Emotional Intelligence

A student keeps interrupting during your lesson. What’s the most emotionally intelligent response?

• Calmly ask, “Can I help you with something right now?”

• Quietly remind the whole class about respectful listening

• ause, breathe, then say, “Please wait until I finish.”

• Tell the student firmly, “You need to stop talking.”

You notice a usually engaged student is distracted today. What’s your best move?

• Briefly check in with them after class

• Call them out in class to regain focus

• Send a quick message to their parents

• Ignore it unless it continues tomorrow

A student is late frequently and seems tired. What’s the most empathetic response?

• Assign extra tasks to make up for lost time

• Speak to them publicly about improving attendance

• Remind them about the importance of punctuality in class

• Privately ask if there’s something affecting their sleep or schedule

Two students are arguing during group work. Your best response is to:

• Calmly separate and talk to each one individually

• Ask them together how to resolve the issue

• Give the group a break and check back later

• Remind the whole class about cooperation rules

You feel frustrated because students aren’t listening. How do you regulate your emotions first?

• Pause, breathe deeply, and lower your tone

• Count to ten silently before continuing

• Take a quick break from the room if possible

• Tell yourself, “This is part of teaching,” then continue

A shy student rarely speaks up. To encourage participation, you:

• Call on them unexpectedly to encourage speaking up

• Praise them when they do participate voluntarily

• Ask them simple, direct questions in a one-on-one setting

• Arrange for a peer buddy to support their engagement

A student repeatedly asks off-topic questions. What’s the best way to respond?

• Politely remind them to focus on the current topic

• Listen, then redirect by saying, “That’s interesting, let’s discuss it later.”

• Note their question and return to it after class

• Suggest they write their questions down for later