EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence or emotional awareness requires the following 5 key elements:
- Self-awareness
- Self- regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Good values
Effective interpersonal communication requires a high level of emotional intelligence to successfully manage your work and personal relationships. Therefore, it is important to know your emotions to build good relations!
PAST…PENPAL
Many children had pen-pals while growing up. Pen-pals were usually children in other countries with whom you would share stories and information about each other’s country, family, school, daily-life and future dreams by writing them a letter. It was an experience by which many children, including myself, gained valuable knowledge about other people and different cultures. While in lower school, I would often try to be first in line upon the delivery of the new school magazine so I could read the pen-pal section to possibly find a new friend. It was great fun choosing a new pen-pal and reading their stories, with the anticipation of one day traveling to the far-away country to meet my new friend.
EQ KEYS
The Pen-Pal interaction was encouraged by the teachers because it was more than just a social activity. It was also a way of helping students become more interested in history and geography. On the social level, the interaction helped build emotional intelligence as it brought attention to emotions (self-awareness) and how they helped shaped one’s response to a particular activity or action. Of course, how one’s emotions are expressed is determined by how well they were managed (self-regulation) and must take into consideration the parties involved. The pen-pal activity helped students (motivation) to establish and maintain good relationships with others while developing the empathetic levels to recognize and appreciate the differences and challenges (empathy) in each other’s lives and cultures. The values expressed by most students were authentic, kind and thoughtful (good values).
PRESENT…SOCIAL MEDIA
With the advent of the computer and social media we have moved beyond manual letter writing but the interpersonal sensitivity communication requirements remain the same as we traverse the global marketplace. Social media is mainly about building relationships and is emotion driven, so it’s important that you remain aware of the role that emotional intelligence plays inorder to project a good image.
Support Reading: Walking Miles in Sensible Shoes written by Norma Fay Nicholson. Walk with her through adversity and great triumph. The book highlights the authors use of emotional intelligence; empathy, active listening and good values in team building. Great read!
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Yes, I do remember having penpals from around the world! It was a project in 5th grade I believe and it was loads of fun.
Joline, it was great fun for me too while I learnt a thing or two. Thank you for sharing!
I can see this. I try to have all of these things. I know I have met all sorts of people on social media.
Hi Amber, I agree social media is great for sharing.
This might be useful for my boys. It will help them with writing.
Absolutely, it can definitely help! Thank you Tara!
I do understand the role of emotional intelligence to protect our image on social media. It’s helpful when building relationships and connections on any platform
Yes, we should project a positive and healthy image on social media. Thanks for your feedback Beth!
Building good relations involve understanding and being aware of our emotions!
Claudia, its important that we practice our “needs literacy” skills inorder to become fully aware of our emotions and those of others. Thank you!
Emotional Intelligences by Daniel Goleman was published in 1995 and I had the opportunity to learn from him as a teacher. This is good stuff.
Thank you for your feedback Terri!
I remember having a pen pal while growing up. We did that in school. What a wonderful experience that was.
Hi! Its good to meet people from different countries and experience different cultures even if its only by writing to them. We can learn a lot about the world from others. Thank you for sharing Kathy!
I think this is gonna be useful to my kids, specially to my boys. I’m sure this will help them a lot.
Hi Richelle, I hope its an activity your children will enjoy. Thank you!
This is a very interesting read. Things are so different in this day and age between the digital age and the pandemic.
Hi Marysa, I am glad you found the article interesting! Thank you!
I really enjoyed this post, I remember having a Penpal in first grade.
Hi Tasheena! I am glad you enjoyed my post. Thank you!
I think we can all relate to this one. Social media is the latest thing for me. I am really starting to enjoy Pinterest and Instagram
Hi Rosey! I am glad you were able to relate to my post. Thank you!
I had pen-pals when I was in elementary – two from Canada and two from the U.S. It lasted for years and that was before the internet. 🙂
Hi Lyndee, writing to pen-pals was the thing to do in lower school I had from a few countries but sadly we have lost touch. Thank you for your feedback!
Pen pals are so wonderful. I still remember a pen pal I had when I was younger.
Hey Sara, writing to a pen-pal is great fun. Thank you!
I don’t have a penpal. I wish my kids have some one. But they are more into social media than any writing or reading.
Hi Swathi, social medial seem have taken over our lives, right? Its never too late to help children see the world in a different way and from a different perspective. Have fun and thank you!
What an interesting read! I never had a penpal, but I made several good friends via social media ❤️🙂
Hello Everything Enchanting, I am happy that you found my post interesting. Thank you!
I so love this post and it brings me back to my childhood as we gad penpals when in school. It was lots of fun and I would love to have a PenPal now 😉
Hi Melissa Cushing! I am glad you found joy in my post. Please continue to share with the community. Thank you!