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Sunday, August 3, 2014

Social Emotional Intelligence Activities

Social Emotional Intelligence Building Activities and Lessons | Social Emotional Intelligence Lessons

How do you teach children to understand the importance of grace, friendship, empathy, selfless acts, charity, generosity, kindness, honor, responsibility and belonging? How do you create a generous, stress free and totally unexpected harmonious classroom in today's complex stressed out world? The answer is use inspirational narratives and emotional stories that your students will connect with and will inspire them to grow emotionally.

My favorite tool for building, modeling and teaching social emotional intelligence is inspirational youtube videos! I start my morning meetings at least twice a week with a video with incredible emotional content that helps create a dialogue and inspires students to reach deeper and find the best human traits they want to make part of their hearts.

Social Emotional Intelligence is a bigger predictor of academic success due in part; students with high Social Emotional Intelligence adapt better to a modern classroom. Teaching students empathy, compassion, humility, character, honor, duty and civility is more important today with the changes to society. Character and values lessons start in the home with parents and elders telling fairy tales and fables to educate the young about right and wrong. Young ones learned about the perils of lying, pride, anger and selfishness vicariously and safely though the characters in the stories. I use music in addiction to fairytales and fables to build emotional intelligence.

The Bald Man and the Fly

A FLY bit the bare head of a Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy
it, gave himself a heavy slap. Escaping, the Fly said mockingly,
"You who have wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a
tiny insect, see what you have done to yourself to add insult to
injury?' The Bald Man replied, "I can easily make peace with
myself, because I know there was no intention to hurt. But you,
an ill-favored and contemptible insect who delights in sucking
human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had
incurred a heavier penalty." Aesop 600 B.C.

[Revenge will hurt the avenger]

Parents and elders knew in 600 B.C. that people need morals, values, grace and character. I start everyday with a fairytale, fable, motivational video or an inspiring song. The idea is to set the table and give my students a recharge to their Social Emotional Intelligence. Warning the videos will make you cry and the last video is not for kids under 14! 

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