ast week I informed our boys in assembly that the world is our making.  It is our viewpoint that establishes whether it is a good world.  I commented that there are ways of ‘looking’ – we can see a rosebush with thorns or a thornbush with roses. 

Emotional Intelligence – EI or EQ – is all about being mindful… and taking responsibility for our thoughts.  We often hear the phrase “take responsibility for your actions” but we seldom explicitly educate our kids to take responsibility for their thoughts! 

It is sad to know that if you ask adults – how many teachers did you have who taught you how to think?  The answer is commonly only one or two.  Only one or two touch our thinking – that is how special the special teacher is.

Thinking and sharing – that is what it is ALL about.

We all journey through life with our inner thoughts guiding us, deliberating for us, justifying ‘us’, at times hiding ‘us’ to protect us, and often misleading ‘us’.  It is how we think that makes us who we are and makes us appreciate.

Thinking contains ‘knowing’ but expands way beyond this lower order thinking skill.  Thinking allows us to empathise and share.  We are social.  Schools are institutions that draw together children to experience unity.  School educates a child to comprehend what society holds as important.

We have the key disciplines: Maths, English, Science, Social Studies, Creative Studies explicitly ‘taught’ at school.  These big five are our traditional milestones of an ‘educated’ mind.

I would like us to consider preparing our boys with minds full of much more.  I would argue we need to educate (to lead) our children to be community oriented.  Watch the following video and consider the emotional intelligence and awareness that comes from sharing our thoughts and feelings.

I would expect all of us would have some emotional reaction to this video.  This video highlights my firm belief – the affective teacher is an effective teacher.

What is clear is the opportunity for these moments – at school – come from a skilled practitioner looking for opportunities use the social construct of classes and school to purposefully teach emotional intelligence.  If we focus on lessons where we just fill – where we give but not share – such moments for learning about emotions and humanity are never given wings.  The very nature of this very sensitive moment is one that is guided and supported by a teacher with whom the children can trust.

Schools must understand and allow for lessons that over a day, a week, a year, lead children to explore and learn from a broad range of experiences, from each other and with support structures.

Holistic education is a broad education.  It is the ingredients used that follow a recipe for a resilient life.  As such, there needs to be some direct instruction – so the children learn how to receive.  There need to be lessons that repeat – so children learn routine.  There needs to be lessons that allow for one-to-one experiences – so children can confidently express.  There need to be lessons that group – so children can socialize.  There needs to be scaffolds with mentors – so children can be guided. And there needs to be lessons that are unstructured – so children can learn through play.