Reducing Early School Leaving Soft Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness
Course Description
Early School Leaving (ESL) is a significant problem in many countries, with students leaving school before completing their education. The causes of ESL are complex and multifaceted, and include factors such as poverty, lack of engagement, and a lack of support from families and schools. However, research suggests that mastering soft skills and growing emotional intelligence can be an effective strategy for reducing ESL. Soft skills refer to personal attributes that enable individuals to interact effectively and harmoniously with others, such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others.
In this training course, we will focus on providing strategies for reducing early school leaving by mastering soft skills and growing emotional intelligence using mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that involves paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental way. It has been shown to be an effective tool for increasing emotional intelligence and reducing stress, which can lead to improved social skills and better academic performance. By learning and applying mindfulness techniques, participants will gain the tools they need to improve their soft skills and emotional intelligence, which can help them to better navigate the challenges of school and beyond.
Learning Outcomes
Successful graduates of the course will have the knowledge and skills to do the following:
- Developing soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving through mindfulness practices
- Increasing emotional intelligence through mindfulness techniques, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills
- Understanding the causes and consequences of early school leaving and the role of soft skills and emotional intelligence in preventing it
- Developing strategies for reducing early school leaving and promoting student engagement and success
- Incorporating mindfulness practices into daily life and work as a means of managing stress and promoting well-being
- Building a supportive and inclusive learning environment that promotes student engagement and success
- Enhancing the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and to maintain focus, motivation and enthusiasm
- Improving the ability to be present and attentive to the task at hand
- Improving the ability to be creative and innovative
- Enhancing the ability to be resilient and bounce back from setbacks
Course Details
TARGET GROUP
Professionals in the education sector (e.g., teachers, guidance counselors, principals, and administrators at elementary, middle, higher education, vocational institutions, kindergartens and pre-primary schools) and non-governmental organization (NGO) staff.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology for this training course will center around the use of mindfulness practices and techniques to help participants develop soft skills and emotional intelligence. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that involves paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. It has been shown to be effective in reducing stress, improving focus and concentration, and enhancing overall well-being. Participants will engage in a variety of mindfulness exercises and practices, such as mindful breathing and body scans, as well as learn how to integrate mindfulness into their daily lives. Additionally, participants will look at how to evaluate emotional intelligence, how it might be used, and whether it is feasible to teach someone to become more emotionally intelligent using a variety of teaching tools, including games, ICT, novel methods, and mindfulness practice. The course will be delivered through a combination of lectures, workshops, and individual and group work.
Course Objectives
- Understanding Early School Leaving: Introduce the concept of early school leaving, its causes, and its consequences for individuals and society.
- Emotional Intelligence and Its Role: Explore the concept of emotional intelligence and its role in academic success and personal development.
- Introduction to Mindfulness: Provide an overview of mindfulness and its benefits in cultivating emotional intelligence and improving learning outcomes.
- Identifying At-Risk Students: Teach participants how to identify students who are at risk of early school leaving and the factors that contribute to this risk.
- Intervention Strategies: Develop participants’ skills in implementing early and effective intervention strategies to support at-risk students.
- Cultivating Soft Skills: Focus on cultivating essential soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability, through mindfulness practices.
- Mindfulness Techniques in the Classroom: Introduce and practice various mindfulness techniques that can be used in the classroom to improve students’ focus, emotional regulation, and resilience.
- Creating Supportive Learning Environments: Develop strategies for creating inclusive and supportive learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of all students.
- Engaging Parents and Caregivers: Develop skills in engaging and collaborating with parents and caregivers to support students’ education and emotional development.
- Peer Support and Mentoring: Explore the role of peer support and mentoring in reducing early school leaving and promoting positive school experiences.
- Curriculum Adaptation for Engagement: Equip participants with strategies to adapt the curriculum in ways that increase student engagement and relevance.
- Use of Technology for Emotional Learning: Introduce technology tools and resources that can facilitate emotional learning and mindfulness practice.
- Assessing Emotional Intelligence and Soft Skills: Teach methods for assessing emotional intelligence and soft skills, and monitor progress over time.
- Mindfulness for Teacher Well-being: Address the importance of teacher well-being and how mindfulness can also be used by educators for their own self-care.
- Developing a School-Wide Approach: Develop an understanding of how to create a school-wide approach to reducing early school leaving through emotional intelligence, soft skills development, and mindfulness.
Tentative Schedule
Day 1 – ARRIVAL DAY
- Welcoming activities
- Ice-breaking activities
- Understanding Early School Leaving (ESL)
- Overview of the problem of ESL
- Group Discussion: Causes of ESL
- Interactive Exercise: Identifying at-risk students
Day 2 – THE ROLE OF SOFT SKILLS AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN REDUCING ESL
- Overview of the importance of soft skills and emotional intelligence in reducing ESL
- Group Discussion: How to identify and measure soft skills and emotional intelligence
- Interactive Exercise: Assessing soft skills and emotional intelligence in students
Day 3 – MINDFULNESS FOR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
- Introduction to mindfulness
- Group Discussion: How mindfulness can be used to develop emotional intelligence and soft skills
- Mindfulness Practice: Body scan
Day 4 – MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION (MBSR)
- Overview of MBSR
- Group Discussion: How MBSR can be used to reduce stress and improve well-being
- Mindfulness Practice: Sitting meditation
Day 5 – MINDFULNESS IN THE CLASSROOM
- Overview of mindfulness in education
- Group Discussion: How to incorporate
- Approaches to teaching mindfulness
- Planning and designing mindfulness activities for classrooms
Day 6 – MINDFULNESS FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING
- Mindfulness game for concentration and patience
- Mirror law
- Meditation in pairs
- Communication
- Communication games
Day 7 – DEPARTURE DAY
- Pre-course assessment and a post-course evaluation
- Course evaluation, feedback, discussion and wrap-up
- Certificate ceremony
- Cultural activities
*The schedule describes likely activities but may differ significantly based on the requests of the participants, and the trainer delivering the specific session. Course modifications are subject to the trainer’s discretion. If you would like to discuss a specific topic, please indicate it at least 4 weeks in advance.
Our courses usually include two cultural activities. Further information is available on the webpage of each course.