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impulse running amok and emotions
out of control. He is certain that emotions education is what is
needed to help people behave more responsibly towards one another.
He uses a lot of jargon to refer
to emotions education, for example: emotional education, emotional
intelligence, emotional competency, emotional literacy, bringing
intelligence to emotion, emotional competency, emotional literacy,
emotional learning and schooling the emotions. However, the end result
he wishes is that people learn to subdue and control the emotional
habits that govern our lives. As he explains “the seed of all impulse
is a feeling bursting to express itself in action”.
He describes what I would call
emotions education classes in the Nueva Learning Center in San
Francisco where groups of up to sixteen youngsters focus on discussing
emotions and feelings involved in various social issues. In many of
the articles on values education on this website you’ll have seen
numerous references to behaviour change being an emotional issue.
People change when they come to their own realisation of the hurt and
pain they are causing others and eventually themselves. So emotions
education is a part of the values education approach. Goleman takes
twenty-six pages at the end of his book to outline what he thinks
needs to be done in emotions education.
Dr Bill is not so clever or innovative
Just when I thought I was being so clever – and
being so novel and so excited about describing and expounding of
values education, I come across an article by Robert McKechnie the
Head of Guidance at Broad Oak School in Weston-super-Mare from 1971 to
1986. He describes emotions education taking place in 1971 which is
almost identical to what I and some others have been proposing for
values education classes.
He describes how from 1971-1986 pupils aged between
13 and 17 in a large comprehensive school followed a two-year course
at secondary school to help them cope with life. The pupils shared
their feelings and values with each other about a whole range of
issues such as parenting, drugs, relationships, racism -- all
introduced by their own teacher/facilitator, who had been taught to
keep his mouth shut and 'hold the ring'. The groups numbered sixteen
only, made up of both boys and girls and a mixture of high and low
achievers as well as social groups. In this way, the pupils taught and
healed each other.
For the first time in their lives, the pupils had
regular weekly opportunities to face up to themselves and each other,
to recognise the hurt they could do -- or the good. As time went by,
the sharing produced trust, far greater self-knowledge, self-esteem
and respect for others. They learned what was important to them, what
was truly worthwhile. This enabled them to exercise self-control when
corrupting and potentially damaging influences came their way in
school or elsewhere, and thus gave them a better chance of keeping out
of harm's way and achieving worthwhile goals. Pupils began to care, to
look after each other.
McKechnie explains what is required for emotions education is to be successful. Pupils must be given the
freedom to be and so the teacher is trained in basic listening skills;
the groups are kept to a maximum of sixteen; the groups are fully
comprehensive; they sit in circles, following on from 'circle time' as
in primary school; the pupils do the talking, teaching and healing;
the teacher's job is to provide correct information and hold the ring;
the agenda of each topic is owned by the children, as in the best of
therapy -- so there is no 'hurrying on' because the curriculum says
so. Above all, the pupils must be allowed to believe that this work is
superior to anything else.
The research “goldmine” in emotions education
Just think of the number of research questions that
emotions education raises. First there is the task of tidying up the
terminology so we know what we are speaking about ( McKechnie refers
to "Feelings Education" – please not another education!). How would
one actually do emotions education? How do you bring out the emotions
in a social problem? What is the difference between anger management
and emotions education, say? Does emotions education work –
how do you measure success? How does emotions education differ from
the many other educations?
Good luck to some brave educationist or
postgraduate student!
Emotions education is an activity that requires skilled educators –
almost a therapeutic approach with an ability to help people focus
their conversations. Much more research is needed – especially
practical application. Dr Bill would be delighted to
advise
postgraduate students (with the agreement of their university or
college) interested in this fascinating field of emotions education.
Contact him on
bill@valueseducation.co.uk
Copyright © 2008 Values Education Ltd
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