Why Emotional Intelligence is Important for Students?

Bookish knowledge is not everything that a student needs to thrive in the real world. As a teacher, helping them become a better person is also about allowing them to identify, process, and connect with their emotions. This is when emotional intelligence is required. But what is it?

What is the importance of emotional intelligence in students and how to incorporate strategies to develop it in your students? Keep reading to learn more.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to successfully interact with your own emotions by identifying, understanding, regulating, and managing them.

However explaining what is emotional intelligence is not a linear process. Emotional intelligence in students is a concept that has several dimensions to it that cannot be grasped until you notice it in action in your students.

Why is Emotional Intelligence Important for Students?

Students need to develop high emotional intelligence not just to succeed in their careers but also to maintain a healthy personal life. Here’s why it is important:

1. Better Academic Performance

   Emotional intelligence helps students cope with emotions faced during the different stages. For example, with high emotional intelligence, a student can successfully cope with the stress faced during their exam period or the disappointment after not performing well.

   When they have high emotional intelligence, they can identify emotions and understand how to tackle them successfully without letting them distract them from performing well in their academics.

2. Enhanced Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation

   Having the ability to assess your own values, emotions, and thoughts and understand how they influence your actions is known as self-awareness. Students with high emotional intelligence have enhanced self-awareness which helps them identify their own strengths and weaknesses, catering to success, growth, and optimistic attitude. Self-reflection can help them tackle their emotions and learn from their experiences.

3. Improved Stress Management

   Unfortunately, stress is a part of a student’s life. Whether it is about coping with their studies, handling peer pressure, managing relationships with friends and families, or juggling between their social life and studies, students have to work on their stress management skills. If not, the stress may affect them in their academic as well as their personal lives.

   When students are emotionally intelligent, they can manage their emotions well enough to keep stress out of their way and not allow it to dictate their personal or academic lives.

4. Better Communication

   Emotional intelligence in students teaches them empathy and compassion for others. When a student understands other’s emotions and try to see from their viewpoints, they become less hurtful and more supportive of people who do not align with their perspectives. This builds relationships and even allows students to keep their views in front of others, building stronger connections and communication skills.

5. Enhanced Problem Solving

   The importance of emotional intelligence does not just end here. With high emotional intelligence, students tend to be less impulsive in making decisions. They are more likely to analyse the problem or challenge and critically think about it before coming up with a solution, developing their problem-solving skills.

A Real-Life Example of Emotional Intelligence in School

During an algebra lesson, Aarav notices that his classmate, Riya, seems lost. While the rest of the class nods along, Riya looks visibly frustrated. Aarav, picking up on her discomfort, decides to lend a hand. Once the class ends, he quietly approaches her and offers to go over the concept together.

Grateful for his kindness, Riya agrees, and they find a quiet spot to sit. Aarav patiently breaks down the algebraic equations into simpler steps, making the process less overwhelming. He encourages Riya to ask questions, reassuring her that it’s perfectly normal to need extra time to grasp a tricky concept.

This moment is a perfect example of emotional intelligence in action. Aarav’s behaviour reflects:

• Empathy: He senses Riya’s frustration and steps in to help without making her feel embarrassed.
• Self-awareness: Aarav recognises his own strengths and uses them to support a classmate.
• Social skills: He communicates patiently and positively, creating a safe space for Riya to learn.

Thanks to Aarav’s thoughtful approach, Riya now understands the lesson better and regains her confidence to engage in future classes. It’s a simple act of kindness, but one that showcases the power of emotional intelligence in everyday life.

Teaching Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom

Now that you know the importance of emotional intelligence in students, it’s time to make them better at it by employing some strategies in the classroom. Here’s how you can teach emotional intelligence in the classroom to ensure your students are empathetic:

1. Begin with a Positive Environment

   The process of teaching emotional intelligence in the classroom begins with a positive classroom environment. As a teacher, your prime duty is to make the classroom atmosphere inclusive so that every student feels comfortable in sharing their viewpoints and expressing their emotions. For this, you need to build an open communication channel by using positive reinforcement.

2. Implement Relevant Learning Plans

   Emotional intelligence in students will not develop until it’s integrated into the lesson plans. To make this happen, include discussions and activities that promote empathy and self-awareness. Lesson plans should be designed in a way that helps students identify and analyse their own as well as other’s emotions.

   Integrating SEL (social-emotional learning) programs into the school curriculum can also help in developing emotional intelligence in students through education. The SEL framework works on the key emotional components, such as self-management, self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and decision-making.

3. Introduce Mindful Techniques

   Make sure to dedicate a small portion of the classroom time to implementing mindful techniques like guided meditation or deep breathing exercises daily. Through these mindful exercises, students foster a calm mindset and learn how to manage anxiety and stress effectively.

4. Make Parents a Part of This

   Developing emotional intelligence in students does not end in the classroom. The home is also where students spend a significant amount of their time. Hence, involving parents in this entire emotional intelligence development process is important.

   Provide them with the necessary resources needed to develop emotional intelligence in students. Make sure to keep an open channel of communication between you and the parents so that they can reach out whenever they feel the need to.

Make Your Students Emotionally Intelligent with Extramarks!

Facilitating emotional intelligence in students is important for their brighter futures, and Extramarks can help you by creating a personalised learning journey that promotes emotional growth and self-awareness. Our adaptive platform provides customised feedback, guiding students to reflect on their progress and identify areas for improvement.

Beyond academics, these features help boost confidence, build emotional resilience, and encourage empathy for a better understanding of your student’s own as well as other’s emotions.

Last Updated on February 6, 2025