Why do you believe SEL and EQ are important?
EQ is so vital to us as humans. It is connected to our identity development and ultimate impact on the world. Without E.I. the child/young adult will demonstrate decrease ability to be adversity/stress tolerant, decrease ability to adapt to ever-changing environments, diminish creativity, increase resistance to connection & learning, lack of clarity & effective action and
ultimately lack of purpose. Without purpose our drive and hope diminish and so does the person’s impact. IMPACT is one of our basic human needs…to use our gifts to serve the world.
Do you have any personal anecdotes about how SEL/EQ has brought you success in your personal life/career?
I have my own story of “darkness.” I suffered debilitating depression as a young adult that ultimately left me in a state of hopelessness and despair. Through working with an amazing team of coaches/leaders/practitioners I was able to find my Emotional Intelligence, fan it powerfully and ultimately create IMPACT with my unique gifts. I have taken my journey into the work I do today as a coach and speaker. At the core of my programs is amplifying your unique E.I. and with that have seen powerful shifts in my clients. By amplifying their unique E.I. they have learned “filter through the noise” and adversity quickly and shift into powerfully using their gifts to create IMPACT now! It is truly beautiful to watch.
What do you believe to be one or two of the main challenges in education (K-8) today?
Mental Wellness as well as Self-Identity are often not effectively addressed in schools. This leads to poor communication, low socialization skills as well as inability to process emotions or implement effective tools to rise during adversity.
Conversely, what do you believe to be one or two of the biggest opportunities in education (K-8) today?
Kids want to LEARN, they want to get it and ultimately achieve. Their brains are growing and creating new neuro-connections every day. They just need the right stimulus! This is such a prime opportunity to give them tools. Implementing Emotional Intelligence opportunities into every classroom can be done. When this happens we will see their Mental Edge, their
Leadership and their beautiful LEGACY be CO-CREATED with teacher and parent!