More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
April 22 - July 6, 2020
It’s one of the great paradoxes of the human condition—we ask some variation of the question “How are you feeling?” over and over, which would lead one to assume that we attach some importance to it. And yet we never expect or desire—or provide—an honest answer.
Our classroom research shows that where there is an emotionally skilled teacher present, students disrupt less, focus more, and perform better academically.
when we’re in the grip of any strong emotion—such as anger or sadness, but also elation or joy—we perceive the world differently, and the choices we make at that moment are influenced, for better or for worse.
how students feel is what gives meaning to what they are learning.
emotions determine whether academic content will be processed deeply and remembered.
We believe that our ability to reason and think rationally is our highest mental power, above our unruly emotional side. This is but a trick our brains play on us—in fact, our emotions exert a huge, though mostly unconscious, influence over how our minds function. This fact is especially evident when it comes to the decision-making process.
None of this is to say that emotion inherently clouds our judgment. In fact, with greater emotional awareness, just the opposite may be true: our feelings can serve as another form of information, telling us important things about how we’re responding to any given situation.
No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.
Emotional sickness is avoiding reality at any cost. Emotional health is facing reality at any cost.
Creativity is especially important in the face of adversity—when we’re disappointed because plan A didn’t work out; when we tried hard and still received negative feedback; when someone stands in the way of our progress or even tries to prevent it. We first have to manage our hurt or anger—not deny it but accept it and then put it to good use, as a motivational force. That’s where our creativity can come to our rescue and allow us to achieve our goal despite obstacles.
Whether an orchid or a dandelion child does better or worse likely has to do with how families, teachers, and peers support their emotional development.
Emotional intelligence doesn’t allow feelings to get in the way—it does just the opposite. It restores balance to our thought processes; it prevents emotions from having undue influence over our actions; and it helps us to realize that we might be feeling a certain way for a reason.
When we don’t have the words for our feelings, we’re not just lacking descriptive flourish. We’re lacking authorship of our own lives.
Problems are exacerbated when instructors and staff misunderstand students’ emotions and behavior or are unaware of their own biases.
My focus is on the continuous inequities in standardized testing and the lack of acknowledgment of children’s social and emotional needs in the classroom.
If students are going to learn, they need to feel the teacher’s emotional investment.
Classroom seating arrangements also have an influence. How creative or inspired would you feel if you spent all day sitting and staring at the back of a colleague’s head? Typical school architecture sends an emotionally rigid message of its own. Schools need to allow for some flexibility and acknowledge the human need for connection with our peers.
on average, for every dollar invested in SEL, there is a return of eleven dollars, a substantial economic return.
more than 120,000 deaths annually may be attributable to workplace stress, which accounts for up to $190 billion in health care costs.
Schools would be places where students spend time reflecting on their purpose and passion and developing the skills they need to make their dreams come true.
