By: Katherine Cronk
We have all experienced frustration with our emotions as we try and navigate through adolescence as gifted students. For me personally, and especially when I was younger, I would grow angry with myself as I couldn’t process what I was feeling in moments of emotional stress. I, like most others, was never formally taught how to cope with extreme emotions that are associated with this “giftedness” that we have been classified as having. Our emotional wellbeing is often overlooked. We are seen by adults as not needing this additional education because of our excelled conventional knowledge. At MSA, that has been different. Each day we have what is called Cor:PSD (Cor as in heart, and PSD standing for personal-social dynamics), a program designed to help teach gifted students personal and social skills and awareness. Over these three weeks we are going to be exposed to uncomfortable questions, and emotionally strenuous conversations. In my PSD we were asked to consider what we wanted out of MSA. I love data (surprise) and love measuring changes in myself. So I asked, what measurable changes will us scholars go through because of Cor:PSD?
Digging deeper into this question led me to a subject called social emotional learning. SEL is a major topic in the fight for comprehensive education for America’s youth. I reached out to the director of Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab (one of his many impressive titles related to SEL research) in hope he could assist with my research. With his direction to resources, I decided that my best way to proceed would be to administer emotional intelligence tests to scholars at the beginning of the academy, and again at the end. I hope to see a clear difference in their scores, indicating the ability to teach high school students these necessary skills.
I’m hoping to get as much data as possible. If you would like to participate in my study please take the 33 question test attached and answer honestly. At the end of the academy I will post the link once more and have you take the test again. I hope to prove that emotional intelligence education is not only highly impactful, but is a study that can help every student, including gifted ones.
This is the final test to take. Thank you!
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