EQ and Emotional Awareness

Many of us are familiar with the term “IQ” or “intelligence quotient,” which is a way of measuring intelligence. There is another form of intelligence, “EQ” or “emotional quotient” that measures a different kind of intelligence. EQ is about understanding our emotions and our ability to cope with difficult situations. The first step in growing our EQ is by first noticing and identifying our emotions. This week, we’ll be working on this skill by reflecting on our emotions and learning other names for our feelings.

Elementary Lesson

Instructions: 

1. Take a moment to look at this feelings wheel with your students. The inside circle is the more general or broad emotions, which are emotions that most people know and use. The outside circle is more specific emotions that we don’t usually use. 
2. Ask students to close their eyes and think about how they feel today. Is there just one feeling? Maybe there’s more than one feeling. 
3. Tell students it’s ok to feel different emotions at the same time. Sometimes, you feel upset that your mom woke you up early but you also feel excited to see friends at school, or you might feel lonely when you don’t have anyone to play with but also happy to be at home. Ask them, “How do you feel right now?”
4. Now, look back at the feelings wheel. Instruct them to close their eyes and pick a feeling. What is it? Do they know what it means? If they do, have them think of a time that they felt that feeling. If they don’t know what it means, have them ask a friend, teacher, or family member what it means - work together to think of a time that they felt that feeling. 
5. Tell the class to practice using this feelings wheel to learn about different emotions, what they mean, and when they’re feeling them. Consider checking in with students throughout the day and/or assigning some homework around tracking feelings.

Secondary Lesson

Instructions: 

1. Take a moment to review this feelings wheel. The inside circle is the more general or broad emotions, which are emotions that most people know and use. The feelings labels become more specific as you move to the outer circles. 
2. Ask the students to think about how they feel today. Is there just one feeling? Maybe there’s more than one feeling. What has caused the feeling(s) that they have today? 
3. Have the students reflect if they feel this way often? Or is there something about today that has changed their usual feelings? Tell them to give themselves permission to feel whatever it is that they’re feeling and consider if there’s something they want to do to change the way they’re feeling.
4. Next, have the class read through all the emotions, and notice the ones that they’ve never heard before. Have a class discussion about the unfamiliar ones to learn about them. Also notice the ones that they do know, but that they don’t use very often. 
5. Tell the class to practice using this feelings wheel to learn about different emotions, what they mean, and when they’re feeling them. Consider checking in with students throughout the day and/or assigning some homework around tracking feelings.

Follow-Up Activity

Emotions and the Brain

Instructions:  

1. Have the class watch this video and discuss or write about what they’ve learned about emotions and the brain. 
2. What questions came up for them as they watched the video? 
3. Why is it important to understand how our emotional brain works? 

Teacher Tips

As educators, we function as models for our students and our colleagues.  Practicing the use of the feelings wheel is great for us too. Often, acknowledging and verbally naming our emotions, offers relief from that particular feeling and it offers permission for our students to do the same. Keep a feelings wheel or emotions ID poster in your classroom and use it to highlight your feelings, such as when you’re feeling “proud” of student behavior and accomplishments.  Or share that you didn’t sleep well and feeling “tired and frustrated.” This transparency might elicit some compassion or empathy from your students, while modeling for them it is safe to be open and share.