Why Do Dubai Indian Schools Focus on Equipping Students With Emotional Intelligence?

Have you ever wondered about the secret superpower hidden inside you which helps you make friends, make the right decisions and conquer challenges? 

Well, there is one superpower in everyone. i.e. Emotional Intelligence!

Imagine, how cool it would be if everyone in this world could understand not just their feelings but also of others!

In this article, we’re going to understand more about this incredible power; emotional intelligence. So, let’s dig deep into the information and become more aware. 

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, also known as Emotional Quotient (EQ) helps you understand and manage your and other’s feelings. It’s like having a tool that manages your emotions and regulates your mind to process important events, people and situations in life. It is one of the most important tools you must have because it helps you feel more involved and connected to the world around you.

Why is it necessary to involve EQ in the Primary school in Dubai?

It is considered necessary as it offers multiple benefits, such as:

• Improved Relationships: EQ enables students to understand and connect with their peers, teachers, and family members by recognizing and empathising with their feelings, helping them to build stronger relationships.
• Enhanced Communication: With a strong EQ, students are able to communicate better. They are able to express their thoughts and emotions clearly.
• Better Conflict Resolution: EQ equips students with the skills which help them to manage conflicts constructively helping them to find solutions that work for everyone around them.
• Increased Empathy: Emotional intelligence helps students become more sensitive toward others which makes them kind and understanding human beings.
• Effective Problem Solving: EQ encourages students to approach challenges with a calm and rational mindset helping them to evaluate problems and make thoughtful decisions.
• Emotional Resilience: Students of Primary school in Dubai with high EQ are observed to be more resilient than schools that don’t prioritise EQ. This practice helps these students face adversity and disappointments with greater ease.
• Better Self-Regulation: EQ helps students manage their own emotions effectively by staying calm under pressure.
• Academic Success: Students with good emotional intelligence are more focused and motivated which helps them handle the stress of daily life and the future.
• Reduced Bullying: Students with strong EQ are less likely to engage in bullying activities as they understand the root cause of such negative acts and the consequences, resulting in the development of well-behaved personalities.
• Positive Mindset: EQ helps students to be positive even in challenging situations. Children do not doubt their abilities or think negatively even in tough scenarios, resulting in a healthy and positive sense of self-worth.

With the sense of belonging and connectivity EQ shows, it is evident that practising EQ in schools is necessary. We need to teach emotional intelligence to children from childhood in order to have a lasting impact on their overall development and build better societies.

How to Teach Different Emotions

Primary schools in Dubai teach different emotions to students through creative and engaging ways that help them understand and connect with their feelings. 

Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it:

1. Start with Basic Emotions: Introduce various emotions through colourful illustrations such as:-

• Happiness: A bright yellow sun with a smiling face.
• Sadness: A teardrop next to a rainy cloud.
• Anger: A red volcano erupting.
• Fear: A scared face.
• Surprise: Wide-open eyes with open jaw.

2. Tell Stories: Craft simple, age-appropriate stories that showcase emotions. For example, there was a girl named Lily who was about to meet her friends after a long time. While going to the park her face was glowing with happiness. When she saw her friends, she smiled and ran in joy to greet them. 
3. Engage Their Imagination: Encourage students to use their imagination by asking questions after stories like “Have you ever felt so happy as Lily?” Such questions will help them to connect with their own experiences.
4. Interactive Activities: Incorporate interactive activities that involve drawing. For example, ask students to draw various emotions or how their day is going. Such activities will help them to express their emotions visually and embrace their thoughts more freely.
5. Role-Playing: Dubai Indian school teachers assign different emotions to students and ask them to act upon them. This helps them recognize different emotions and understand why they occur in the first place.
6. Empathy Exercises: As students become more familiar with different emotions, teach them how to recognize these emotions in others by showing empathy and responding with kindness.
7. Encourage Expression: Encourage students to express their own emotions using words that have emotional vocabulary. Let them express themselves freely and talk emotionally.

How to Teach Students to Identify Emotions in Others

1. Use Facial Expressions: Show pictures or illustrations of people and ask children to identify what expressions or emotions they portray. 
2. Read Books and Watch Videos: Read age-appropriate books or show children videos of various characters experiencing various emotions and ask children to identify those emotions.
3. Empathy Stories: Tell children stories about real-life situations and ask them how the character might be feeling.
4. Mirror Game: Make different facial expressions showing various emotions and ask students to copy them in front of mirrors and identify which emotions they are mimicking.
5. Emotion Cards: Create flashcards of emotions and ask students to identify the emotion on each card.
6. Emotion Detective: Turn it into a fun game. Challenge students to identify the emotions of their classmates.

How to Expand Their Emotional Vocabulary

Here are a few examples of introducing emotional vocabulary. Explain to students what each word means and introduce these words to their daily lives:

• Joyful: When students experience extreme happiness, you can tell them that they are feeling joyful.
• Proud: When students draw a beautiful picture, tell them you are feeling proud of them.
• Surprised: Hide something and ask students to find it and when they find it show them what it means to be surprised.
• Emotion Journal: Ask children to keep a diary and ask them to note down their feelings in words every day. With time, they will trust themselves more and build confidence.

Conclusion

In today’s ever-changing world, emotional intelligence is an important tool that helps students in facing the challenges of life. It is as important as academic achievements. Therefore, when choosing a school for your child, consider a school like Dubai Indian School which prioritises EQ development alongside traditional academics. By equipping our children with the skills to understand and manage their emotions, we are providing them with a solid foundation for success, resilience, and meaningful relationships in the modern world.