The pedagogue and educational psychologist Mar Romera, a leading figure in emotional education, will be in charge of delivering the inaugural lecture «Emotional and Exciting Education» at the Early Childhood Education Summit 0-6, which will be held on September 27 at the Palacio de Congresos in Huesca. Romera is the creator of the pedagogical model «Educating with Three Cs: Capacities, Competencies, and Heart,» focusing on how to transform teaching from the earliest years of life; she is also the author of several books on childhood and active teaching methods.
In this talk, Romera analyzes how emotions, creativity, and the comprehensive care of students become driving forces for learning. She also warns about the need to rethink early childhood education, placing children at the center and highlighting the essential role of teachers in building more humane, inclusive schools that can respond to the challenges of the 21st century.
In Huesca, you will deliver the inaugural lecture «Emotional and Exciting Education.» Could you give us a preview of what it will cover and what you hope to convey to the audience with this talk?«Well, the title already says a lot about what it will cover, logically, and what is intended to be conveyed to the audience is the necessity of having a special perspective towards the little ones, the children, when we talk about their education and support during the most important stage of life. It is evident that currently, emotional intelligence is trendy in education. Thousands of programs are emerging, but it is also a relatively new term: ‘emotional intelligence’ was coined in 1990, and there are too many theories with a lot of noise around it.»
«The purpose of school is not solely teaching or learning. The school must also care.»
«We are not learning to coexist with emotions, to regulate them, to know them, to identify them, to differentiate fear from anger, or to understand that fear and anger are absolutely necessary for survival. There are no positive or negative emotions; all are adaptive responses for survival and all are absolutely necessary.»
You are one of the leading figures in emotional pedagogy and also in equality policies. How is this ‘transformative vision of the role of emotions in learning’ translated into everyday educational practice?«Everything that makes you feel emotions leaves a mark on your learning process. Considering the person as a whole, how they feel, how they live, what impacts them, what provokes their curiosity, and what surprises them, is to know the people. I cannot intervene in the educational process of a child if I do not know them, because education should be tailored to each individual; it is a step beyond inclusivity.»
The Summit is organized under the theme «Innovation, Emotion, and Creativity to Transform Learning.» What role do these three pillars play in the development of children aged 0 to 6 years?«In the case of innovation, it is another trendy theme: innovation, transformation, it is essential like in any type of business; either you change or you die. However, changing does not mean including more things in the school. Our children cannot take on more. Bringing computers to school is not innovation, and providing different information resources is not either.»
«This is not about having more resources… This is about whether the teacher is well, feels good, is built and balanced. The rest will come naturally.»
As an expert in emotional intelligence, how important is this approach in childhood, and what tools should teachers have to work on it in the classroom?«It is of utmost importance. Obviously, admiration as a basic emotion is one of the… admiration and security are the fundamental pillars that will lead to the school and early childhood or compulsory education being successful for the individual.»
In such a critical stage as early childhood education, how can emotions become a driving force for learning without neglecting curricular content?«Right now we are talking about curricular content because the interview has this content. And what do you do? Without curiosity? Without security? Without fear of getting an answer wrong? This is not about studying one thing over another; it is about knowing ourselves, building our own self-concept, and from there, taking advantage of the developmental structure and the capacities that lead to a correct self-esteem.»
From your experience, how do you assess the current state of early childhood education in Spain? What advancements would you highlight and what urgent challenges do you see?«I believe that early childhood education in Spain is surviving, although we have a fundamental problem: we do not have children. This is a serious issue that we should analyze more in the media and in society. Early childhood education is one of the most crucial stages when children build their fundamental pillars, especially at the emotional level, and school can be their great ally or the opposite. Our teaching staff, in general, is not well. Just look at the rates of workplace absenteeism and sick leave due to mental health issues. We are not lacking resources; we have too much bureaucracy, paperwork, protocols, and standards. The Administration has considered these obstacles as resources, and they are not. Education is damaged and hurting, and parents arrive at school crossing their fingers, hoping for a good teacher.»
You advocate for the pedagogical model of the three Cs: Capacities, Competencies, and Heart. What does this approach contribute to emotional education in the early years?«This approach does not only contribute to emotional education; it contributes to the entire system. It is not just emotional education; it is the integral transformation of an educational institution. First, we start from the vision that children are at the center, from their capabilities and potentials. If a student has an incredible communicative potential because their linguistic intelligence is high and they will be a great journalist or communicator, why make them lose a great part of their dreams by trying to train them in mathematical thinking or visual-spatial skills? School should discover each child’s strengths and, from there, offer a general culture so that each person finds their best path towards fulfillment.»
