Teaching with Emotional Intelligence in Higher Education

In the contemporary era, the poignant reality of our education system especially at higher level is that resources are ample but quality has taken a rain check. Building positive character of learners develops the foundation of healthy and prosperous society. Students have to be taught the ability to read emotions self and of others. This responsibility lies on the shoulders of teachers who are the knowledge builders of the society. In this global competitive world, where values, ethics, emotions, morality, etc are losing its essence, it is important that the learner is taught the importance of emotional intelligence. An individual having control over his/her emotions will also respects others emotions, which leads to acceptance of differences, thus establishing peace and harmony in the world. Teaching with emotional intelligence has now become extremely crucial. But helping students acquiring the skills of Emotional Intelligence, it is important that the educators themselves are trained with the skills. Even researches show that teachers with high level of emotional intelligence are academically more successful. The literature revealed that academic leaders can benefit from the development of Emotional Intelligence competencies. This paper attempts 1) to highlight the importance of Emotional Intelligence in the area of higher education; 2) to briefly discuss some of the traits which an educator must possess in order to become an emotionally intelligent teacher; 3) to examine the ways to develop as an Emotionally Intelligent Teacher.