By: Katherine Cronk
It’s the end already isn’t it? We spent these last three weeks making connections like never before, and learning in ways we didn’t see possible. We had hard conversations, and shared harder stories. We saw each other for who we truly are. You might of even seen yourself for the first time for who you truly are. Cor:PSD opened us up. It introduced thoughts and stories previously pushed down and hidden. PSD taught us how to be human in a world that expects perfection. Schools are missing this key element of education, so how much did Cor:PSD make up for? I asked 14 scholars to take an emotional intelligence test at the end of the first week, and again at the end of the academy. I hoped this would prove that any amount of emotional intelligence education would cause improvements in the scholars’ test scores.
Emotional intelligence education is extremely important for all kids, but especially those who are gifted. As Tamara Fyke says in her book, Building People, “Granting teachers time to focus on relationships will help them and their students thrive because we are creating a place where people are acknowledged and valued for who they are, not just what they do.” Often times gifted students are only recognized by their academic achievements. Gifted students struggle with processing emotions and social situations, and the lack of teaching leaves these students with an underdeveloped life skill. Along with that, it is rare that any child in school is recognized for being who they are, instead of what they have done. As a society we focus on the numbers and easily seen accomplishments, which causes the human qualities of students to be overlooked.
Not only is emotional awareness important for life, but it can assist in academics. Tamara Fyke writes, “Integration of SEL with academics helps make the academic subject area more relevant and more human. It helps students see how they can use what they’re learning as part of their real world experience.” This is a quote that really resonated with me as a student who often questions the purpose of what they are learning. The ability to connect traditional schooling with reality is essential to success later in life.
The average for the initial test was 118, with a standard deviation of 13. This meant that any score below 105 or above 131 was usually low or high (respectively). Our average score was six points below the average score across many large samples. This could be because of our giftedness, but it could also be because my sample wasn’t as large as most others. The average of the last test was 132. This was an increase of 14 points on average for every person. In fact, 13 of the 14 students experienced an increase in score. MSA was only three weeks, but Cor:PSD increased these students’ emotional awareness.
MSA recognized the lack of this important education for gifted students, and took it into their own hands. They used Cor:PSD to take us out of our comfort zones and teach us how to connect with strangers, as well as how to take that connection further in life. It dove deep into social norms and got us articulating our own personal beliefs and morals. PSD increased our emotional intelligence in only a little under three weeks. After MSA, we will be once again be missing meaningful connections. It is important for us scholars to keep seeking discomfort and expressing our true selves in our normal lives. Thank you to everyone who participated in my survey. It only takes you to make a difference in someone’s life, so reach out and see the impact of your connection.
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