1. Emotional Development Guide
For the competent
Forest Schools Practitioner

2. Emotional Intelligence
“Emotional Intelligence is a master aptitude, a capacity that profoundly affects all other abilities, either facilitating or interfering with them” Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence P.80
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16/01/2019

3. Why?
Research*has shown that helping children to develop their “Emotional Intelligence” will help them to learn and to be happy, confident individuals. It is fundamental to their success in life
The Forest School ethos is centred around nurturing the person in their whole development, but particularly in the development of awareness and skills which will promote their increased self esteem and confidence
* Emotional Intelligence-why it can matter more than IQ. Daniel Goleman 1996
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16/01/2019

4. What is Emotional Intelligence?
Goleman describes 5 aspects of EI:
Self Awareness
Managing Emotions
Motivating Oneself
Empathy (recognising emotions in others)
Social Skills (handling relationships)
These have been recognised by the Primary National Strategy as fundamental and launched in Schools as the ‘Social Emotional Aspects of Learning – (SEAL)
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16/01/2019

5. What is Emotional Intelligence?
Remember Multiple Intelligences?
Verbal/Linguistic
Bodily/Kinaesthetic
Visual/Spatial
Logical Mathematical
Musical/Rhythmic
Naturalist
Intra-Personal
Inter-Personal
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16/01/2019

6. What is Emotional Intelligence?
Intrapersonal + Interpersonal = Ei
The outer-intelligence we use to read,
sense and manage our relationships
with other people
The inner-intelligence we use to know, understand and motivate ourselves
Self Awareness Self regulation Self Motivation
Relationship Management
Awareness of impact
Core Capabilities
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7. Knowing how you and others feel and what to do about it
Knowing what feels good and what feels bad and how to get from bad to good
Possessing emotional awareness, sensitivity and the management skills that will help us maximise our long-term happiness and survival
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16/01/2019

8. E+R=O
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16/01/2019

9. E+R=O
E is the Event – The things that life throws at us that we don’t necessarily influence.
R is our response to that event
(responsibility or response – ability)
O is the outcome
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16/01/2019

10. Emotional Management Dynamics of Emotions (Chain Reaction)
Real or Imagined
E Activating Event
Interpretation (based on beliefs/experiences)
Rational or irrational
R Consequences / Reaction
Behaviour/Actions
O Favourable/unfavourable situation
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11. E+R=O
We have no influence on the E bit of the equation. So if we want to influence the O the only way we can do that is through our R.
The greater the emotional intelligence the more ‘choices’ an individual has and the more chance to create a favourable outcome (O)
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16/01/2019

12. So how do we decide what our Reaction will be?
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13. Basic Brain Biology The Triune Brain
Reptilian – Is responsible for our most primitive thoughts. Territory, Light, Warmth, Flight or Fight
Limbic System – The emotional centre of our brain. It is responsible for our Long Term Memory, our values, our beliefs about ourselves and our self confidence.
Neo-Cortex – Is responsible for our conscious thought processes and strategies.
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16/01/2019

14. The Quick & Dirty route
Because the brain is constantly being bombarded by millions of items of information it employs two different ways of processing it.
The ‘quick and dirty route’ to the Amygdala
(the ancient part of the brain responsible for the subconscious decision. (Reflexive response to new situations) (fight or flight) (Reaction)
The cognitive route (measured, thought-through objective response, consequences)
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16/01/2019

15. R. (Response)The Brain decides…..
What it decides to do depends upon:
The emotional ‘memories’ stored in the amygdala.
The strategies and skills that the individual has access to in their ‘higher brain’ (neo-cortex)
Sometimes behaviour is inappropriate to the stimulus – this is called emotional highjacking, when the brain chooses to respond to the information received via the quick and dirty route. This can be because of previous experiences, or because the person is already in an emotional state from previous stimuli (cumulative effect)
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16/01/2019

16. EI Development
Age 0-5(ish) Emotional memory systems developing (Limbic) Age 3 onwards Cognitive memory systems developing (Cortex) Ideally children will start to experience a ‘Flow’ state where they are totally absorbed in their activities. ‘Flow’ induces dopamine production (a feel-good hormone) which makes the activity pleasurable, increasing motivation and promoting learning Mylenation When neural paths are well travelled (when something is well-practiced) the connections become strengthened with a myelin sheath. This makes for easy semi- automatic access.
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16/01/2019

17. EI Development
Hormones – Children are different. Their exposure to different hormone mixes at different stages in their development makes their brains different (on average) and can make them think and behave very differently, and have different EI strengths.
Stress – An individual under stress cannot learn well. The presence of adrenaline and cortisol (which alter bodily functions in preparation for fight or flight) inhibit myelinisation
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16/01/2019

18. How can Forest Schools help to develop Emotional Intelligence?
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16/01/2019

19. How Forest Schools can help Emotional Intelligence Development
By offering participants lots of appropriately challenging new experiences, routines and repetition, and by supporting them to achieve, Forest Schools programmes can:
Reinforce or lay down new positive ‘emotional memories’ (feelings about situations)
Lay down ‘motorway’ (mylenated) connections through the brain to develop and quickly access helpful life skills and strategies
Improve self esteem and confidence
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16/01/2019

20. How can you promote emotional development?
Help participants achieve the flow state (alpha brain waves) with your Silence and Presence - work alongside and offer support by presence-only intervening if asked or if danger to safety or wellbeing *
Be a role model – We can all keep working on our own EI
*Silence and Presence Study Paper – Merrivale – Teacher Net
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16/01/2019

21. How can you promote emotional development?
Create a secure and safe environment to help participants to explore and practice strategies and skills (both practical and emotional)
Learn to de-escalate situations with timely interventions (reminders, caring gestures, ‘hurdle help’, redirection, removal…)
©Archimedes Training Ltd
16/01/2019