Managing emotions is extremely important to a teacher. It prevents stress and avoids situations that can also harm pupils.
Last update: February 18, 2022
We have all had to deal with teachers who did not enjoy a healthy life emotion management. Masters conflicting with pupils, professors lacking empathy or who punished without reason. Sometimes they can even go so far as to clash with students.
Teachers' emotion management is about their ability to control emotionally. It is a skill that we are rarely taught. Unfortunately, in fact, much importance is given to concepts, but not to their application.
When we talk about lack of emotion management, we certainly don't mean to blame the teachers. They often do what they can, but do not have the right tools.
On the side of the teachers
In many cases, professors are overwhelmed with anxiety about all the problems they face. Pupils with difficult family situations, parents who do not attend meetings, demanding or conflicting ... It is difficult to find the right space to manage emotions.
For example, bullying has increased in many schools. Who prepares teachers to deal with these violent situations? Few of them have had the opportunity to learn how to manage emotions in conflicting groups. Many, however, have lived this experience.
To manage the emotional dimension of a group of pupils it is necessary to know how to manage their own first. When he enters the classroom, the teacher does not turn into a machine. She doesn't let her emotions out the door of the classroom. Lessons are also made up of emotions, as is the pleasure of teaching.
On the other hand, many pupils leave their studies precisely because the teacher has exhausted the joy and pleasure of teaching. The influence of teachers is such that it affects pupils in a positive or negative way. Correct management of emotions therefore has positive consequences for the whole group.
The management of teachers' emotions: basic skills
There are five basic skills to help teachers manage emotions. To present them, we chose the organization created by Peter Salovey.
- Self-knowledge: it is important to know your emotions and how they affect your thoughts and actions. This allows you to improve and gain greater awareness.
- Emotional control: it allows to dominate impulsiveness. It allows you to manage a stressful situation or a moment of chaos in the classroom.
- Motivation skills: it helps to motivate us and, consequently, to motivate others as well.
- Empathy: allows you to tune in with your pupils and understand them. Sometimes a listless student hides a difficult family situation.
- Social and leadership skills: facilitate effective interaction with the group. In this way the professor is close to them, but maintains his role as leader.
A protection against stress
Knowing how to manage their emotions allows teachers to enjoy different resources to deal with certain situations. In case of stress, the actions taken can have a positive impact on the learning of the whole class. This is because the teacher is able to avoid disorders caused by stress or anxiety.
In addition, you learn to face new challenges. For example: a conflicting class, too crowded, the lack of motivation to study ...
We live in a society where education in values ​​is needed. The student must feel the teacher close, know that she understands him. Professors have enormous influence, but sometimes they are not aware of it.
It is well known that the teaching profession is not simple. The lessons, the students and the anxiety of getting anywhere cause a sense of oppression. But let's remember that until a few years ago we too were sitting at those school desks. And we too, at times, have thought: “nobody understands me”.
In that situation, the professor's condescending gaze was of no interest to us. Instead, it would have been nice if he had approached us at the end of the lesson to say a word of comfort or make us feel special. And, above all, to know that he had not forgotten when he too was sitting at the school desks.
