Watch the recording >

Mindfulness, empathy, self-awareness, authenticity, emotional intelligence (EI). What do these terms mean? Why should you care? Watch this insightful webinar where we go beyond the hype of these oft-used terms and dig into why a deep sense of self helps you better navigate all of the various relationships environmental educators cultivate on a daily basis. We explore the scientific validity of EI, address common criticisms, and discuss its practical implications for educators and practitioners in the environmental education sector. Additionally, we examine the role of cultural competence in enhancing EI, and ensuring inclusive and effective environmental education practices. 

Speaker:

Anne Umali | Organizational Development and Training Consultant, TRG

Anne Umali has been a training and organizational development consultant at Training Resources Group since 2023. She has over twenty years of experience working in the environmental education and conservation field and has built a strong passion for teaching and training others, especially when it comes to leadership training and mentoring; community and civic engagement; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Anne has led leadership, education, and professional development programs with the North American Association for Environmental Education, Cornell University, National Audubon Society, The Field Museum of Chicago, and Peace Corps.

Anne has coached over 300 young and established environmental education professionals, teachers, and teacher trainers through their own career and learning pathways on topics ranging from program design and evaluation to personal equity and inclusion challenges.

Watch the Recording > 

Anne provided responses to some of the questions in this webinar in this follow-up below:

Question 1: How do you suggest checking one’s assumptions of a situation so that we balance out the (appropriate) emotional needs of others and ourselves in a moment of discombobulation?

I think it’s most appropriate to check in with yourself first. What emotions are coming up for you? How are you feeling in this moment? Do a quick body scan, top to bottom, noticing where you are holding any tension. And are you in a good space of equilibrium so that you feel ready to address another person? Of course this can all happen in just a minute or two, and how much time you dedicate to yourself will depend on the urgency of the situation. When you can, take the time you need for yourself first.

Also, I try to plan ahead whenever possible. If I know I have a stressful week at work coming up, for example, and I can anticipate a bit of discombobulation ahead,  I’ll try to “bank” extra sleep, extra downtime, extra rest, in the days prior. And I’ll make sure I get time outside, a nice long walk, exercise, and whatever else that helps me feel like I’m in my good, solid routine. You’ll also be in a better place to pause and notice how you’re feeling.

When it comes to checking your assumptions of a situation with another person, a lot will depend on the type of relationship you have with that other person, the level of trust you have, and the level of trust you would like to build. If it’s a low-trust relationship, as with a stranger or an acquaintance, you’ll most likely not invest too much energy in the interaction. But a good friend, a colleague, or a person you manage and are ultimately responsible for, you’ll want to make a deeper investment.  In cases of a high-trust relationship, it’s appropriate to ask clarifying questions, noting what you are observing and fact-checking what you are noticing with that other person. Think of it as an ongoing balance, where you’ll need to learn the right level of checking your own assumptions, checking in on the emotions of others, and making sure your own understanding matches the other person’s. With practice, you get better at checking yourself and checking others! 

Question 2: How do I show empathy when working with a team, colleagues, or coworkers who deny that there’s a problem or have opposing perspectives?

During this webinar, a number of questions came up related to how to deal with difficult people. The scenarios can range in intensity and frequency, involving different people and settings, but the formula for structuring a conversation is the same. 

First, you’ll have to think about the long view. Is this a relationship you value and want to continue to nurture over the long term? If the answer is yes, then you have a variety of tools available to you to manage a difficult relationship. The next step to check that you’re understanding matches the other person's. Clarify the facts and then identify the story you’re telling yourself, before you get too far ahead of yourself. 

In the case of the coworker above you can seek clarification of the facts, but you’ll need the other person’s permission first. For example, you could say, “Taylor, I’m hearing you reassure me that we don’t have a problem with ___. But I’m also hearing from Steve that we have some problems on the team. Would you be open to having a conversation about this and help me understand what I’m misunderstanding?” It’s a practice that feedback experts call “getting to that ‘micro-yes’” where you are getting initial agreement to a conversation, understanding that it takes two willing parties to get to a common understanding. 

Many of these steps are outlined in more detail in this Harvard Business Review article, "Secret to Dealing with Difficult People"

You can also learn more about giving and receiving feedback from Leeann Renniger. She gives a great formula for crafting a good feedback message in this TED Talk, "The Secret to Giving Great Feedback."

This webinar is brought to you by ee360+ and eeINSPIRE.

ee360+: Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Movement Through Collective Impact

An ambitious multi-year initiative, the ee360+ Leadership and Training Collaborative connects, trains, and promotes innovative leaders dedicated to using the power of education to create a more just and sustainable future for everyone, everywhere. Led by NAAEE, ee360+ is made possible through funding and support from U.S. EPA and twenty-seven partner organizations representing universities and nonprofits across the country, and five federal agencies. Through this partnership, ee360+ brings together more than five decades of expertise to grow, strengthen, and diversify the environmental education field. Visit https://naaee.org/programs/ee360 to learn more.

eeINSPIRE: Sparking Innovation in Environmental Education

We are pleased to continue eeINSPIRE, NAAEE's webinar series presented in partnership with the US Forest Service. This series is designed to bring new ideas and thinking to USFS conservation educators, but is open to all who want to sign up!

EEINSPIRE FLYER

Upcoming eeINSPIRE Webinars

Future topics will include: increasing civic engagement through education and service-learning, becoming a natural and effective storyteller, citizen science in education, building a diverse and inclusive field, and more. 

We look forward to seeing you online, and stay tuned for updates on upcoming webinars in the series!