8. Emotions & Learning

"What are the scientific links between emotions and learning? Could it actually be smarter to organize learning around emotions?" Emotions drive attention, create meaning, and have their own memory pathways (LeDouc 1994). For example, "our logical side says 'set a goal,' but only our emotions get us passionate enou even to care enough to act on that goal.' Our very survival as human beings is dependent on our emotions.


Natural Instinct

General feeling states and intense emotions of fear and pleasure take separate biological pathways in the brain. In a sense, we can be ruled by emotion as we need to act and react to situations based on prior experience. This is where the old expression "gut reaction" comes into play because we need to act quickly based on how we're feeling at the time. "When you experience a gut feeling, it's because the same peptides that are released in your brain are also linign your gastrointestinal tract." How we feel is usually how we act.

True creativity and genius can come from this place. The book talks about Stephen Hawking, Eddie Murphy, and Quincy Jones as being excellent examples of emotions driving creativity.


Emotional State

How you're feeling can drive how successful you are. This is especially important when it comes to students because of the hormonal changes always going on. Students may buy food, material objects, even drugs to change or regulate their emotional states during this time.

Teachers who "help their students feel good about learning through classroom success, friendships, and celebrations are doing the very things the student brain craves."

This is why it's important to ask students to explain why they want to reach the goals they've set. Students can then share their responses with others. This way, the reasons and emotions are tied together more strongly.

Paying attention to our emotions when it comes to our decisions can make us happier and more confident about making similar choices in the future.

As teachers, we need to be aware of our emotions as well as it can influence how we evaluate, mark, or interact with students. Students are especially aware of these states and want to please us and may fear they'll make a decision that will upset us if we're in a bad mood.


Positive Strategies:

1. Role Model: teachers should set a positive example of managing emotions
2. Celebrations: celebrate success and give feedback
3. Controversy: positive interactions around debates and difference of opinion
4. Introspection: use journals, discussion, share stories

What other kinds of positive strategies can we use in the classroom to model positive emotional behaviours and reactions?