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Quiz: How high is your emotional intelligence?

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Quiz: How high is your emotional intelligence?

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This is a fun exercise. It might not be super scientific, but it goes over some great points about emotional intelligence.

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Practice makes perfect. To become ambidextrous in basketball, dribble with your left hand, switch to your right, and repeat the process again and again. Likewise, to solve differential equations in math, pile them up and work your way through them diligently.

According to one popular school of thought, it's this active, repeated manipulation of material that lays the neural foundations for skill development. All too often, time away from the basketball court-or the math books-is seen as a break in the learning process, a way to cool off, reenergize, and then return to the vital work of actual practice.

But for Leonardo Cohen, a neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health and the senior author of a June 2021 study published in the journal Cell, the idea that breaks are a cooling-off period is a misconception.

Cohen and his colleagues used magnetoencephalography-a highly sensitive brain-scanning technique-to observe the neural activity of young adults as they learned how to type with their nondominant hand. After a practice session, the study participants were given a short break and then continued practicing for a total of 35 sessions.

When analyzing the data, Cohen's team made an intriguing discovery: They observed a spike in brain activity, mimicking the neural pattern seen during the practice session, but compressed by twentyfold. Rather than being idle, the brain was replaying the practice session over and over at an astonishingly high rate of speed-flipping the material from the neocortex, where sensory and motor skills are processed, to the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, over two dozen times in the span of 10 seconds. Stepping away from the activity, it turns out, is not stepping away from the activity at all.

The findings echo the groundbreaking discovery in 2001 that after successfully running through a maze, rats replayed those memories repeatedly during REM sleep, with the same spatial circuitry flickering to life as they slept.

An Inside Look

When we learn a new skill, we need to connect it to previous memories, explains Cohen, a process called "binding." For example, when learning how to play piano, our brains need to link a simple action-pressing a piano key-with a larger, more complex skill, such as playing a song. Until now, scientists have been unable to decipher how the brain connects these two discrete actions into a consolidated skill.

Cohen's team discovered that after learning new information, our brains continue to whir, using cognitive downtime as a virtual staging ground to process, organize, and integrate learned information. The key, they believe, lies in neural replay, the "temporally compressed reactivation of neural activity patterns representing behavioral sequences during rest." In other words, after practicing a skill, our brains rapidly cycle through the experience, compressing and imprinting the material to optimize storage and recall.

We greatly underestimate the value of breaks when learning, Cohen and his colleagues assert, commonly opting for an approach that views active practice as the only way to advance. But that's a mistake, because incorporating breaks into learning "plays just as important a role as practice in learning a new skill. It appears to be the period when our brains compress and consolidate memories of what we just practiced."

Brain Breaks During School

In the classroom, "brain breaks should take place before fatigue, boredom, distraction, and inattention set in," writes neurologist and classroom teacher Judy Willis, and that means they should be far more frequent. "As a general rule," Willis continues, basing her conclusions on decades of research, "concentrated study of 10 to 15 minutes for elementary school and 20 to 30 minutes for middle and high school students calls for a three- to five-minute break."

You don't have to overthink it, or add to your workload by planning entertaining activities. Willis recommends simple techniques, such as a stretch break, moving to a different part of the room, or singing a song to give students time to "replay" what they've learned and to prepare them for more practice or new material. Letting students chat informally for a few minutes should also work well.

As the school day progresses, there's evidence that brain breaks become increasingly important. A 2016 study found that "cognitive fatigue" sets in toward the end of the day, leading to a notable drop in test performance: For every hour later in the day, test performance decreased by 0.9 percent of a standard deviation, the researchers found-roughly the equivalent of losing 10 school days' worth of learning. Incorporating breaks, however, not only eliminated the decrease but actually increased performance. "Importantly, a break causes an improvement in test scores that is larger than the hourly deterioration," the researchers discovered. "Breaks, it appears, recharge students' cognitive energy, thus leading to better test scores."

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We Drastically Underestimate the Importance of Brain Breaks

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When it comes to optimizing learning, we don't value breaks enough, neuroscientists suggest in a new study.

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Self Care for Teachers Who Educate Traumatized Students

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Self Care for Teachers Who Educate Traumatized Students

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This article gives ideas to support weary educators and even has a link to a Life Stress Test.

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It can be difficult for educators, who are so often over-tasked and under-resourced, to prioritize self-care. But doing so is incredibly important and beneficial, both for educators and their students, especially when it comes to supporting students affected by trauma. Teaching is emotional labor, so here are some ways for trauma-informed educators to cope, care for themselves, and prevent burnout.

Working trauma-adjacent

Educators who work with students impacted by trauma run the risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress, also referred to as compassion fatigue or vicarious trauma. According to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, compassion fatigue is "the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another." Compassion fatigue is a common result of working with those who have endured traumatic experiences; it is prevalent amongst healthcare professionals, social workers, and educators.

Recognize the signs of compassion fatigue

The symptoms of compassion fatigue are similar to those associated with first-hand trauma:

isolation

depression

difficulty focusing

aggression

anxiety

insomnia

excessive drinking

appetite changes

anger and/or sadness

Additionally, some may experience denial. This can be one of most dangerous symptoms, according to the Compassion Fatigue Project. "Denial is one of the most detrimental symptoms of Compassion Fatigue and Life Stress. It can easily hinder your ability to assess the level of fatigue and stress in your life, as well as thwart your efforts to begin the healing process."

In a school organization, leaders and peers should look for collective symptoms such as:

chronic absenteeism

struggles amongst teacher teams

aggressive staff behaviors

colleagues feeling overwhelmed or unable to finish their work

negativity toward school leadership

resistance to change

a general apathy toward the school mission and its success

Learn more: Take the Life Stress Test

In-school support

School leaders can help sooth compassion fatigue by offering professional development around self-care or mindfulness. Bring in a meditation or yoga teacher to lead the staff in some restorative practices. Give your staff an outlet and a safe space to talk about the traumas they've taken on, and then provide training on healthy coping skills. Invite a counselor or let the school's counseling staff run a PD on trauma self-care. Mindfulness strategies, a fun team-building outing, writing exercises, and even small-group counseling sessions help those of us who spend our lives helping others. Not a school leader? Suggest these ideas to your principal or start your own staff wellness group!

Learn more: Powerful Resources for Teaching Through Trauma or Tragedy

At-home self-care

Teachers are busy, but sacrificing healthy routines to make room for the needs of others only makes us less effective at what we do. Julie Owens, Associate Professor of Education, says, "In order to support students or those around you, you must first support yourself! Think of the banking system. You need to have money to make withdrawals. If you have nothing left to give, because you have not taken care of yourself, your "bank" will be deficient and you will be even more stressed. Practice mindfulness strategies, do things you enjoy, and remember you are worthy of being cared for also."

Meal planning, drinking water, exercising, prioritizing sleep, and practicing meditation can help keep you strong, regulated, and steady. Create routines that allow your to-do list to get done while also preserving some "me time." Try not to do school work after 7pm or commit to no devices after 10pm. And seriously, it's ok to say "no" sometimes. You can't do it all, nor should you. Stay on top of your needs by taking a mindful minute a few times a day and ask yourself: What does my body need right now? What does my mind need right now?

Self-preservation mindsets

It's common for teachers to feel a perpetual sense of failure when they aren't able to fix all of the ills and woes of their students. One way to help build some healthy emotional boundaries is to identify what you wish you could do versus what you can actually do. You cannot eradicate or prevent all suffering for your students. But you can show up each day, support your students, advocate for them, and love them. Begin each morning by thinking of your students and say to yourself: "I will provide a loving and safe environment in my classroom today." At the end of each day, breathe in slowly to calm your system. Breathe out and say, "I have done good work today. I will let the stress and worry go until tomorrow."
Learn more: Essential Strategies for Managing Trauma in the Classroom
Build a strong peer network
Jennifer L.M. Gunn spent 10 years in newspaper and magazine publishing before moving to public education. She is a curriculum designer, teaching coach, and high school educator in New York City. She is also cofounder of the annual EDxEDNYC Education Conference for teacher-led innovation, and regularly presents at conferences on the topics of adolescent literacy, leadership, and education innovation.
Don't go it alone. Work to cultivate a school culture where supporting each other is the norm. Building and relying upon small support groups, staff teams or work/home friendships can help make the work more manageable. When we realize we're not alone, the burden gets lighter. It's important that these support networks remain a positive resource, rather than a breeding ground for negativity. Take a walk with a colleague during your prep. Begin meetings with some breathing exercises. Take time to compliment the efforts of others. Positivity is contagious and peer support makes a strong foundation for your hard work.

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Tags: Mid-Career Teacher, New Teacher, Toolkit: Self-Care, Trauma and Resilience, Veteran Teacher, Work-Life Balance

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Self Care for Teachers Who Educate Traumatized Students | Resilient Educator

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It can be difficult for educators, who are so often over-tasked and under-resourced, to prioritize self-care. But doing so is incredibly important and beneficial, both for educators and their students, especially when it comes to supporting students affected by trauma. Teaching is emotional labor, so here are some ways for trauma-informed educators to cope, care for themselves, and prevent burnout.

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This reference sheet complements the Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) Workshop that many educators have attended this spring.

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The linked webpage describes a student leadership program from a school district in Texas. Community building and bullying prevention are big components of the program, and those happen to be important initiatives at Frameworks too!

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At Northside ISD we believe every student deserves the highest quality education. Students are offered an education which honors their voice and prepares them to engage, contribute, and succeed.

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The linked article from FAST Company speaks to the importance of teaching emotional intelligence in the business world. 

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It's Time To Teach Empathy And Trust With The Same Rigor As We Teach Coding

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It's Time To Teach Empathy And Trust With The Same Rigor As We Teach Coding

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Frameworks of Tampa Bay's mission is to empower educators, youth services professionals, and parents and guardians with training, coaching and research-based resources to equip youth with emotional intelligence skills.

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Children aren't born with EQ-these skills must be taught at school, at home, and across the community. When we proactively teach, model, and reinforce these skills, we equip children with tools to navigate their world, laying the foundation for success personally, academically, and one day professionally.

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Social and Emotional Learning Teaching practices are ways to foster Emotional Intelligence in multiple facets of the classroom.

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Emotional vocabulary is defined as the words we use to describe our feelings and our reactions to experiences. Teachers can support the social and emotional skill development of students by helping them build their emotional vocabulary.

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Empathy versus Sympathy