Emotional Aspects of Learning
Key theorists: Carl Rogers, Daniel Goleman
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Emotional intelligence / Emotional
Literacy
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Emotional intelligence, or EI is the ability to
recognise, understand, handle and appropriately
express emotions.
The concept of Emotional Intelligence, developed by
Daniel Goleman (1996), means you have a selfawareness that enables you to recognise feelings and
helps you manage your emotions. On a personal
level, it involves motivation and being able to focus
on a goal rather than demanding instant gratification.
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Emotional Intelligence / Emotional
Literacy
Key elements:
 Self awareness
 Self concept
 Managing feelings
 Making decisions
 Managing stress
 Personal responsibility
 Empathy
 Communication
 Cooperation with others
 Conflict resolution
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Emotional intelligence
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Just because someone is deemed 'intellectually' intelligent, it
does not necessarily follow that they are emotionally
intelligent. Having a good memory, or good problem solving
abilities, does not mean you are capable of dealing with
emotions or motivating yourself.
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Highly intelligent people may lack the social skills that are
associated with high emotional intelligence. However, high
intellectual intelligence, combined with low emotional
intelligence, is relatively rare and a person can be both
intellectually and emotionally intelligent..
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Emotional intelligence
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Self-motivated students tend to do better in school exams.
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The ability to interact well with others and having a good
group of friends, means students are more likely to remain in
education, whereas those with emotional difficulties tend to
drop out.
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On the negative side, low emotional intelligence can affect
intellectual capabilities. Depression can adversely affect the
results of an IQ test for example
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Video clip
Channel 4 documentary 2001, about
Emotional Intelligence (EI).
Interesting contributions by Howard Gardner
(Multiple Intelligences, LL week 2) & also
Daniel Goleman, originator of Emotional
Intelligence as an influential idea.
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Self-Esteem
“The task of enhancing self-esteem is
the most important facing any
school.”
Mosley, J. (1993) Turn Your School Around. Wisbech:LDA
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I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive
element in the classroom.
It’s my personal approach that creates the climate.
It’s my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s
life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture, or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis
will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanised or
de-humanised.
(Haim Ginnott from Teacher & Child, Macmillan, 1972)
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Self esteem is KEY
Many children who behave badly in school are those
whose self-esteem is threatened by failure. They see
academic work as unwinnable. They soon realise that
the best way to avoid losing in such a competition is
not to enter it.
(DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOL: REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY
CHAIRED BY LORD ELTON. 1989 –known as The Elton Report)
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How children see themselves
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SELF CONCEPT: a
child’s picture of
himself
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The value the child puts
on this self-image is his
SELF ESTEEM.
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Characteristics of children with high self-esteem:
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Have a greater capacity to be creative
More likely to assume active roles in social
groups
Less likely to be burdened by self-doubt, fear,
ambivalence
More likely to move directly and realistically
towards personal goals
Find it easier to accept differences between
own & others’ levels of performance
(academic, physical & relationships)
Worry less about physical appearance
So, will be more effective & successful
learners
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SOCIAL SKILLS
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Self-esteem is heavily
influenced by a child’s
ability to interact socially.
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For some children, their own
poor behaviour reinforces
their low self-esteem.
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Characteristics of children with poor social skills
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Often don’t adapt their behaviour to accommodate
needs of others
Tend to choose less socially acceptable behaviours
Have difficulty in predicting consequences of their
behaviours
Misunderstand social cues
Unable to adapt / perform social skills required for
particular situations
Unable to control impulsive or aggressive behaviour
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3 main areas need to be addressed:
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Identifying & expressing feelings
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Communicating with others
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Self-management
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2 key approaches:
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1. Circle Time
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2. SEAL (Social & Emotional Aspects of
Learning –(DfES 2005)
(More on this in Y2 Current Issues – but be aware if
including in Assignment 2.)
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What is Circle Time?
(Mosley, J. (1996), Quality Circle Time, LDA)
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Circle time is a weekly, timetabled meeting. It provides a
group listening system for enhancing children's selfesteem, promoting moral values, building a sense of team
and developing social skills.
It is a democratic system, involving all children and
giving them equal rights and opportunities.
It offers children a practical opportunity to discuss
concerns, consider and debate moral values, practise
positive behaviours and work out solutions and action
plans in a fun context.
Circle meetings are planned around a theme such as
‘getting to know you’, ‘feelings’, ‘bullying’.
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Key Benefits of Circle Time
(Mosley, J. (1996), Quality Circle Time, LDA)
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Sitting in a circle symbolically promotes the notion of
equal responsibility.
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Participation enables children to have a sense of
belonging to a group they can trust.
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It actively motivates those involved to share thoughts and
feelings.
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It initiates collective responsibility for the promotion of
self esteem and positive behaviour.
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It encourages self-discipline
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Structure for Circle Time
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Reminder of the rules
Introductory phase; game(s) that focus(es) on one of
the five skills –
thinking, looking, listening, speaking and concentrating
A mix up game
Ice-breaker
Middle phase – open forum; solving problems and
achieving goals.
Closing phase – celebration of success.
Wind down – ending ritual, calm game
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Rules for Circle Time
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Listen
Respect other people’s contributions
One person to speak at a time
Allowed to pass
What’s said in the circle stays in the circle*
No names are mentioned
*It is important to stress that you cannot promise children confidentiality. You need to
repeat this in every session and give a tangible example i.e.
‘However, you might say something important that I might need to speak to Mrs Dixon
about but if I told you something like I’m afraid of the dark, I wouldn’t want you telling
everyone in Year 5 about it because they might laugh at me.’
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Circle Time & what it is not
(Mosley, J. (2000), More Quality Circle Time, LDA)
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It is not just sitting around in a circle; it is a
whole-school model that concerns itself with
every moment of the child’s day.
It is timetabled – you don’t have a Circle Time
just because there was a fight in the
playground.
It is not a quick fix for difficult behaviour – it
is a long process of plan-do-review
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Video Extract:
Quality Circle Time in Action
Jenny Mosley is shown working with a Key
Stage 1 class with very little experience of
Circle Time.
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References: Circle Time
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Bliss, T & Tetley J (1995) Circle Time, Lucky Duck Publishing
Bliss, T, Robinson, G & Maines, B (1995) Developing Circle Time, Lucky Duck
Publishing
(Recommended by the Hants Behaviour Support Team)
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*Gutteridge,D. Smith, V. (2008) Using Circle Time for PSHE and Citizenship.
Abingdon: Routledge
Mosley, J (1993) Turn Your School Around, Wisbech:LDA
Mosley, J (1996) Quality Circle Time in the Primary Classroom, Wisbech: LDA
Mosley, J (1998) Poems for Circle Time and the Literacy Hour, Wisbech:LDA
Mosley, J. (2000) More Quality Circle Time. Wisbech: LDA
*Mosley, J.(2006) Step-by-step Guide to Circle Time for SEAL. Trowbridge:
Positive Press
Roffey, S. (2006) Circle Time for Emotional Literacy. London: Sage
www.circle-time.co.uk
www.ldalearning.com/ (Publishers of the Mosley books - has some free samples)
www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/library/circletime/
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Suggested Reading
IN READING PACK
Pound, L ( 2005) ‘Emotional Intelligence in
How Children Learn. Leamington Spa: Step
Forward Publications
Sharp,P.(2001) ‘What is Emotional Literacy?’,
Chapter 1 in Nurturing Emotional Literacy.
London: David Fulton
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Emotional Intelligence
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Goleman, D. (1996) Emotional Intelligence: Why it
can matter more than IQ. London: Bloomsbury
Goleman, D. (1999) Working with Emotional
Intelligence. London: Bloomsbury
Hook, P. & Vass, A. (2000) Creating Winning
Classrooms. London: David Fulton
Sharp, P. (2001) Nurturing Emotional Literacy.
London: David Fulton
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SEAL (Social & Emotional
Aspects of Learning)
All materials are downloadable from:
http://bandapilot.org.uk/primary/seal/ws_resourc
es.html
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/public
ations/banda/seal
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