Academic journal article Adult Learning
Teaching with Intelligence: A Step-by-Step Guide for Higher and Further Education Professionals
Teaching with Intelligence: A Step-by-Step Guide for Higher and further Education Professionals, by Alan Mortiboys. London and New York: Routledge, 2005. ISBN 0415350883. Paper, 146 pages.
Conventional educator practice acknowledges two dimensions of learning that the teacher/facilitator brings to the learning experience: subject matter expertise and knowledge of teaching methods. Mortiboys (2005) proposes that there is a third essential virtually unrecognized dimension to the learning-teaching exchange: emotional intelligence (EI). El is "the chance to connect with [learners] beyond the transmission and discussion of ideas and facts" (p. 2). When this dimension is not consciously utilized, the value of the other two dimensions is acutely diminished. The author declares early on that "emotions are bound up with learning" (p. 1) and that teacher self-awareness is critical to creating the "learning state" of the individual and to the teacher's ability to relate effectively with learners.
The book addresses issues such as planning the emotional environment, personality styles, learner expectations and feelings, teacher authenticity, and relational dynamics. Each chapter discusses these dimensions in light of three aspects: what does it mean and why does it matter, investigating your practice, and developing your practice. Chapter one sets the stage with a discussion on the meaning of El and its importance to teaching. The rest of the book is divided into three major sections: planning for the use of emotional intelligence (chapters 2-5), emotional intelligence in the learner-teacher exchange (chapters 6-9), and the development of emotional intelligence in the teacher (Chapters 11-15).
There were three areas of potential significance not addressed in the book in relation to El. …