Empowering Educators: The Interplay between Professional Competence and Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom

Abstract

For centuries, defining teacher efficacy has attracted the attention of all educationists and researchers. This age old profession has always attracted the interest of the researchers and scholar for determining the qualities of an effective teacher. Good command on the content knowledge is definitely a prerequisite for a good teacher in the classroom. But is it successful in achieving the targets of academic achievement and preparing students for lifetime learning? This question has proven to be a persistent intellectual challenge. The role of emotional bond among educators and learners has been considered, to be an additional critical aspect in the classroom teaching and hence the importance of emotional intelligence of the teacher is being researched for its roll in holistic development of the students in addition to the qualifications and personality of the teacher. Teachers can build relationships through emotional intelligence, and support the students by their empathetic behavior, understanding, and compassion. Question also arises for what defines a great teacher?  To explain a great there is no thumb rule. This paper is an exploration of importance of relational awareness in learning and teaching. Emotional intelligence favorably enhances motivation and academic success and it is directly connected to verbal and non verbal communication in the professional field. Along with professional competence and experience, meaningful emotional interaction between teachers and students forms a third essential dimension of effective teaching. Policy and training must build appropriate scaffolds to draw the attention of teachers towards this area that has been unexplored for becoming a great teacher. Teachers must cultivate interpersonal abilities through effective professional communication to connect interpersonally with students of diverse culture. This article explores about the interplay of emotional competence of the teachers and professional conversation that can do wonders in the classroom.