Soft Skills & Interpersonal Skills

Unit-5 Dr.Sunita Vijay Kumar

I . Time management
II. Goal setting- Motivation
III .Stress management
IV. Learning styles and strategies
V. Emotional intelligence
VI. Creative and Critical Thinking

I. Time Management

Time Management skills

The ability to use one's time effectively or productively, especially at work, time management is
very important as

• You can’t buy time. You are only given 24 hours a day.
• You can’t stop time. Unless you are some kind of a mutant with superpowers.
• You can’t save time. Your free lost time yesterday can’t be added to your time today.

"Time management is the key to efficient working" we all get the same 24 hours, why is it that
some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in good time
management. The highest achievers manage their time exceptionally well. By using the time-
management techniques. Good time management requires an important shift in focus from
activities to results: being busy isn’t the same as being effective. Good time management lets you
work smarter – not harder – so you get more done in less time.

“Time management” refers to the way that you organize and plan how long you spend on specific
activities. The major themes arising from the literature on time management include the following:

• Creating an environment conducive to effectiveness

• Setting of priorities
• Carrying out activity around prioritization.
• The related process of reduction of time spent on non-priorities
• Incentives to modify behavior to ensure compliance with time-related deadlines.

It may seem counter-intuitive to dedicate precious time to learning about time management,
instead of using it to get on with your work, but the benefits are enormous:

• Greater productivity and efficiency.

• A better professional reputation.
• Less stress.
• Increased opportunities for advancement.
• Greater opportunities to achieve important life and career goals.
• Failing to manage your time effectively can have some very undesirable consequences:
• Missed deadlines.
• Inefficient work flow.
• Poor work quality.
• A poor professional reputation and a stalled career.
• Higher stress levels.

Spending a little time learning about time-management techniques will have huge benefits now
– and throughout your career.

Time management strategies are often associated with the recommendation to set personal goals.
The literature stresses themes such as -

• "Work in Priority Order" - set goals and prioritize

• "Set gravitational goals" - that attract actions automatically
These goals are recorded and may be broken down into a project, an action plan, or a simple task
list. For individual tasks or for goals, an importance rating may be established, deadlines may be
set, and priorities assigned. This process results in a plan with a task list or a schedule or calendar
of activities. Authors may recommend a daily, weekly, monthly or other planning periods
associated with different scope of planning or review. This is done in various ways, as follows.

1. ABC analysis

A technique that has been used in business management for a long time is the categorization of
large data into groups. These groups are often marked A, B, and C—hence the name. Activities
are ranked by these general criteria:

• A – Tasks that are perceived as being urgent and important,

• B – Tasks that are important but not urgent,
• C – Tasks that are unimportant. (whether urgent or not)
Each group is then rank-ordered by priority. To further refine the prioritization, some individuals
choose to then force-rank all "B" items as either "A" or "C". ABC analysis can incorporate more
than three groups
Practice the following techniques to become the master of your own time:

Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will
help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your
precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and
how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.

Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-
do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work.
Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts,
conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep
these appointments.

Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations
that produce most of your results.

Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for
instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned
interruptions?"

Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete
your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.

Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will
help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take
five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If
not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?

Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.

Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up.
Disconnect instant messaging. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely
crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer
email and return phone calls.

Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these
tools to generate business.
Remember that it's impossible to get everything done. Also remember that odds are good that 20
percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your results.

Pareto analysis

This is the idea 80% of tasks can be completed in 20% of the disposable time. The remaining
20% of tasks will take up 80% of the time. This principle is used to sort tasks into two parts.
According to this form of Pareto analysis it is recommended that tasks that fall into the first
category be assigned a higher priority.
The 80-20-rule can also be applied to increase productivity: it is assumed that 80% of the
productivity can be achieved by doing 20% of the tasks. Similarly, 80% of results can be
attributed to 20% of activity. If productivity is the aim of time management, then these tasks
should be prioritized higher.
It depends on the method adopted to complete the task. There is always a simpler and easier way
to complete the task. If one uses a complex way, it will be time consuming. So, one should
always try to find out alternative ways to complete each task.

The Eisenhower Method

A basic "Eisenhower box" to help evaluate urgency and importance. Items may be placed at
more precise points within each quadrant.

The "Eisenhower Method" stems from a quote attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower: "I have two
kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important
are never urgent."
Using the Eisenhower Decision Principle, tasks are evaluated using the criteria
important/unimportant and urgent/not urgent, and then placed in according quadrants in an
Eisenhower Matrix also known as an "Eisenhower Box" or "Eisenhower Decision Matrix".
Tasks are then handled as follows:
Tasks in
 1. Important/Urgent quadrant are done immediately and personally e.g. crises, deadlines,
problems.
2. Important/Not Urgent quadrant get an end date and are done personally]e.g. relationships,
planning, recreation.
3. Unimportant/Urgent quadrant are delegated e.g. interruptions, meetings, activities.
Unimportant/Not Urgent quadrant are dropped] e.g. time wasters, pleasant activities,
trivia.
This method is said to have been used by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
POSEC is an acronym for Prioritize by Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and
Contributing. The method dictates a template which emphasizes an average individual's
immediate sense of emotional and monetary security. It suggests that by attending to one's
personal responsibilities first, an individual is better positioned to shoulder collective
responsibilities.
Inherent in the acronym is a hierarchy of self-realization, which mirrors Abraham
Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

1. Prioritize - Your time and define your life by goals.

2. Organize - Things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful (family and
finances).
3. Streamline - Things you may not like to do, but must do (work and chores).
4. Economize - Things you should do or may even like to do, but they're not pressingly
urgent (pastimes and socializing).
5. Contribute - By paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference
(social obligations).

Implementation of goals

A task list (also to-do list or things-to-do) is a list of tasks to be completed, such as chores or
steps toward completing a project. It is an inventory tool which serves as an alternative or
supplement to memory.
Task lists are used in self-management, grocery lists, business management, project
management, and software development.

It may involve more than one list.

When one of the items on a task list is accomplished, the task is checked or crossedoff. The
traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil, usually on a note pad
or clip-board. Task lists can also have the form of paper or software checklists.
Writer Julie Morgenstern suggests "do's and don'ts" of time management that include:

• Map out everything that is important, by making a task list

• Create "an oasis of time" for one to control
• Say "No"
• Set priorities
• Don't drop everything
• Don't think a critical task will get done in one's spare time.
Numerous digital equivalents are now available, including Personal information
management (PIM) applications and most PDAs. There are also several web-based task list
applications, many of which are free.
The time management skills you should have
Before getting your hands dirty on learning time management, the first step is knowing the time
management skills everyone should possess in order to understand and properly practice time
management. These skills will act as the fundamentals or framework of the tips and strategies on
managing time we will discuss later.

According to Coaching Positive Performance they outlined 17 effective time management

skills that play a critical role on analyzing one’s productivity levels. Understanding these skills’
roles on how you practice time management is very important to becoming more productive at
all times. Discussed skills below are not only for those who have jobs, but also are essential
time management skills for students and teens.
1. Goal setting. Every time spent on taking actions should bring you closer to your goals. You
should have the ability to spend your time on things that are necessary to achieving your goals.
This is a fundamental time management skill that you should have.
2. Prioritization. Most of the people focus on getting MORE things done which is wrong, and
should not be the case. Instead of listing what should be done, eliminate the tasks that should
not be done. Only choose the valuable ones and focus your energy and time on it.
3. Self-awareness. Be aware of your own preferences. Others have a different style of
approaching work from you. Examine yourself deeply so that you can take the best advice of
managing the time that is suitable for you.
4. Self-motivation. It is hard to get going when you lack self-motivation. You should feel
motivated to take action with your tasks in mind. This is an essential time management skill
everyone should have.
5. Focus. No matter how well you do with your activities, you can’t move along if you allow
yourself to be distracted. Don’t let yourself be caught in unnecessary things. An individual with a
laser-focused mind is someone who gets great things done.
6. Decision-making. Every day is a constant battle of decision-making like what should be done,
what tasks should not be done, what tasks are completed and so on. If you don’t have a sound
decision-making skill, it can lead to serious trouble in every aspect of your life. This is a great
time management skill since you will waste lots of time doing things that don’t really matter that
results to bad decision-making.
7. Planning. Panning will give you proper course of your action. What should be the first?
What’s next? Knowing these will make every action done in an orderly fashion. Since everything
is planned, every action will go out smoothly saving you tons of time in the process.
8. Communication Skills. There will be times when work can’t be done alone, in this case you
need to team-up with others – and working with others is not possible without proper
communication.
9. Questioning and challenging. Don’t always try to accept the task someone will to give you.
Challenge and question them if you think you are not the one that be should be doing the
task. This alone can reduce your workload that will allow you to focus on your own tasks.
10. Delegation/Outsourcing. One of the most important time management skill is learning how
to determine if your skill sets are suited to perform the job. If another person has the right skills
to do the task assigned to you, it is much better to delegate or outsource these tasks to him. Just
make sure to orient the person and provide all the information needed to finish the job.
11. Coping Skills/Flexibility. Be flexible. Learn how to conquer the ups and downs of your
work. Learn how to cope with all the things happening to you. With this, you are able to think
and plan rather than waste your time worrying.
12. Stress management. Stress management skills go hand in hand with time management.
When you experience stress, your body, mind and productivity become worse. Negative energies
start flowing in you resulting in poor performance and focus. As a result of poor performance,
your work will start to pile up affecting your time management skills. Proper stress management
can help you battle all of this.
13. Team-work. No man is an island. You can’t get all things done by yourself. If you are nice
and approachable, good relationships will start to build and working with others will be easy.
With this, tasks will be done quickly.
14. Writing vital information down. Don’t rely on memories. Write the necessary information
you get. You will be surprised at how much time you will be able to save up just because you
have the access to information every time you need it.
15. Organizations. When your things are organized, you know exactly where to get what you
need instead of blindly finding a piece of folder just because you left it somewhere.
16. Patience. Don’t rush things that shouldn’t be rushed or else you will do mistakes and find
yourself spending more time on correcting that task (wish that it’s even possible to correct),
when in fact you could have patiently worked on the task in the first place and not doing
mistakes at all.
17. Forgiveness. You will do mistakes and others may let you down. If you don’t know how to
forgive, becoming too emotional will distract you from getting your work done.

Summary- Effective Time Management Tips

1. Set goals correctly

Set goals that are achievable and measurable. Use the SMART method when setting goals. In
essence, make sure the goals you set are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

2. Prioritize wisely

Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. For example, look at your daily tasks and
determine which are:

Important and urgent: Do these tasks right away.

Important but not urgent: Decide when to do these tasks.

Urgent but not important: Delegate these tasks if possible.

Not urgent and not important: Set these aside to do later.

3. Set a time limit to complete a task

Setting time constraints for completing tasks helps you be more focused and efficient. Making
the small extra effort to decide on how much time you need to allot for each task can also help
you recognize potential problems before they arise. That way you can make plans for dealing
with them.

For example, assume you need to write up five reviews in time for a meeting. However, you
realize that you’ll only be able to get four of them done in the time remaining before the meeting.
If you become aware of this fact well in advance, you may be able to easily delegate writing up
one of the reviews to someone else. However, if you hadn’t bothered to do a time check on your
tasks beforehand, you might have ended up not realizing your time problem until just an hour
before the meeting. At that point, it might be considerably more difficult to find someone to
delegate one of the reviews to, and more difficult for them to fit the task into their day, too.

4. Take a break between tasks

When doing a lot of tasks without a break, it is harder to stay focused and motivated. Allow
some downtime between tasks to clear your head and refresh yourself. Consider grabbing a brief
nap, going for a short walk, or meditating.

5. Organize yourself

Utilize your calendar for more long-term time management. Write down the deadlines for
projects, or for tasks that are part of completing the overall project. Think about which days
might be best to dedicate to specific tasks. For example, you might need to plan a meeting to
discuss cash flow on a day when you know the company CFO is available.

6. Remove non-essential tasks/activities It is important to remove excess activities or tasks.

Determine what is significant and what deserves your time. Removing non-essential
tasks/activities frees up more of your time to be spent on genuinely important things.

7. Plan ahead Make sure you start every day with a clear idea of what you need to do – what
needs to get done THAT DAY. Consider making it a habit to, at the end of each workday, go
ahead and write out your “to-do” list for the next workday. That way you can hit the ground
running the next morning.

Implications of Poor Time Management

1. Poor workflow

The inability to plan ahead and stick to goals means poor efficiency. For example, if there are
several important tasks to complete, an effective plan would be to complete related tasks together
or sequentially. However, if you don’t plan ahead, you could end up having to jump back and
forth, or backtrack, in doing your work. That translates to reduced efficiency and lower
productivity.

2. Wasted time

Poor time management results in wasted time. For example, by talking to friends on social media
while doing an assignment, you are distracting yourself and wasting time.

3. Loss of control

By not knowing what the next task is, you suffer from loss of control of your life. That can
contribute to higher stress levels and anxiety.

4. Poor quality of work

Poor time management typically makes the quality of your work suffer. For example, having to
rush to complete tasks at the last minute usually compromises quality.

5. Poor reputation

If clients or your employer cannot rely on you to complete tasks in a timely manner, their
expectations and perceptions of you are adversely affected. If a client cannot rely on you to get
something done on time, they will likely take their business elsewhere.

II. Motivation & Goal Setting

Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.
Motivation is what explains why people or animals initiate, continue or terminate a certain
behavior at a particular time. Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within
the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-directed
behaviour(Wikipedia). Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces
that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term "motivation" is frequently used to describe why
a person does something.

Motivation can be both Extrinsic and Intrinsic. An example of intrinsic motivation is to have a
sense of achievement or accomplishment, if the activity is desired because it is inherently
interesting or enjoyable, When a student begins college and wants to get their degree as a sense of
accomplishment. An example of extrinsic motivation would involve an athlete / film star who
seeks the admiration of his or her fans. A person who is motivated extrinsically will work on a task
even though they may hate what they are doing because of the anticipated reward.
Extrinsic motivation has been called crude and rudimentary but it's still probably one of the most
effective types of motivation.

Motivation is closely related to practical rationality. A central idea in this field is that we should
be motivated to perform an action if we believe that we should perform it. Failing to fulfill this
requirement results in cases of irrationality, known as akrasia or weakness of the will, in which
there is a discrepancy between our beliefs about what we should do and our actions.

Theories of Motivation

Theories articulating the content of motivation: what kinds of things people find motivating are
among the earliest theories in motivation research history. Because content theories focus on
which categories of goal (needs) motivate people, content theories are related to need theories.

1. Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs (1943, 1954) is represented as a pyramid with the more basic needs
at the bottom

Content theory of human motivation includes both Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of

needs Maslow's theory is one of the most widely discussed theories of motivation. Abraham
Maslow believed that man is inherently good and argued that individuals possess a constantly
growing inner drive that has great potential. The needs hierarchy system is a commonly used
scheme for classifying human motives. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs emphasizes certain
characteristics like family and community that involve the needs to be met. The basic needs, safety,
love and belonging, and esteem have to be met first in order for the individual to actually reach
self-actualization.

The needs can overlap within the pyramid, but the lower needs have to be met first in order to
move up. Some basic needs can include food and shelter. The need of safety has to do with
receiving protection. For the individual to feel love/belonging they have to feel some type of
attachment by giving and receiving love. Having competence and control in personal life has to do
with meeting the need of esteem. Not being able to meet the lower and higher needs can have a
detrimental effect on mental health. This could lead to symptoms of depression, and lower self-
esteem during adolescent years. If safety needs are not met during adolescence, then the individual
will have less confidence. A study found that just having support from the community, friends can
lead to decreased emotional challenges. It is important to satisfy these needs in order to reduce
emotional and mental challenges over time.

The American motivation psychologist Abraham H. Maslow (1954) developed the hierarchy of
needs consisting of five hierarchic classes. According to Maslow, people are motivated by
unsatisfied needs. The needs, listed from basic (lowest-earliest) to most complex (highest-latest),
are as follows:

Physiology (hunger, thirst, sleep, etc.)

Safety/Security/Shelter/Health

Social/Love/Friendship

Self-esteem/Recognition/Achievement

Self actualization/achievement of full potential

The basic requirements build upon the first step in the pyramid: physiology. If there are deficits
on this level, all behavior will be oriented to satisfy this deficit. Essentially, if someone hasn't slept
or eaten adequately, they won't be interested in your self-esteem desires. Subsequently, people that
have the second level, awakens a need for security and so on and so forth. After securing those
two levels, the motives shift to the social sphere, the third level. Psychological requirements
comprise the fourth level, while the top of the hierarchy consists of self-realization and self-
actualization.

2. Herzberg's two-factor theory

Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory concludes that certain factors in the workplace result in job
satisfaction (motivators), while others (hygiene factors), if absent, lead to dissatisfaction but are
not related to satisfaction. The name hygiene factors are used because, like hygiene, the presence
will not improve health, but absence can cause health deterioration.

The factors that motivate people can change over their lifetime. Some claimed motivating factors
(satisfiers) were: Achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth.
Some hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) were: company policy, supervision, working conditions,
interpersonal relations, salary, status, job security, and personal life.

3. Alderfer's ERG theory

Alderfer, building on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, posited that needs identified by Maslow exist
in three groups of core needs — existence, relatedness, and growth, hence the label: ERG theory.
The existence group is concerned with providing our basic material existence requirements. They
include the items that Maslow considered to be physiological and safety needs. The second group
of needs is relatedness- the desire we have to maintain important personal relationships. These
social and status desires require interaction with others if they are to be satisfied, and they align
with Maslow's social need and the external component of Maslow's esteem classification. Finally,
Alderfer isolates growth needs as an intrinsic desire for personal development. All these needs
should be fulfilled to greater wholeness as a human being

4. Self-Determination Theory

Self-Determination Theory is an approach to human motivation and personality that uses

traditional empirical methods while employing an organismic metatheory that highlights the
importance of humans evolved inner resources for personality development and behavioral self-
regulation (Ryan, Kuhn, & Deci, 1997). It takes a look into people’s psychological needs and
growth tendencies that reveal their personality and level of self-determination. Competence,
relatedness, autonomy are important conditions that play a huge part in one’s motivation and
engagement in activities, because it determines a persons well-being. The social environment, with
the correct amount of support, can help fulfill basic psychological needs. These basic
psychological needs are autonomy, competence and relatedness. These basic needs can create
behaviors that result from personal support which leads to being engaged in a certain environment
and provides relationships that are important.

Two types of motivation found in the self-determination theory are called amotivation and
autonomous motivation. These types of motivations can lead to intrinsic and extrinsic actions.
The amotivation can derive from feelings of inadequacy which leads to having a lack of
motivation. The person feels their environment is controlled through monitoring and rewards. The
person only feels motivation because of external rewards or to avoid punishment. On the other
hand, autonomous motivation comes from the person’s own lifestyle and engaging in a task is
done innately. Having a supportive social environment can help bring out behaviors from
autonomous motivations.

5. Behaviorist theories

While many theories on motivation have a mentalistic perspective, behaviorists focus only on
observable behaviour and theories founded on experimental evidence. In the view of behaviorism,
motivation is understood as a question about what factors cause, prevent, or withhold various
behaviours, while the question of, for instance, conscious motives would be ignored. Where others
would speculate about such things as values, drives, or needs, that may not be observed directly,
behaviorists are interested in the observable variables that affect the type, intensity, frequency, and
duration of observable behaviour. Through the basic research of such scientists
as Pavlov, Watson and Skinner, several basic mechanisms that govern behaviour have been
identified. The most important of these are classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

Classical and operant conditioning

In classical (or respondent) conditioning, behaviour is understood as responses triggered by certain

environmental or physical stimuli. They can be unconditioned, such as in-born reflexes, or learned
through the pairing of an unconditioned stimulus with a different stimulus, which then becomes a
conditioned stimulus. In relation to motivation, classical conditioning might be seen as one
explanation as to why an individual performs certain responses and behaviors in certain
situations. For instance, a dentist might wonder why a patient does not seem motivated to show up
for an appointment, with the explanation being that the patient has associated the dentist
(conditioned stimulus) with the pain (unconditioned stimulus) that elicits a fear response
(conditioned response), leading to the patient being reluctant to visit the dentist.

In operant conditioning, the type and frequency of behaviour are determined mainly by its
consequences. If a certain behaviour, in the presence of a certain stimulus, is followed by a
desirable consequence (a reinforcer), the emitted behaviour will increase in frequency in the future,
in the presence of the stimulus that preceded the behaviour (or a similar one). Conversely, if the
behaviour is followed by something undesirable (a punisher), the behaviour is less likely to occur
in the presence of the stimulus. In a similar manner, the removal of a stimulus directly following
the behaviour might either increase or decrease the frequency of that behaviour in the future
(negative reinforcement or punishment). For instance, a student that gained praise and a good
grade after turning in a paper, might seem more motivated in writing papers in the future (positive
reinforcement); if the same student put in a lot of work on a task without getting any praise for it,
he or she might seem less motivated to do school work in the future (negative punishment). If a
student starts to cause trouble in the class gets punished with something he or she dislikes, such as
detention (positive punishment), that behaviour would decrease in the future. The student might
seem more motivated to behave in class, presumably in order to avoid further detention (negative
reinforcement.

Importance of Motivation Finding ways to increase motivation is crucial because it allows us

to change behavior, develop competencies, be creative, set goals, grow interests, make plans,
develop talents, and boost engagement.

How to become and stay motivated

Set goals. When you set a goal, you make a decision to act in a way that will help you achieve
what you want. Goals give you a direction to focus on – one that’s measurable and has an endpoint.
This can help you to stay motivated.

Choose goals that interest you. You’re much more likely to stay motivated if you’re working
towards something that you genuinely want to do or achieve, rather than what other people want
for you.

Find things that interest you within goals that don’t. Sometimes other people set goals or tasks
for us that we don’t find interesting or want to do. So, try and find something within that task
that does motivate you. For example: ‘I find maths challenging, but it’s going to help me become
a builder, which I want more than anything.’

Make your goal public. If you tell someone – or write down – your goal, you’ve essentially made
a promise to keep your word.

Plot your progress. When you’re working towards something, it can be really motivating if you
can see evidence that you’re making progress. Draw or create a visual representation of how you’re
coming closer to achieving the goal you’ve set yourself.

Break up your goal. Start with easier tasks and work your way up to bigger challenges. Breaking
up a task in your mind into achievable chunks helps build confidence.

Use rewards. Promise yourself some sort of reward each time you complete a step/task.

Don’t do it alone. Join a class, or find a teacher or someone you can share the experience with.
Other people’s encouragement to keep going can be a big boost to your motivation, particularly
when you’re doing it tough.

Goal Setting

Goal setting is the process of identifying something you want to accomplish and establish
measurable objectives and timeframes to help you achieve it. Goal setting can help you in any area
of your life, from achieving financial freedom to adopting a healthy diet. When you learn how to
set goals in one area of your life, it becomes easier to set them in other areas. Setting progressive
goals allow small wins that help you move on to larger achievements. These small goals lead to
progress. Goal setting can look very different depending on an individual’s lifestyle, values and
definition of success. Your goals are unique to you and don’t need to look like anyone else’s.

Why have Goals ? Effective goal setting is the fundamental key to success. Whether
it’s increasing your intelligence, taking up a new hobby or rekindling a relationship, setting goals
lets us create our future. It also helps us grow and expand, pushing ourselves to transform in ways
that we never imagined. In order to feel truly fulfilled, we need to know and feel like we’re working
to achieve something. Tony Robbins says, “Progress equals happiness,” and setting goals is what
gets us there.

Importance of Goal Setting Goal setting is vital because it helps you decide and focus on what’s
really important to you. Effective goal setting also lets you measure progress, overcome
procrastination and visualize your dreams. If you don’t know what you want to accomplish, you
can’t create a plan to get there. Setting goals is the vehicle that will drive you to your desired
destination. Goal setting also keeps you accountable. Whether you’re learning how to set goals at
work or in your personal life, telling others about your goals makes you more likely to establish
the patterns that will accomplish them. Imagine yourself older and looking back. What’s the pain
from not achieving, and what is the pleasure from having achieved your goals? Effective goal
setting helps you stay focused, keeps you accountable and is the single most important aspect of
reaching your dreams.

Goal Setting Tips

1. Perform a brainstorming session. Give yourself six minutes to brainstorm a list of anything
you’d like to achieve, create, do, have, give and /or experience in the next 20 years. Write as many
things down as fast as you can in this time.

2. Refine your goals. Setting deadlines is crucial to the goal-setting process. Go back through your
list and write one, three, five, 10 or 20 years next to each goal to indicate how long it will take to
achieve them.

3. Review your list. Go over what you’ve written. Choose your top four one-year goals. These are
goals that truly excite you. Write a paragraph for each goal explaining why you will absolutely
achieve this goal within the next 12 months.

4. Evaluate your goals. Are your goals specific? Measurable? Achievable? Realistic? Do they have
a specific timeframe? These are the components of a SMART goal. You set SMART goals with
purpose and intention, making them more concrete and easier to achieve.

How to achieve your Goals

Learning how to set goals is worthless if you don’t learn how to achieve goals. Set yourself up for
success by following these tips.

1. Visualize accomplishing your goals. Visualization is a powerful activity. When you visualize
your goals on a daily basis as if you’ve already achieved them, you align your purpose and values
with your actions.

2. Share your goals. Find a friend, family member or another person you trust and share your list
of goals with them. You can also share the list with a mentor or life coach. Sharing your list will
make you more accountable and give you a partner who will work with you through frustrations
or roadblocks. The right partner can help you transform obstacles into opportunities and stay on
track.

3. Keep your goals visible. Where focus goes, energy flows, so it’s critical to focus on your goals.
Tape them on the mirror in your bathroom or pin them to the wall next to your computer. If your
goals involve adopting a healthy diet and losing weight, put them on the front of your refrigerator
or a kitchen cabinet.

4. Regularly review your goals. Have a set schedule to review both short- and long-term goals.
This helps you track progress as well as determine what activities are helping you and which are
hindering you. It’s important to know when alterations to your course are necessary: Stay flexible
and make changes where necessary.

Learning Styles & Strategies

* Broadly speaking, learning styles can be defined as general approaches to language learning,
while learning strategies are specific ways learners choose to cope with language tasks in
particular contexts.

* Learning strategies are the ways in which students learn, remember information and study for
tests. They refer to the actions and behaviors students use to learn but learning styles refer to the
general approaches that students use in acquiring a new language or in learning any other
subject.

* The strategies a student uses to learn depend greatly on his/her own learning style.

Learning styles:

Each student has his/her own style of learning. As a result we have different students with
different learning styles inside the classroom as shown below:

1. Visual or spatial learners:

They need to see things to fully understand them. They learn best from visual objects such as
diagrams, charts, etc. They prefer to write things down.

2. Auditory or musical learners:

They learn mainly through listening so they learn best through discussions and talking. They
benefit most from reading texts aloud and using a tape recorder.

3. Physical or kinesthetic or tactile learners:

They learn through using their body, hands and sense of touch. They tend to use their muscles so
they can be used well in playing, tidying, cleaning the board, collecting activity books, etc. They
learn best through using their hands making things, fitting things together or taking them apart so
hands-on activities are ideal to help those students learn best.
4. Social or interpersonal learners:
They prefer to learn in groups or with other people. They have the ability to understand others’
feelings and intentions.

5. Solitary or intrapersonal learners:

They prefer to work alone and use self-study. They have the ability to understand well their
feelings, strengths and weaknesses. They tend to write personal diary, achieve independent
projects, discuss feelings about certain topics, express likes and dislikes, etc.

6. Verbal or linguistic learners:

They prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

7. Logical or mathematical:
They prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

Learning strategies:

Many students use learning strategies automatically without any awareness of them. The role of
teachers here is to:

• recognize their students’ learning strategies,

• make them explicit to students, bring them to their attention and talk about them.
• encourage students to use them in the classroom
• make them more effective to the learning process,
• base teaching process and techniques on these strategies.

Students use the following learning strategies most often when learning a language:

1. Cognitive strategies which enable the learner to manipulate the language material in direct ways,
e.g. through reasoning, analysis, note-taking, and synthesizing

2. Metacognitive strategies which are used to manage the learning process overall, e.g. identifying
preferences and the need for planning, monitoring mistakes, and evaluating task success.

3. Memory-related strategies which help learners link one item or concept with another but do not
necessarily involve deep understanding, e.g. using acronyms, sound similarities, images, key
words.

4. Compensatory strategies which help make up for missing knowledge, e.g. using gestures,
miming or guessing the meaning from the context.

5. Affective strategies which help learners manage their emotions, such as identifying one’s mood
and anxiety level, talking about feelings, rewarding oneself, and using deep breathing or positive
self-talk.
6. Social strategies which enable the learner to learn via interaction with others and understand the
target culture, e.g. asking questions, asking for clarification, asking for conversation help, talking
with a native-speaking partner, and exploring cultural and social norms.

To be able to use the suitable strategies for you, you should know first your learning style.

VARK Learning Styles

The acronym “VARK” is used to describe four modalities of student learning that were described
in a 1992 study by Neil D. Fleming and Coleen E. Mills.1 These different learning styles—visual,
auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic—were identified after thousands of hours of
classroom observation. The authors also created an accompanying questionnaire for educators to
give to students to help them identify and understand their own learning preferences.

Visual Learners Students who best internalize and synthesize information when it is presented to
them in a graphic depiction of meaningful symbols are described as visual learners. They may
respond to arrows, charts, diagrams and other visualizations of information hierarchy, but not
necessarily to photographs or videos. Because visual learners tend to be holistic learners who
process information best when it is presented to them as a robust whole rather than piecemeal, they
tend to see positive educational outcomes when they are presented with summarizing charts and
diagrams rather than sequential slides of information.

Auditory Learners Auditory (or aural) learners are most successful when they are given the
opportunity to hear information presented to them vocally. Because students with this learning
style may sometimes opt not to take notes during class in order to maintain their unbroken auditory
attention, educators can erroneously conclude that they are less engaged than their classmates.
However, these students may simply have decided that note-taking is a distraction and that their
unbroken attention is a more valuable way for them to learn.

Auditory learning is a two-way street: Students who fall into this modality often find success in
group activities where they are asked to discuss course materials vocally with their classmates, and
they may benefit from reading their written work aloud to themselves to help them think it
through.2

Reading/Writing Learners

Students who work best in the reading/writing modality demonstrate a strong learning preference
for the written word. This includes both written information presented in class in the form of
handouts and PowerPoint slide presentations as well as the opportunity to synthesize course
content in the completion of written assignments. This modality also lends itself to conducting
research online, as many information-rich sources on the internet are relatively text-heavy.

Reading/writing-oriented students should be encouraged to take copious notes during classroom

lectures to help them both process information and have an easier time recalling it later.
Kinesthetic Learners are hands-on, participatory learners who need to take a physically active
role in the learning process in order to achieve their best educational outcomes. They are
sometimes referred to as “tactile learners,” but this can be a bit of a misnomer; rather than simply
utilizing touch, kinesthetic learners tend to engage all of their senses equally in the process of
learning. Because of their active nature, kinesthetic learners often have the most difficult time
succeeding in conventional classroom settings. Some educators have found success encouraging
kinesthetic learners to utilize flashcards for subjects like math and English to make rote
memorization into an interactive experience. These students also often thrive in scientific subjects
with lab components, as the skills-based, instructional training that occurs in these settings engages
them in productive ways.

Can One Student Have Several Different Learning Styles? Few things in life fall into easily
delineated schema, and learning preferences are no exception. In fact, studies estimate that
somewhere between 50 and 70 percent of the population have affinities to several different styles
of learning. These people are called “multimodal learners” and tend to succeed in classroom
settings that engage them with multiple learning styles alternately or in concert with one another.

Just because students can succeed with different learning styles does not necessarily mean that
they should be engaged with more than one on most occasions, however. While today’s media-
rich environment has made multimodal learning easier than ever before, recent studies recommend
some caution and care when introducing multimedia instructional design into the classroom.
Generally speaking, multimedia should be treated thoughtfully as a means to a specific educational
goal rather than an end itself, and multimodal, interactive instruction should be reserved for more
complex topics than for basic memorization and skill-building.

III. Stress Management

Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological
strain. Stress is your body's response to anything that requires attention or action. Stress is a feeling
of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel
frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In short
bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. If you're
constantly under stress, you can have physical symptoms, such as headaches, an upset stomach,
high blood pressure, chest pain, and problems with sex and sleep. Stress can also lead to emotional
problems, depression, panic attacks, or other forms of anxiety and worry.

Stress is the body’s response to a challenge or demand. Everyone experiences stress, which can be
triggered by a range of events, from small daily hassles to major changes like a divorce or job loss.
The stress response includes physical components such an elevated heart rate and blood pressure,
thoughts and personal beliefs about the stressful event, and emotions, including fear and anger.
Although we often think of it as being negative, stress can also come from positive changes in your
life, like getting a promotion at work or having a new baby.Example of Stress- Chronic illness or
injury. Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem) Taking care
of an elderly or sick family member. Traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, theft, rape, or
violence against you or a loved one

Stress management is: “set of techniques and programs intended to help people deal more
effectively with stress in their lives by analysing the specific stressors and taking positive actions
to minimize their effects” as per Gale Encyclopaedia of Medicine, 2008. Stress-
management techniques include relaxation techniques, time-management skills, counselling or
group therapy, exercise, and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle.

Importance of Stress Management Effective stress management helps you break the
hold stress has on your life, so you can be happier, healthier, and more productive. The ultimate
goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun—and the resilience
to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

Stress serves an important purpose—it enables us to respond quickly to threats and avoid danger.
However, lengthy exposure to stress may lead to mental health difficulties (for example, anxiety
and depression) or increased physical health problems. A large body of research suggests that
increased stress levels interfere with your ability to deal with physical illness. While no one can
avoid all stress, you can work to handle it in healthy ways that increase your potential to recover.

Tips of Stress Management

1.Eat and drink to optimize your health. Some people try to reduce stress by drinking alcohol or
eating too much. These actions may seem to help in the moment, but actually may add to stress in
the long run. Caffeine also can compound the effects of stress. Consuming a healthy, balanced diet
can help to combat stress.

2.Exercise regularly. In addition to having physical health benefits, exercise has been shown to be
a powerful stress reliever. Consider non-competitive aerobic exercise, strengthening with weights,
or movement activities like yoga or Tai Chi, and set reasonable goals for yourself. Aerobic
exercise has been shown to release endorphins—natural substances that help you feel better and
maintain a positive attitude.

3.Stop using tobacco and nicotine products. People who use nicotine often refer to it as a stress
reliever. However, nicotine actually places more stress on the body by increasing physical arousal
and reducing blood flow and breathing.

4.Study and practice relaxation techniques. Taking the time to relax every day helps to manage
stress and to protect the body from the effects of stress. You can choose from a variety of
techniques, such as deep breathing, imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness
meditation. There are many online and smart phone apps that provide guidance on these
techniques; although some entail purchase costs, many are available free of charge.
5.Reduce triggers of stress. If you are like most people, your life may be filled with too many
demands and too little time. For the most part, these demands are ones we have chosen. You can
free up time by practicing time-management skills like asking for help when it’s appropriate,
setting priorities, pacing yourself, and reserving time to take care of yourself.

6.Examine your values and live by them. The more your actions reflect your beliefs, the better you
will feel, no matter how busy your life is. Use your values when choosing your activities.

7.Assert yourself. It’s okay to say “No” to demands on your time and energy that will place too
much stress on you. You don’t have always have to meet the expectations of others.

8. Set realistic goals and expectations. It's okay—and healthy—to realize you cannot be 100%
successful at everything all at once. Be mindful of the things you can control and work on accepting
the things that you can’t control.

9.Sell yourself to yourself. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself of what you do
well. Have a healthy sense of self-esteem.

There are several other methods you can use to relax or reduce stress, including:

• Deep breathing exercises.

• Meditation.
• Mindfulness meditation.
• Progressive muscle relaxation.
• Mental imagery relaxation.
• Relaxation to music.
• Biofeedback helps a person learn stress reduction skills by providing information about
muscle tension, heart rate, and other vital signs as a person attempts to relax. It is used to
gain control over certain bodily functions that cause tension and physical pain.
• Counselling, to help you recognize and release stress.

Techniques of Stress Management

While stress may appear daunting and frightening, with the right kind of help, it can be managed
easily. The will to reduce and remove stress is the foremost thing that is needed.

As the famous saying goes, “Where there is a will, there is a way”.

Similarly, if you want to and have the patience and determination, you can surely curb your
stress levels down to a manageable extent.

Stress management is not a single technique, but, it rather encompasses a variety of methods an
individual can adopt to lower the level of stress. Here are some of the ways you can cope with
stress.
1) Healthy lifestyle
Summary Stress can either affect you positively or negatively, so make sure that it doesn’t affect
you adversely. If it does, take preventive measures rather than ignoring it.

Culminating stress can be a burden to both your body and mind. Take care of yourself and live
life, stress-free!

According to Daniel Jay Millman, an American author and lecturer in the

personal development field-

“Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is. The only problem
in your life is your mind’s resistance to life as it unfolds.”

So, incorporating the power of acceptance and understanding different possible perceptions in
any particular situation will always empower you in controlling your resistances to different
situations in your life.

With the help of the steps mentioned above, you will, for sure, be able to manage stress in the
most effective and equally productive manner possible.

Self-love: It is the best thing that you can do for yourself. Sometimes, loving yourself is hard,
and feelings of hatred and loathing arise. Squash them and enjoy yourself. Remember, if you
don’t love yourself, chances are others won’t either.

Sleep: Insomnia is a significant side effect of stress. Try to sleep at least 8 hours a day. A good
night’s sleep will keep you fresh and healthy.

Balanced diet: Eat healthy and nutritious foods. Take these meals at regular intervals. Overeating
or keeping yourself hungry does nothing but, damage to your body.

Exercise: Exercise regularly. There doesn’t have to be a fixed schedule or time. Do how much
you can, whenever you can. It takes your mind off stress and keeps your body fit.

Priorities: Set your priorities. Remember, you are only human and cannot take on everybody’s
wishes and problems. Prioritize things in your life and plan it accordingly.

Buy pets: Pets are an integral part of our life. We love to have a companion that would never
judge us. Buy pets according to your wish and preference. Spend some time and play with them.

Quit alcohol, drugs, and smoking: Tobacco and drug consumption is fatal to health. Avoid these
as much as possible. They may seem euphoric for some time, but in the long run, they are bound
to gift you diseases and death.

2) Avoidance Situation: Avoid situations that might hike your level of stress. Remove yourself
from the zone when you feel overwhelmed and agitated.
People: Avoid people that pile your stress. Eliminate yourself from conversations and remove
toxic people from your life. Doing this does reduce stress to a whole new level.

No: The word “NO” contains power like no other. Complying with everyone’s whims will only
leave you stressed. Learn to say no to people.

3) Finding a stress reliever

Music: Music can be a stress reliever to many. Find some spare time to listen to some music. It
will not only make you feel alive but also lower your stress.

Dance: Dance is a passion for many people. Dancing also provides exercise to the body—dance
in your free time to reduce stress.

Yoga: Meditation is a way to relieve stress. Yoga helps in keeping a balance between our mind
and body. Join a yoga class and reduce your stress levels.

Others: Find your stress buster. It can be anything simple, like taking a walk or reading a book.
Gardening is a form of stress relief or some people. Some people prefer a cozy space with some
caffeine.

4) Positive outlook

Positivity: Approach life with positivity. Look on the bright sides and think of ideas to turn a
grim situation into a positive one.

Control: Take control of your life. Don’t let others run your life. This only causes misery and
long term emotional insecurities.

Attitude: Try making changes to attitude. Sometimes, half of our problems arise from attitude
issues. Make the necessary changes, and you will find yourself a lot more free from stress.

Journal: Keep a journal detailing your life. There are some kinds of stuff that you can’t share
with anyone else. Speak your heart out in the journals and reduce your stress.

5) Acceptance

Accept: It’s essential to accept that there are just some things that you cannot control, despite
your best efforts. Stressing over these is not only futile but, also irrelevant.

Forgive: Several people wrong us in various ways. Holding a grudge or wanting revenge only
causes pain and stress in our life. Forgive and let go. They didn’t deserve to be in your life
anyway.

Express: Accumulating pent up feelings only causes the stress levels to rise. Don’t hold them in.
Express what you feel. Communication is the key to reducing those stress levels.
Compromise: Don’t be rigid on stances that can be avoided by being a little flexible. It is wrong
to assume that things will always go your way. Learn to bend a little. A little compromise helps
reduce your stress to a great extent.

6) Time management

This is an important criterion that affects each of us.

Managing time paves a long way in making life happy for us. Plan your schedule; add details
when you are already swamped and drowning in work. This will lower your stress levels.

While discussing the time management, Thomas Edison once said-

“Time is the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.”

So, when you work with proper time management, you don’t face problems like procrastination,
delays, overthinking, wayward scheduling, etc. Not being able to complete the task on time is
one of the prime reasons behind the stress nowadays.

With time management, you will be able to remove such stressful situations from your life.

7) Family and support

Family: Family binds us in ways more than one. Spend time with your family. Take them to
places, have fun with them. Their love and care will undoubtedly reduce your stress.

Friends and loved ones: Spend time with your friends. Go out for movies or dine out. Surprise
your partner, take them on dates. Sharing some laugh and gaining some happiness will reduce
your stress levels.

7) Medical treatment and help

Treatment: Some types of stress are serious and required medical attention. Don’t ignore them in
hopes that they will go away. They won’t. Visit a doctor and take appropriate medications.

Help: If you are feeling overwhelmed or lost, seek out help. There’s no shame in admitting that
you need help. Several support groups help people overcome stress. Join one and learn how to
reduce stress.

Psychologist: Mental stress is daunting and takes a turn for the worse very soon. Feelings of
depression tend to lead to suicide. Consult a psychologist and share your problems. They are
there to help you reduce your stress and help you breathe a little easier.

IV. Learning Styles & Strategies

Broadly speaking, learning styles can be defined as general approaches to language learning,
while learning strategies are specific ways learners choose to cope with language tasks in
particular contexts.

Learning strategies are the ways in which students learn, remember information and study for
tests. They refer to the actions and behaviors students use to learn but learning styles refer to the
general approaches that students use in acquiring a new language or in learning any other
subject.

The strategies a student uses to learn depend greatly on his/her own learning style.

Learning styles:

Each student has his/her own style of learning. As a result we have different students with
different learning styles inside the classroom as shown below:

1. Visual or spatial learners:

They need to see things to fully understand them. They learn best from visual objects such as
diagrams, charts, etc. They prefer to write things down.

2. Auditory or musical learners:

They learn mainly through listening so they learn best through discussions and talking. They
benefit most from reading texts aloud and using a tape recorder.

3. Physical or kinesthetic or tactile learners:

They learn through using their body, hands and sense of touch. They tend to use their muscles so
they can be used well in playing, tidying, cleaning the board, collecting activity books, etc. They
learn best through using their hands making things, fitting things together or taking them apart so
hands-on activities are ideal to help those students learn best.

4. Social or interpersonal learners:

They prefer to learn in groups or with other people. They have the ability to understand others’
feelings and intentions.

5. Solitary or intrapersonal learners:

They prefer to work alone and use self-study. They have the ability to understand well their
feelings, strengths and weaknesses. They tend to write personal diary, achieve independent
projects, discuss feelings about certain topics, express likes and dislikes, etc.

6. Verbal or linguistic learners:

They prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

7. Logical or mathematical:
They prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.
Learning strategies:

Many students use learning strategies automatically without any awareness of them. The role of
teachers here is to:

• recognize their students’ learning strategies,

• make them explicit to students, bring them to their attention and talk about them.
• encourage students to use them in the classroom
• make them more effective to the learning process,
• base teaching process and techniques on these strategies.

Students use the following learning strategies most often when learning a language:

1. Cognitive strategies which enable the learner to manipulate the language material in direct
ways, e.g. through reasoning, analysis, note-taking, and synthesizing

2. Metacognitive strategies which are used to manage the learning process overall, e.g.
identifying preferences and the need for planning, monitoring mistakes, and evaluating task
success.

3. Memory-related strategies which help learners link one item or concept with another but do
not necessarily involve deep understanding, e.g. using acronyms, sound similarities, images, key
words.

4. Compensatory strategies which help make up for missing knowledge, e.g. using gestures,
miming or guessing the meaning from the context.

5. Affective strategies which help learners manage their emotions, such as identifying one’s
mood and anxiety level, talking about feelings, rewarding oneself, and using deep breathing or
positive self-talk.

6. Social strategies which enable the learner to learn via interaction with others and understand
the target culture, e.g. asking questions, asking for clarification, asking for conversation help,
talking with a native-speaking partner, and exploring cultural and social norms.

To be able to use the suitable strategies for you, you should know first your learning style.

VARK Learning Styles

The acronym “VARK” is used to describe four modalities of student learning that were described
in a 1992 study by Neil D. Fleming and Coleen E. Mills.1 These different learning styles—
visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic—were identified after thousands of hours of
classroom observation. The authors also created an accompanying questionnaire for educators to
give to students to help them identify and understand their own learning preferences.
Visual Learners Students who best internalize and synthesize information when it is presented
to them in a graphic depiction of meaningful symbols are described as visual learners. They may
respond to arrows, charts, diagrams and other visualizations of information hierarchy, but not
necessarily to photographs or videos. Because visual learners tend to be holistic learners who
process information best when it is presented to them as a robust whole rather than piecemeal,
they tend to see positive educational outcomes when they are presented with summarizing charts
and diagrams rather than sequential slides of information.

Auditory Learners Auditory (or aural) learners are most successful when they are given the
opportunity to hear information presented to them vocally. Because students with this learning
style may sometimes opt not to take notes during class in order to maintain their unbroken
auditory attention, educators can erroneously conclude that they are less engaged than their
classmates. However, these students may simply have decided that note-taking is a distraction
and that their unbroken attention is a more valuable way for them to learn.

Auditory learning is a two-way street: Students who fall into this modality often find success in
group activities where they are asked to discuss course materials vocally with their classmates,
and they may benefit from reading their written work aloud to themselves to help them think it
through.2

Reading/Writing Learners

Students who work best in the reading/writing modality demonstrate a strong learning preference
for the written word. This includes both written information presented in class in the form of
handouts and PowerPoint slide presentations as well as the opportunity to synthesize course
content in the completion of written assignments. This modality also lends itself to conducting
research online, as many information-rich sources on the internet are relatively text-heavy.

Reading/writing-oriented students should be encouraged to take copious notes during classroom

lectures to help them both process information and have an easier time recalling it later.

Kinesthetic Learners are hands-on, participatory learners who need to take a physically active
role in the learning process in order to achieve their best educational outcomes. They are
sometimes referred to as “tactile learners,” but this can be a bit of a misnomer; rather than simply
utilizing touch, kinesthetic learners tend to engage all of their senses equally in the process of
learning. Because of their active nature, kinesthetic learners often have the most difficult time
succeeding in conventional classroom settings. Some educators have found success encouraging
kinesthetic learners to utilize flashcards for subjects like math and English to make rote
memorization into an interactive experience. These students also often thrive in scientific subjects
with lab components, as the skills-based, instructional training that occurs in these settings engages
them in productive ways.
Can One Student Have Several Different Learning Styles? Few things in life fall into easily
delineated schema, and learning preferences are no exception. In fact, studies estimate that
somewhere between 50 and 70 percent of the population have affinities to several different styles
of learning. These people are called “multimodal learners” and tend to succeed in classroom
settings that engage them with multiple learning styles alternately or in concert with one another.

Just because students can succeed with different learning styles does not necessarily mean that
they should be engaged with more than one on most occasions, however. While today’s media-
rich environment has made multimodal learning easier than ever before, recent studies recommend
some caution and care when introducing multimedia instructional design into the classroom.
Generally speaking, multimedia should be treated thoughtfully as a means to a specific educational
goal rather than an end itself, and multimodal, interactive instruction should be reserved for more
complex topics than for basic memorization and skill-building.

V. Emotional Intelligence

The word intelligence derives from the Latin nouns intelligentia or intellēctus, which in turn
stems from the verb intelligere, means to comprehend or perceive.

In the Middle Ages, the word intellectus became the scholarly technical term for understanding,
and a translation for the Greek philosophical term nous. This term, however, was strongly linked
to the metaphysical and cosmological theories of teleological scholasticism, including theories of
the immortality of the soul, and the concept of the active intellect (also known as the active
intelligence). This approach to the study of nature was strongly rejected by the early modern
philosophers such as Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and David Hume, all of whom
preferred "understanding" (in place of "intellectus" or "intelligence") in their English philosophical
works.[3][4] Hobbes for example, in his Latin De Corpore, used "intellectus intelligit", translated
in the English version as "the understanding understandeth", as a typical example of a
logical absurdity. "Intelligence" has therefore become less common in English language
philosophy, but it has later been taken up (with the scholastic theories which it now implies) in
more contemporary psychology.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Some
researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim
it's an inborn characteristic.

The ability to express and control emotions is essential, but so is the ability to understand, interpret,
and respond to the emotions of others. Imagine a world in which you could not understand when
a friend was feeling sad or when a co-worker was angry. Psychologists refer to this ability as
emotional intelligence, and some experts even suggest that it can be more important than IQ in
your overall success in life.
History of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence as a term didn't come into our vernacular until around 1990. Despite being
a relatively new term, interest in the concept has grown tremendously since then.

Early Growth

As early as the 1930s, the psychologist Edward Thorndike described the concept of "social
intelligence" as the ability to get along with other people. During the 1940s, psychologist David
Wechsler proposed that different effective components of intelligence could play an important role
in how successful people are in life.

Later Developments

The 1950s saw the rise of the school of thought known as humanistic psychology, and thinkers
such as Abraham Maslow focused greater attention on the different ways that people could build
emotional strength.

Another important concept to emerge in the development of emotional intelligence was the notion
of multiple intelligences. This concept was put forth in the mid-1970s by Howard Gardner,
introducing the idea that intelligence was more than just a single, general ability.

The Emergence of Emotional Intelligence

It was not until 1985 that the term "emotional intelligence" was first used by in a doctoral
dissertation by Wayne Payne. In 1987, an article published in Mensa Magazine, Keith Beasley
uses the term "emotional quotient."

In 1990, psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer published their landmark article, "Emotional
Intelligence," in the journal Imagination, Cognition, and Personality. They defined emotional
intelligence as "the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate
among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions."

In 1995, the concept of emotional intelligence was popularized after the publication of Daniel
Goleman’s book "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ."

The topic of emotional intelligence has continued to capture the public interest since and has
become important in fields outside of psychology including education and business

Components Researchers suggest that there are four different levels of emotional intelligence
including emotional perception, the ability to reason using emotions, the ability to understand
emotions, and the ability to manage emotions.
Perceiving emotions: The first step in understanding emotions is to perceive them accurately. In
many cases, this might involve understanding nonverbal signals such as body language and facial
expressions.

Reasoning with emotions: The next step involves using emotions to promote thinking and
cognitive activity. Emotions help prioritize what we pay attention and react to; we respond
emotionally to things that garner our attention.

Understanding emotions: The emotions that we perceive can carry a wide variety of meanings.
If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the cause of the person's
anger and what it could mean. For example, if your boss is acting angry, it might mean that they
are dissatisfied with your work, or it could be because they got a speeding ticket on their way to
work that morning or that they've been fighting with their partner.

Managing emotions: The ability to manage emotions effectively is a crucial part of emotional
intelligence and the highest level. Regulating emotions and responding appropriately as well as
responding to the emotions of others are all important aspects of emotional management.

The four branches of this model are arranged by complexity with the more basic processes at the
lower levels and the more advanced processes at the higher levels. For example, the lowest levels
involve perceiving and expressing emotion, while higher levels require greater conscious
involvement and involve regulating emotions.

According to Daniel Goleman , an American psychologist who helped to popularise EI , there

are five key elements

Self-awareness.

Self-regulation.

Motivation.

Empathy.

Social skills.

Impact of Emotional Intelligence

Interest in teaching and learning social and emotional intelligence has grown in recent years. Social
and emotional learning (SEL) programs have become a standard part of the curriculum for many
schools.

The goal of these initiatives is not only to improve health and well-being but also to help students
succeed academically and prevent bullying. There are many examples of how emotional
intelligence can play a role in daily life.
Thinking Before Reacting

Emotionally intelligent people know that emotions can be powerful, but also temporary. When a
highly charged emotional event happens, such as becoming angry with a co-worker, the
emotionally intelligent response would be to take some time before responding. This allows
everyone to calm their emotions and think more rationally about all the factors surrounding the
argument.

Greater Self-Awareness

Emotionally intelligent people are not only good at thinking about how other people might feel but
they are also adept at understanding their own feelings. Self-awareness allows people to consider
the many different factors that contribute to their emotions.

Empathy for Others

A large part of emotional intelligence is being able to think about and empathize with how other
people are feeling. This often involves considering how you would respond if you were in the same
situation.

People who have strong emotional intelligence are able to consider the perspectives, experiences,
and emotions of other people and use this information to explain why people behave the way that
they do.

How to Use

Emotional intelligence can be used in many different ways in your daily life. Some different ways
to practice emotional intelligence include:

Being able to accept criticism and responsibility

Being able to move on after making a mistake

Being able to say no when you need to

Being able to share your feelings with others

Being able to solve problems in ways that work for everyone

Having empathy for other people

Having great listening skills

Knowing why you do the things you do

Not being judgemental of others

Emotional intelligence is essential for good interpersonal communication. Some experts believe
that this ability is more important in determining life success than IQ alone. Fortunately, there are
things that you can do to strengthen your own social and emotional intelligence.

Understanding emotions can be the key to better relationships, improved well-being, and stronger
communication skills.

Tips for Improving EI

Being emotionally intelligent is important, but what steps can you take to improve your own social
and emotional skills? Here are some tips.

Listen

If you want to understand what other people are feeling, the first step is to pay attention. Take the
time to listen to what people are trying to tell you, both verbally and non-verbally. Body
language can carry a great deal of meaning. When you sense that someone is feeling a certain way,
consider the different factors that might be contributing to that emotion.

Empathize

Picking up on emotions is critical, but you also need to be able to put yourself into someone else's
shoes in order to truly understand their point of view. Practice empathizing with other people.
Imagine how you would feel in their situation. Such activities can help you build an emotional
understanding of a specific situation as well as develop stronger emotional skills in the long-term.

Reflect

The ability to reason with emotions is an important part of emotional intelligence. Consider how
your own emotions influence your decisions and behaviors. When you are thinking about how
other people respond, assess the role that their emotions play.

Why is this person feeling this way? Are there any unseen factors that might be contributing to
these feelings? How to your emotions differ from theirs? As you explore such questions, you may
find that it becomes easier to understand the role that emotions play in how people think and
behave.

Measuring Emotional Intelligence

A number of different assessments have emerged to measure levels of emotional intelligence. Such
tests generally fall into one of two types: self-report tests and ability tests.

Self-report tests are the most common because they are the easiest to administer and score. On
such tests, respondents respond to questions or statements by rating their own behaviors. For
example, on a statement such as "I often feel that I understand how others are feeling," a test-taker
might describe the statement as disagree, somewhat disagree, agree, or strongly agree.

Ability tests, on the other hand, involve having people respond to situations and then assessing
their skills. Such tests often require people to demonstrate their abilities, which are then rated by
a third party.

If you are taking an emotional intelligence test administered by a mental health professional, here
are two measures that might be used:

Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) is an ability-based test that

measures the four branches of Mayer and Salovey's EI model. Test-takers perform tasks designed
to assess their ability to perceive, identify, understand, and manage emotions.

Emotional and Social Competence Inventory (ESCI) is based on an older instrument known as the
Self-Assessment Questionnaire and involves having people who know the individual offer ratings
of that person’s abilities in several different emotional competencies. The test is designed to
evaluate the social and emotional abilities that help distinguish people as strong leaders.

There are also plenty of more informal online resources, many of them free, to investigate your
emotional intelligence.

Potential Pitfalls

Having lower emotional intelligence skills can lead to a number of potential pitfalls that can affect
multiple areas of life including work and relationships.

People who have fewer emotional skills tend to get in more arguments, have lower quality
relationships, and have poor emotional coping skills.

Being low on emotional intelligence can have a number of drawbacks, but having a very high level
of emotional skills can also come with challenges. For example:

Research suggests that people with high emotional intelligence may actually be less creative and
innovative.

Highly emotionally intelligent people may have a hard time delivering negative feedback for fear
of hurting other people's feelings.

Research has found that high EQ can sometimes be used for manipulative and deceptive purposes.

Difference between IQ, EQ

IQ – Intelligence quotient is an attempt to gauge human intelligence. While people have different
cognitive strengths and weaknesses, psychologists have found that there is a common component
called ‘general intelligence’ or ‘G’. General intelligence has been defined in various ways. But I
personally prefer this definition of Robert Feldman: ‘the capacity to understand the world, think
rationally, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges’.

EQ – Emotional quotient is your way of managing your own emotion in positive ways so you
could effectively deal with the vicissitudes of life. It was developed by Daniel Goleman in the mid-
1990s. Studies reveal that those with EQ scores find it easier to create interpersonal
relationships and to fit into group situations. People with higher emotional intelligence are also
better at understanding their own psychological state, which can include managing stress
effectively and being less likely to suffer from depression.

VI Creative & Critical thinking

Critical thinking is the active, persistent and careful consideration of a belief or form of
knowledge. It includes analysis and judgments about the ideas and conditions that support beliefs
and the conclusions that follow. Critical thinking involves analyzing and evaluating one’s own
thinking and that of others. It is subject to intellectual standards, including clarity, accuracy,
precision, relevance, significance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness.

Creative thinking is the generation of new ideas within or across disciplines. It draws upon or
breaks rules and procedures in those disciplines and actively engages students in bringing together
existing ideas into new configuration; developing new properties or possibilities for something
that already exists; and discovering or imagining something entirely new. Standards for judging
creative thinking include originality, appropriateness, flexibility, and contribution to the domain.

Historical study lends itself to this combination of thinking approaches. It requires critical
evaluation of sources and close attention to detail (quoting primary sources faithfully, accurately
citing sources). It also requires "big picture" conceptualizing to give specific events context and
meaning. Historical analysis is always a creative process, striving to offer new insights into events
of the past.

More elaboration, excerpted from Preparing Creative and Critical Thinkers by Donald J.
Treffinger

"Creative thinking involves searching for meaningful new connections by generating many
unusual, original, and varied possibilities, as well as details that expand or enrich possibilities.
Critical thinking, on the other hand, involves examining possibilities carefully, fairly, and
constructively focusing your thoughts and actions by organizing and analyzing possibilities,
refining and developing the most promising possibilities, ranking or prioritizing options, and
choosing certain options.

Generating many possibilities is not enough by itself to help you solve a problem. Similarly, if you
rely on focusing alone, you may have too few possibilities from which to choose. Effective
problem solvers must think both creatively and critically, generating options and focusing their
thinking.

Both generating and focusing involve learning and applying certain guidelines (attitudes and habits
of mind that support effective thinking) and tools. Let's first look at the guidelines for generating
and focusing, and then consider a number of specific tools."

Here's another version of the same concepts: "Creative thinking is making and communicating
connections to: think of many possibilities; think and experience in various ways and use different
points of view; think of new and unusual possibilities; and guide in generating and selecting
alternatives."

"Critical thinking is analyzing and developing possibilities to: compare and contrast many ideas;
improve and refine ideas; make effective decisions and judgments; and provide a sound foundation
for effective action."