Elite private tutoring company, Tutors International sheds lights on the importance of developing social intelligence and how a private tutor can nurture your child’s understanding of their own, and others’, actions.
OXFORD, UK: Adam Caller, the CEO and Founder of Tutors International, the world-leader in the provision of high-quality, bespoke private tuition for its UHNW Clients, has always ensured that his company remains ahead of the curve in terms of reviewing the latest academic research and the subsequent shifts in educational focus that ensue. The last few decades have seen considerable focus on how our emotions and social relationships are at the centre of all human behaviour and specifically on ‘emotional intelligence’ (EI): how our children understand and manage their emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. The emphasis now, however, is shifting to developing children’s social intelligence, (SI), a term used to describe the capacity to communicate and form relationships with empathy and assertiveness.
The Difference Between Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence
The term emotional intelligence was first coined in 1990 by two researchers, Peter Salavoy and John Mayer in their article, ‘Emotional Intelligence’ and was later popularised by Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book, ‘Emotional Intelligence’. Goleman defined EI as ‘the capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships’. EI is believed to be a determining factor in academic success and gainful employment. School curricula have encouraged children to develop their emotional intelligence in the areas of self-awareness, emotional control and the ability to empathise with others in an attempt to enhance their relationship skills.
In his book, ‘Social Intelligence’, (2006), Goleman describes SI as ‘being intelligent not just about our relationships but also in them’. Goleman refers to ‘empathic accuracy’ – the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and in having the capacity to understand yourself and others in social contexts. Crucially, SI focuses not only on the child’s ability to empathise with others, but more on their ability to assess social situations and interactions, on how to develop their interpersonal relationships through understanding how to interpret what people are thinking and feeling, and why. SI works on the premise that if you want to respond appropriately, it is a precondition that the child first knows how to interpret what others are thinking and feeling.
Can Children Learn Social Intelligence?
Like most skills, social intelligence can be improved through learning and with practice. Social interaction and experience in dealing with people in social settings, along with learning from their successes and failures, will inevitably improve a child’s resilience and also their ability to participate in positive and productive relationships with others. Adam Caller explains how mainstream education can often stifle the individuality of the child, leaving no room for creativity or the development of interpersonal skills and why employing a private tutor can facilitate this learning:
“We at Tutors International are experts at providing high-quality personalised tuition, and we have extensive global experience placing superb private tutors in full-time positions. A perfect tutor should provide and nurture academic brilliance, align with the family’s values, and complement their lifestyle. In private tutoring, we see time after time how focusing on a child's individual interests and talents, and adapting teaching styles and lesson planning to compliment them, results in a child who is more interested and eager to learn”.
Mr Caller goes on to explain how the close relationship between the student and tutor accelerates the learning of social intelligence:
“Children taught within our educational system necessarily have to follow the same academic curriculum and their success is ultimately measured by how well they perform in public examinations. However, not every child will thrive in an environment that focuses on measuring success through academic grading. Mainstream classrooms mean every child is taught the same content in the same way, despite the fact that every student has individual learning styles”.
“A bespoke private tutor enables the student to interact on a one-to-one basis with their tutor; they are able to form a symbiotic relationship that allows the student to feel confident to ask questions, answer questions and ask for support when needed. The tutor will enhance the learning experience by providing feedback, encouraging and motivating the student by asking more challenging questions, by giving examples or by prompting. The depth and intensity of this customised learning experience allows the child to learn how to deal with social relationships effectively. They learn to follow the example of their tutor who is modelling interpersonal awareness and collaboration whilst participating in a caring social interaction”.
The World’s Best Tutors
Mr Caller is keen to point out that his company employs only exceptional educators:
“Our tutors are usually graduates from top universities where their social and conversational skills have been enriched by their education. The ability to converse with others and listen effectively is crucial when attempting to build a relationship. It enables our students to grow in confidence and learn how to nurture and sustain friendships and relationships for themselves. The demands of managing the educational needs of a large number of students in a classroom setting means that this is something that teachers in mainstream education seldom have time to do”.
“Our success can be attributed to employing world-class educators. Tutors International finds the best tutors by conducting specialist global searches for each Client’s specific needs, meaning the tutor who gets the job is undoubtedly the most qualified and the best fit for the student. We find not just the world's best tutors, but the world's best tutor for each specific child”.
According to Mr Caller, Tutors International’s students thrive in a non-traditional learning environment, often achieving exceptional results. Mr Caller attributes this to the one-to-one attention and individualised curriculum which allows students to work at their own pace, in a comfortable environment, whilst offering them the ability to explore and focus on their own academic interests without the pressures of the classroom:
“More families every year are choosing to educate their children outside of the traditional classroom environment for a variety of different reasons, from special educational needs to family, work, and travel commitments. Tutors International operates all over the world to provide families with exceptional private tutors, who are perfectly matched to their individual needs. Our tutors are hand-picked and a customised global search is conducted for each and every Client enquiry. Only the best candidates who meet every requirement get shortlisted. These are then interviewed and the final decision is made by the Client”.
Contact Us Now
Tutors International places exceptional tutors with families based on their individual needs and circumstances. For more information and advice about private tutoring, wherever you are in the world, visit tutors-international.com or make a preliminary enquiry by clicking here. Tutors can browse the latest vacancies and submit an application by visiting tutors-international.net.
About Tutors International
Tutors International provides an unparalleled private tutoring service that matches the right private home tutor with the right child, in order for the student to fully reach their personal potential and academic excellence. Delivering an international private tuition service for children of all ages at different points in their educational journeys, Tutors International is founded on a commitment to finding the perfect tutor to realise the specific goals and aspirations of each student. Tutors are available for residential full-time positions, after-school assistance, and home-schooling.
Founded in 1999 by Adam Caller, Tutors International is a private company based in Oxford, a city renowned for academic excellence. Our select clientele receives a personally tailored service, with discretion and confidentiality guaranteed.
Contact Details
Web: www.tutors-international.com
Email: marketing@tutors-international.com
Phone: +44 (0) 1865 435 135
Tutors International
Prama House
267 Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 7HT
UK
