Emotional Intelligence Cannot be Underrated

One of the terrible misconceptions about success and education is that student IQ is the strongest predictor of long term success. Within the last 40 years, however, educator training has moved into the direction of helping students cultivate and grow their EQ, otherwise known as “Emotional Intelligence.” Students with high EQs, studies show, are far more likely to reach high levels of academic achievement, ultimately succeeding in their endeavors both inside and outside the classroom when compared to students that may have high IQs but low EQs.

Incidentally, the same formula seems to transfer to STEM. That is, the prevailing stereotypical mentality of how STEM should “look” and “feel” can sometimes pose practical challenges for students that exhibit high levels of empathy and self-awareness. For example, even the connotation of the “hard sciences” suggests that STEM is fact-driven and objective. As such, students who have high EQs may often feel caught between their personal perception of Self and the superimposed limitations of injecting any subjectivity into the hard sciences.

Breaking down barriers – One of the best ways that parents can offset the influence of the presumed rigidity of STEM is by helping their children to bridge the gap between the abstract and the practical. For example, why would it be necessary to learn about the water cycle or acid rain? Educators and parents can help their students draw connections, in this instance, from the necessity of understanding the water cycle in order to one day solve the crisis of aggregate restricted access to clean water. In this way, the student is gaining the needed objective knowledge for the purpose of understanding the expanded impact and interconnectedness of solving problems that affect all of humanity.

Capitalizing on Expression –Of course, activities related to ELA, Social Studies, and the Fine Arts offer the most overt opportunities for self-expression, but what about STEM? Cyberspace is a great starting point. Due to widespread Internet use and ongoing access, students who show promise in Computer Science are able to express their own level of creativity by coding. The cool thing about coding is that is not reserved for advanced Computer Scientists or Engineers; coding opportunities are available for students of all ages.

EQ and Academic Survival – Students who are able to cope with challenges early on are much more likely to succeed in a collegiate environment when compared to students who never encounter difficulties until they enter into higher education. The solution to this difficulty is not found in ratcheting up success measures early on or by demanding higher levels of cognitive engagement in order to teach “how to deal with failure.” Instead, parents and teachers can work in tandem to foster environments that do not operate in an “either-or” fashion. Students who develop growth mindsets, understanding that their basic abilities are only a starting point, are able to properly understand that their identity is not wrapped up in rigid conceptualizations and categories of “failure” and “success.” Thus, growth-minded students, whether never having merited a low score or having struggled to merit higher marks on a continuous basis, are able to recognize their capacity for success as engendered in their perseverance, dedication, and passion for learning rather than in precise data or numerical outcomes.

The Future – 21^st century answers to centuries-old challenges will not come via the students of today that perform well on objective tests that never invoke the personhood of the test taker. A high IQ, which may land a student good grades, will never, in its isolated nature, produce a true problem-solver. A student consistently working to cultivate greater levels of self-awareness and compassion, however, may struggle along the way, but will eventually become the most successful person. The successful person, that is, who can understand the intrinsic value of others in a way that never equates rigid conceptualizations of success with human worth and dignity.

Written by Lindsay Reeves