Educating in emotions: Applied session to develop emotional competences in professionals

In schools, interest in incorporating emotional education into the classroom has increased, given the benefits that training in emotional skills can have, not only for students, but also for the well-being of teachers and counselors. Studies show that professionals with emotional skills have less stress at work and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. They also experience more positive emotions and are more satisfied with their work. In this sense, it has been shown that emotionally competent teachers are able to create a good learning climate among students, which is associated with better school performance. The research group, from the University of Valencia, EMINA – Educando en Emociones en Infancia y Adolescencia – (Educating in Emotions in Childhood and Adolescence) has designed intervention programmes, based on significant learning, to incorporate emotional education in the classroom. Specifically, the program MADEMO (Manual de Educación emocional para Maestros -Manual of Emotional Education for Teachers-) consists of training in emotional skills consisting of 7 sessions, in which professionals can experience the different components of the model of emotional intelligence proposed by Mayer and Salovey, from perception, facilitation and comprehension to emotional regulation. This program has been applied in more than 80 primary and secondary teachers in different centers of the Valencian Community. The programme has shown its effectiveness in improving teachers’ emotional competences, reducing their burnout levels and increasing their well-being, among others. Based on these previous experiences, the objective of this session is to explore our own emotional competencies, with experiential dynamics. The applied session is aimed at professionals who want to implement emotional education in their applied field. The work with emotions in professionals who are in contact with children and adolescents has an impact on a personal level, but also transcends the entire educational community and society.

Konstanze Schoeps has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Valencia and is a member of the research group EMINA – Educando en Emociones en Infancia y Adolescencia –. Over the last few years she has coordinated and imparted informative and practical workshops and courses on emotional education in the educational context, including the ‘Emotional Education in Teachers’ programme: Experiment to Transmit’. Her main line of research focuses on the social-emotional development of teachers to alleviate stress at work (burnout) and promote their well-being. As a result of her research, she has published several scientific papers in high impact journals, as well as participating in international conferences and congresses. To promote the internationalization of her research career, she has spent time in Germany (Humboldt Universität Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald) and in the USA (Wisconsin University-Madison). In addition to her academic and research activities, she has trained in clinical psychology.