Can Emotional Intelligence Be Taught? - NYTimes.com

Posted by LetsShrug 11 years, 1 month ago to Education
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It's official. We're now in warpo bizarro world. (Please tell me I didn't just read 7 pages of elementary emotional brain washing....with mentions of adding this to common core.) It makes me seriously wonder when they plan to take kids out of homes to make them better citizens. I'm stunned grown adults go along with this.
SOURCE URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/magazine/can-emotional-intelligence-be-taught.html?src=me&ref=general


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  • Posted by Spinkane 11 years, 1 month ago
    I read it, this is my experience with that.
    After the Korean war was the baby boom. On long Island a builder named Levitt built economical housing. 1960 we moved to one of his neighborhoods; parents and eventually 6 kids. The newspaper clipping Dad saved said $9,999 be a homeowner; $10 down. All at once the houses filled. Irish, German, drinking, working. Average 4 kids a house and you have a lot of kids walking around with nothing to do. Mothers would say “go out and play.” that’s it; don’t come back until dinner don’t be late. Unbridled natural law was practiced in the streets, you negotiated alliances, truces, fought and loved. The school was mixed with us and kids from more affluent neighborhoods. Which side of the tracks mattered both ways, both sides were proud, naturally.
    In 5th grade I frustrated my teacher which I didn’t realize, I passed his class easy enough but talked to much, he told me he’d pay me back by sending me to the disciplinary class for 6th grade; which he did.
    6th grade I made straight A’s, learned how to fill out long form taxes, trigonometry (which came in real handy later in life) and all about European history. My teacher Joe was a tough old Jewish bastard who tolerated no bull shit. He was a brown belt in 3 martial arts and loved to play real handball, with a little black hard rubber ball; his hands were like stones. If you talked in class, he poked you in the chest while talking loudly at you. If you were late he’d stand at the door and smacked you in the back of the head as you walked in. Within a week we were flying right. The best part was he taught to the highest common denominator.
    The following years were back to crony apple polishing, conformity, social normality; it sucked.
    9th grade 4th quarter first assignment. My girlfriend, (a goody two shoes) had the same class 1st quarter and received an A- on the same assignment. I made the corrections to her paper and handed it in on time and received a C-. I brought both papers to the teacher the next day and told him I wouldn’t come to his class anymore; he graded me not the paper.
    10th grade English 1st quarter 1st assignment write a poem. The teacher read my poem, the class appreciated it. When he disclosed I was the author the majority of the class moaned and sneered at me; a few friends from” my side of the tracks” patted my back walking out at the end of class.
    I quit school and worked 16 hours a day, paid my mother rent and never took a hand out.
    One night I visited my teacher Joe at his house, just knocked on his door to say hello. He invited me in and we had a wonderful conversation over a glass of whisky (I was only 17). My favorite teacher.
    10 years later, reading Atlas Shrugged was a beacon of light, it was as if I was in the company of Joe again. I denied myself a complete formal education but I saved myself from social indoctrination.
    These days Joe would go to jail.
    Joe was 22 years retired Navy. The English teacher was also old and retired from some other profession. The worst teachers I had went from college into teaching and sheltered from reality their whole lives. Maybe if we cut salaries to one third, only retirees who know their ABC’s could afford to
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    • Posted by 11 years, 1 month ago
      Good story :) Logic is leaving and feelings rule the schools now. I have been saying lately, "I'm starting to think those nuns knew what they were doing....people turned out so better back then."
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  • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 11 years, 1 month ago
    Wow, seven pages of "none of their business.' The social engineers are always scheming. I'm sure many are of the best intentions, but it is not their place and some of the questions put to the children are out of order. In short, my experience has been that the best teachers and parents in regard to the child's emotional state and well being come down to giving encouragement when right and avoiding belittlement even when wrong, yet pointing out the right path. We don't need a course for that. The world is not always fair and one must learn to cope. The teacher or parent will not always be there to hold one's hand...
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  • Posted by khalling 11 years, 1 month ago
    this is not the biggest issue to focus on with kids in the classroom. Either it is a red herring or social engineering.
    the roshambo example is ludicrous. the practice is about denying reality in an effort to change to sociability of a very few. it teaches kids to cheat the game. Eventually, those kids who prefer to live in reality won't want to play. The exact opposite outcome you would desire! In a game where kids are voluntarily playing by the rules, their satisfaction will trump the onesies and twosies who are cheating. Cheating will bring no satisfaction. If they want to continue to cheat, eventually they will no longer find the game fun. They have excluded themselves from the fun and satisfaction of voluntarily following the rules of the game.
    have I told you I hate rock, paper, scissors?
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    • Posted by 11 years, 1 month ago
      What is the biggest issue?
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      • Posted by khalling 11 years, 1 month ago
        for those developing curriculum, it is first about learning logical systems and concepts. Since No Child Left Behind passed, overall scores have fallen, especially in the inner cities. Fewer kids graduate high school. Fewer students go on in math and sciences. and they're worried about teaching feeeeelings?
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        • Posted by Non_mooching_artist 11 years, 1 month ago
          I have a few "feelings" to make them aware of.

          All of this "everyone's a winner" bs has done more damage than a wooden spoon ever did.
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          • Posted by richrobinson 11 years, 1 month ago
            It's proof that government can never go backwards. Our public school system was much more effective pryor to the Department. of Education being established. At the very least we should abolish that department and return the control to the local level.
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  • Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 11 years, 1 month ago
    I made it nearly to the end of page 1. If it's now school policy to ask little kids what is going on at home, I predict once the kids are very comfortable with it the question will turn to are there any guns in your house? Do your parents have lots of cans of food in the garage? etc.etc.

    Sorry I just can't finish this article.
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    • Posted by 11 years, 1 month ago
      I had to force myself to finish it myself and admittedly I skimmed a lot. Intrusive questioning could lead to all kinds of stuff, along with the complete lack of any expected privacy in life. I agree with you completely.
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  • Posted by Rocky_Road 11 years, 1 month ago
    Like Wonky, I need more time to get through the entire article.

    But, what I skimmed is some sort of group therapy approach. The game examples on the last page were pretty interesting....

    Drugs would be cheaper, and quicker! ;-)
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    • Posted by 11 years, 1 month ago
      Playing Roshambo to decide if someone was tagged or not?? How about the teacher reffing the game and saying, "Tough shit slow poke boy, you got tagged. Suck it up!" (Okay, maybe not that exactly, but c'mon! Rock Paper Scissors??!! This is the grand wussification of America.)
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      • Posted by Rocky_Road 11 years, 1 month ago
        I'm with you.

        I pictured the kid that knew that he tagged someone, fair and square. Now, he has to let a game of chance decide if he really did tag the other kid. How can he not be pissed, if the Roshambo says that he never made the tag.

        I don't see any progress in this, and any emotional development for being cheated out of the tag, and then having the 'theft' sanctioned by a random hand game....

        Let's ask Mike!
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        • Posted by Wonky 11 years, 1 month ago
          Roshambo "teaching deeper lessons of fairness and problem-solving". In other words: Leave everything to chance, accept random judgements despite what you know, and suppress right and proper anger at injustice. It seems more like an attempt to erase our innate sense of fairness and destroy our problem-solving nature.

          It is pretty disgusting. It's like a religion without the presumption that a god is controlling the random hand gestures to enact divine justice. Let go of the wheel and play roshambo with your passenger to see if the car will drive itself.
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          • Posted by 11 years, 1 month ago
            The underlying message is again the don't notice, don't judge, ignore it. Get everybody to be uncomfortable with a worthy debate or discussion and before you know it, no one is talking. Kind of like right now, only worse.
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            • Posted by Wonky 11 years, 1 month ago
              "Get everybody to be uncomfortable with a worthy debate or discussion and before you know it, no one is talking. Kind of like right now, only worse."

              This really hits home with me. I'm beginning to have second thoughts about my gratitude for my public education. I've withheld my judgements and opinions from most people in social settings for so many years now, that it is almost second nature. I may have rationalized it as common courtesy or boredom or disinterest... hmm, time for a bit of soul-searching...

              Thank you for being you.
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  • Posted by Wonky 11 years, 1 month ago
    I'd never heard the term "emotional intelligence" before reading Daniel Goleman's book with that title many years ago. The phrase itself seems like a contradiction. I'd say that emotions can impede or support itellectual development, but that "emotional intelligence" is a popular myth.
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    • Posted by 11 years, 1 month ago
      Read the article...they're questioning kids about what upsets them at home. Schools are crossing a line... like privacy with intimidation tactics. Small kids don't know to say "It's none of your business." They are easy targets for intrusive questioning. This is SICK! Not to mention a total abuse of power.
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      • Posted by Wonky 11 years, 1 month ago
        It seems to me that the ideal of Buddhism is self negation. It is presumably attained by meditating away all emotions but compassion.

        It also seems to me that Christianity, being founded on the premise that all sins are forgiven, and that we should all forgive each other our trespasses, aims to control emotions.

        I've read that righteous anger is very healthy. How can there be any justice in a world full of people seeking to evade and suppress emotions rather than recognizing them as prompts to action?

        In case it's not clear, I agree with your assessment. Emotions are not a topic that schools should dabble in.
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