Shaun Dallas Dance’s Blog

When most people think of the word intelligence they associate it with the academic definition. People are often scored using metrics like intelligence quotients, also known as IQ scores, and most of the conversations are about the left-brain, activities of the prefrontal lobe, factual data, and statistics. The problem with this methodology is that it ignores the human capacity for right-brain feelings and emotions felt in the amygdala portion of the brain. Our ability to identify and manage emotions, both in ourselves and others, is known as emotional intelligence.

When you picture a country well-known for churning out excellent students year after year, the last thing you imagine is that they never do any homework. In addition, it is probably assumed they attend classes for a greater number of days throughout the year than those who test poorly on exams. However, all around the globe, this has proven time and again to be the opposite case. 

Classrooms have turned into an environment where the focus is on memorization and test-taking. The core curriculum has created a nationwide cookie-cutter style of teaching that leaves very little room for creative expression. Schools in America have addressed the problem of bullying as more of an afterthought, instead of putting the idea of empathy and compassion at the forefront of teaching. Not only does this help students learn better, but it also helps mold them into better members of society as they grow up.