Tools for Empowerment and Change

1. Tennessee Disability MegaConference 2012 Tools for Empowerment and Change

2. If You Are Happy and You Know It, Your Students Will SurelyShow It!

3. Social-Emotional Intelligence is a 21st Century Skill for Teaschers and Students which is essential for progress and success.

4. Objectives: • Define social/emotional intelligence using the processes at work in the human brain needed to develop this “IQ.” • Develop an awareness of your own social/emotional skills and assess where you are in your own process of social/emotional development • Explore some resources in order to begin developing a plan for modeling healthy and appropriate social/emotional behaviors when teaching because of the important role a healthy social/emotional IQ plays in the lives of learners and their cognitive development

5. Albert Einstein said… "A human being is a part of a whole...[but] he experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest...This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

6. Good Morning! • How are you feeling right now? • How do you think others around you are feeling? What clues/signals help you with determining how you think others are feeling?

11. Definition of FEELINGS • the function or the power of perceiving by touch. • physical sensation not connected with sight, hearing, taste, or smell. • a consciousness or vague awareness: a feeling of inferiority. • an emotion or emotional perception or attitude: a feeling of joy; a feeling of sorrow. • capacity for emotion, esp. compassion: to have great feeling for the sufferings of others. • a sentiment; attitude; opinion: The general feeling was in favor of the proposal. • feelings, sensibilities; susceptibilities: to hurt one's feelings.

12. Definition of EMOTION • an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness. • any of the feelings of joy, sorrow, fear, hate,love, etc. • any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear, etc., and usually accompanied by certain physiological changes, as increased heartbeat or respiration, and often overt manifestation, as crying or shaking. • something that causes such a reaction: the powerful emotion of a great symphony.

14. Why can’t we hide our emotions completely from other people? • Sometimes we can “control” our emotions and other times we lose control…why? • Mirror neurons • Mirror neurons affect on amygdala

15. Let’s take a look at what is going on inside our brains when we experience emotions or feelings? Signal from body through brain stem Amygdala-emotional or limbic center of the brain Prefrontal or neocortex-executive function-provides a filter so that we don’t say everything we think

17. Brain Hand Model • Dan Siegel

18. Reflection Question: What knowledge, skills, and qualities do students need to possess by the time they graduate from high school?

19. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) SEL is the process whereby children and adults develop essential social and emotional skills, knowledge, and attitudes related to: Recognizing one’s emotions and values as well as one’s strengths and limitations Self-awareness Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve one’s goals Self-management Responsible decision-making SEL Social awareness Relationship skills Forming positiverelationships, working inteams, dealing effectivelywith conflict Showing understanding and empathy for others

20. SEL Teaches 21st Century Skills • Critical thinking and problem-solving • Ethics and social responsibility • Communication • Teamwork and collaboration • Lifelong learning and self-direction • Leadership • Global awareness

21. Possible SEL Goals • 1) Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success • 2) Use social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships • 3) Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts

22. How Do You Promote Social and Emotional Competency? • Skill development • Providing explicit skills instruction for all students • Learning environment • Creating safe, caring, well-managed learning environments

23. Why Promote Students’ Social and Emotional Competency? • Students who receive SEL instruction are: • more connected to teachers and school • more engaged in learning • more motivated to learn • more well behaved/less likely to engage in problem behavior • able to perform better on achievement tests and get better grades • Source: Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg (2004). Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): What Does the Research Say?

24. SEL Improves Academic Outcomes • 23% increase in skills • 9% improvement in attitudes about self,others, and school • 9% improvement in prosocial behavior • 9% reduction in problem behaviors • 10% reduction in emotional distress • 11% increase in standardized achievement test scores (math and reading) • Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Taylor, R.D., & Dymnicki, A.B. (submitted for publication). The effects of school-based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytic review.

25. Excerpts from TN State Board of Education Policy, Standards, and Guidelines Schools are encouraged to develop and maintain a positive school climate ensuring a global approach to addressing barriers to learning and promoting resilience in children. Current laws regarding the prevention of hazing, bullying, and intimidation should be fully implemented as an essential element in the protection of student mental health and the fostering of a positive school climate.

26. According to the Tennessee Comprehensive School Counseling Model and other curriculum standards, schools should provide students with effective early intervention activities such as social and emotional learning, positive behavior supports and strength-based developmental assets.

27. School personnel are encouraged to create a plan whereby appropriate staff can provide proactive on-site support services to students having social, emotional, and mental health concerns, including those students that do not meet criteria for special education services. TN Dept. of Ed. SBOE rule 0520-2-2-.26, SBOE Standards and Guidelines 5.103

28. What is Intelligence/IQ? David Wechsler, who created the IQ test that all of us have taken, defined intelligence as the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment. As early as 1940 he referred to non-intellective as well as intellective elements by which he meant affective, personal, and social factors. Furthermore, as early as 1943 Wechsler was proposing that the non-intellective abilities are essential for predicting one’s ability to succeed in life.

29. Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones Sticks and stones may break my bones But words could never hurt me. And this I knew was surely true And truth could not desert me. But now I know it is not so I’ve changed the latter part; For sticks and stones may break the bones But words can break the heart. Sticks and stones may break the bones But leave the spirit whole But simple words can break the heart Or silence crush the soul. --Herb Warren

30. Emotion + Intelligence = EI Emotional Intelligence must somehow combine two of the three states of mind: cognition and affect, or intelligence and emotion. Emotional intelligence is -- • the ability to perceive emotions • to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought • to understand emotions and emotional knowledge • to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth - Mayer & Salovey, 1997

31. These four areas are further defined, as follows: • Identifying Emotions - the ability to recognize how you and those around you are feeling. • Using Emotions to Facilitate Thought - the ability to generate an emotion, and then reason with this emotion. (Also called Emotional Facilitation of Thought, or Assimilating Emotions.) • Understanding Emotions - the ability to understand complex emotions and emotional "chains", how emotions transition from one stage to another. • Managing Emotions - the ability which allows you to manage emotions in your self and in others.

32. Heart and Head Combined Emotional Intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of head over heart - it is the unique intersection of both. Emotional Intelligence combines affect with cognition, emotion with intelligence.

33. Another definition of Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence (Social Skills) The ability to • recognize your own feelings • identify and understand the feelings of others • manage your own emotions • manage your relationships with others • make good decisions and act effectively

35. Goleman’s definition • Hay Group : What is emotional intelligence? http://www.haygroup.com/leadershipandtalentondemand/video/details.aspx?id=302&c=2

36. Where are you in your emotional intelligence process? • Are there qualities that are reflected through the personal and social competencies that you feel are strengths of yours? • Are there qualities that you would like to know more about or enhance?

38. Reflecting on Your Inner Terrain… • Define your inner terrain. • Does your inner terrain have both rocky mountains and smooth valleys, trickling streams and crashing oceans, arid deserts and lush rainforests? • How well do you know your inner terrain? • Do inner terrain and emotional intelligence share any commonalities?

39. Acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses without judgment is a key sign of emotional intelligence

40. What does emotional intelligence look like, sound like, feel like? • So how does the theory of emotional intelligence translate into everyday life? • Let’s look at a comparison between High and Low Emotional Intelligence on the next slide.

41. What does emotional intelligence look like? High Emotional Intelligence Low Emotional Intelligence Makes blame statements Cannot share feelings verbally Lets negative feelings dominate Is oblivious to nonverbal communication Acts without reasoning or logic Is not accepting of self or others Has not learned to accept responsibility Uses passive or aggressive communication Is motivated by rewards and instant gratification Carries grudges; is unforgiving Focuses on the negative point of view Is not perceptive of the feelings of others Feels it is always someone else’s fault Says, “YOU always…” Reacts to hurt with physical violence Reacts to grief by stifling emotions Usually feels inadequate and defensive Is a poor listener Acts out when there is a problem • Uses “I” messages • Can openly express feelings • Isn’t preoccupied with negative emotions • Reads nonverbal language effectively • Makes decisions based on feelings and logic • Accepts self and others • Can apply self-responsibility • Can communicate assertively • Is motivated by personal meaning • Is emotionally resilient • Promotes the optimistic point of view • Can identify the feelings of others • Doesn’t blame others for mistakes • Says, “I feel…” • Reacts to hurt by processing feelings • Reacts to grief by sharing feelings • Usually feels respected and competent • Is a good listener • Talks out problems or miscommunications 

42. Some days are better than others! All of use behaviors and patterns from both lists, and most days we are more on the high end—however, there are some times when there is no avoiding pieces from the low end. That’s when we have to remember what all of us need to function…

43. The 7 Profoundly Powerful, Profoundly Simple Techniques for Increasing EI • Take time every day to appreciate what’s right in the world and in your life. • Increase your feeling word vocabulary. • Be your own best friend. • Listen with your heart. • Talk back to yourself. • Tune in to your body. • Smile more. compiled by Kate Cannon

44. Thoughts to consider… • Based on what we have learned about emotional intelligence, reflect on the following statements: • “If there is anything we wish to change in a child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.” C. Jung • Emotional intelligence requires you to take 100% responsibility for the outcome of all your actions. • Focus on changing yourself and not the other person.

45. Being intelligent about emotions means that we can perceive and use emotions to create optimal relationships and produce desired outcomes. • How do we use our emotional intelligence to build relationships? • If personality is fixed by first grade, what is our responsibility for the persons we serve?

46. TOOLS/RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

47. Can Emotional Intelligence Be Taught? “The good news about emotional intelligenceis that it is virtually all learned.” -- Goleman (from O’Neil, 1996)

48. The Research • In every field, your EI is twice as important as your cognitive abilities.

49. RULER Skills To create caring, productive, and engaging learning environments, where children thrive cognitively and become successful citizens, we must provide learning opportunities to develop the skills of emotional intelligence which include- Recognizing Understanding Labeling EMOTIONS Expressing Regulating Research in US and British schools shows that the RULER approach enhances children’s social skills, emotional and academic competence, decreases aggression and anxiety, reduces suspension rates, increases motivation, and enhances school climate by creating classrooms where teachers and students treat each other more respectfully and have positive relationships.