Emotional Intelligence and the Adult Student

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

As a student as well as instructor, I am amazed that too often I find myself “covering material” rather than engaging! I will do what it takes to make sure that I can boast that I read the assignments, viewed the videos, wrote the papers, and prepared for class. However, how often am I really ENGAGING the classroom, the instructor, the student, the material?

My temperament is such that I engage emotionally. I am an extrovert and natural “people person.” As such, I am most comfortable when I can “feel” connected. I find that MANY other adult students are able to learn and grow when they connect in the classroom (either in person or virtual), and that those who fail are often the most disconnected.

So why do so many of us instructors focus on “covering material” rather than connecting with students and connecting students to the subject matter? Thoughts?

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About Don Jones

Assistant VP of Enrollment and Student Services-Belhaven's Adult & Graduate Programs. Degrees from Logos Christian College & Graduate School, Bethel University (McKenzie, TN), University of Phoenix, Arkansas State University. Clergy in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches, brigade XO of Military Police in the Mississippi State Guard, co-author of two textbooks and several peer-reviewed articles pertaining to business, education, and military history. Married with one daughter (Thunderbunny) and one foster son ("Redneck").

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