverse learners in
  every classroom
• Share decision making
• Create collaborative learning environments