Feeling Smart: The Movement to Balance EQ with IQ in Young Learners

Social Emotional Education: The Heart of Holistic Learning

Social-emotional education is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. It's the compass that guides not only how we interact with others but also how we understand ourselves.

The Symphony of Social-Emotional Learning

In the early years, social-emotional education is like learning the notes of a complex symphony. It's about children recognising the emotions of a playmate who has lost a toy (empathy) or understanding the importance of taking turns on the slide (social management). It's about the collective, the harmony of the group, and the shared experiences that shape young minds.

Personal Emotional Education: The Solo Performance

On the other hand, personal emotional education is the solo performance that each child must master. It's the internal dialogue that helps a child to calm down after a setback or to muster the courage to try again after failing to build a block tower. It's the self-awareness and self-regulation that form the foundation of a child's individual emotional landscape.

The Case for Separation: Clarity in the Classroom

Currently, these two areas are often taught under one educational umbrella, but imagine if we approached them with the same distinction as we do Mathematics and Communication. By separating social emotional education from personal emotional education, we could tailor teaching methods and curricula to address each field's unique challenges and opportunities.

The Real-World Results: A Vision of Change

If we were to separate these subjects, the real-world results could be transformative. Personal emotional education could become a dedicated space for children to learn mindfulness, resilience, and self-regulation techniques. This could lead to a significant reduction in childhood anxiety, as children would be equipped with the tools to manage their emotions from a young age.

Active Citizenship and Social-Emotional Mastery

On the flip side, a curriculum focused on social-emotional management could nurture better, more active citizens. Children would learn conflict resolution, active listening, and empathy in a structured environment, directly translating into a more compassionate and cohesive society.

Community Engagement: The Classroom Without Walls

And what if we went a step further? What if we introduced a subject dedicated to community engagement, where the classroom extends to the whole community? This would not only reinforce the social aspect of learning but also provide real-world contexts for children to practise kindness, cooperation, and civic responsibility.

The Long-Term Vision: A Society Reimagined

The long-term vision of this educational reform is a society where emotional intelligence is given the same priority as academic intelligence. A world where children grow up with a deep understanding of themselves and their place within the community.

It's a future where mental health is not an afterthought but a cornerstone of education.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while social emotional education and personal emotional education are deeply interconnected, giving them distinct places in the curriculum could revolutionise the way we prepare our children for the complexities of life. By doing so, we could see a generation of individuals who are not only academically proficient but also emotionally intelligent, empathetic, and engaged in the well-being of their communities. This isn't just an educational reform; it's a blueprint for a more mindful, compassionate, and cohesive future.

Thanks for reading!

Sophie Carr

Visit our website www.octoped.ai for more information about building school community software.