Four activities to develop emotional intelligence

"In the dance of feeling and thought, the emotional faculty guides our moment-to-moment decisions, working hand-in-hand with the rational mind. In a sense we have two brains, two minds and two different kinds of intelligence: rational and emotional. How we do in life, and learning, is determined by both. It is not just IQ but emotional intelligence that matters. " Daniel Goleman.

To develop emotional intelligence in our kids is as important as intellectual intelligence. 

It is said that humans are not rational but emotional  beings so learning and teaching about emotions are essential if we want our children to live happy and healthy lives. 

In today's post I will give you four activities that you can do with your students to help them develop their EQ.

Postitve Adjectives - Level: Elementary

Objectives

• Build student's self esteem
• Identfy positive traits in them

The teacher prepares cards with positive adjectives. She/He puts the cards in a bag, a student takes a card from the bag and reads the adjective on the card. All the students that think that that adjective describes them stand up or jump or hop. 

Another version of the activity: The teacher says a positive adjective and those students who feel identified with it dance to the rhythm of the music.

Adjective list: 

adaptable / adventurous / affectionate / amusing / brave / bright / broad-minded calm

careful / charming / communicative / compassionate  / considerate / courageous
creative / determined / diplomatic / discreet / dynamic / easygoing / emotional
energetic / enthusiastic / exuberant  / faithful / fearless / frank  / friendly/ funny generous / gentle / good / gregarious / hard-working / helpful / honest / humorous
imaginative / independent / intellectual / intuitive / inventive / kind / loving
loyal / modest / neat  / nice / optimistic / passionate / patient / persistent 
polite / powerful / practical / pro-active / quiet / rational / reliable / reserved
resourceful / romantic / self-confident / self-disciplined / sensible / sensitive
sincere / sociable / straightforward / sympathetic / thoughtful / tidy / tough
understanding / versatile / warmhearted / willing

Movie Characters – Level: pre intermediate

Objectives

• ·         Identify emotions in a character
• ·         Reflect on a personal experience

Stage 1: Students watch a movie and then analyze the character's feeling at a certain moment in the film. What was he/she feeling at that moment? How did he/she solve the problem? What was the outcome? 

Stage 2: Students reflect on something important they have accomplished in life. What were the obstacles they had to overcome? What was the result? How did they feel? They can choose a song that may represent their experience.

Extra:They can also work with the lyrics of some movie themes that feature heroes like: Rocky, Magnificent Seven or Superman.

STORY STRING  - Level: Intermediate

Objectives:

• Engage students in a creative process
• Build on the contributions of others
• Develop group cohesion

A player says the first line of a story, e.g. “It was a stormy day.”  A  second player goes to the opposite side of the room and says the last line of the story, e.g. “I went to bed safe and sound.” Players must fill in with declarative statements between the 1^st and last line and make up a story. Each time a 'new idea' enters the chain, everyone in line repeats their line in the order in which they are standing, until the story is completed

What you are saying is …. – Level: upper intermediate

Objectives:   

•            Listen carefully to what other person is saying without judgment
• ·         Develop creative thinking

The teacher chooses a topic for discussion and two students take opposite sides. e.g. “Living in the country is better than living in the city” Living in the city is better than living in the country” The partners face each other.

Each partners shares their opinion one sentence at a time, and the partner responds by paraphrasing the sentence without using the same words,  "So what you're saying is..."

Example:

Partner 1: The country is better than living in the city because it is quieter and more peaceful.

Partner 2: So what you're saying is that you can lead a more relaxed life in the country because the city is much more stressful and noisier.

If partner 1 says "yes, that's what I said," then partner 2 shares a sentence and partner 1 paraphrases it.

Follow up activity: Some questions for reflection:

What was it like to paraphrase what your partner said?

Were you aware of your own judgements or perceptions interfering with simply re-stating their point?