Thread by @mjbeers1

Today, meeting with my undergrad course assistants, we discussed a chapter from @SaRoseCav ‘s book the Spark of Learning. Before we even started talking about the book, they shared what’s been going on in their lives in the past week. 1/9

Flying on an airplane for the first time to an interview. Up late unable to sleep because a roommate was fighting with their boyfriend. Broken computer. Needed new tires. Stressed out over exams. Work shifts extended to almost 40 hours. Work shifts cut short unexpectedly. 2/9

I asked them if these experiences impacted them in their classes. As you might imagine, students, not being robots, couldn’t just “turn off” their feelings when class or exam time came around. 3/9

I asked what emotions they have experienced most often as students. Guess what they said:
Stress
Anxiety
Sadness
Distraction
Frustration
Confusion
Fear
Boredom
Self-doubt

What emotions did they want to experience?
Passion
Excitement
Optimism
Pride
Confidence
4/9

They all agreed that their teachers’ emotions made an enormous difference in their experience in a class. Did a teacher convey excitement, encouragement? One student said a prof growled at their class, “you guys really screwed up on this exam.” Not exactly helpful feedback. 5/9

So, here’s a suggestion for you. At the start of your next class, ask students to anonymously write down/share what’s going on in their lives. You might be surprised at the weight of the cognitive load your students are carrying into class. 6/9

Reflect on your own emotions in the classroom. What are you doing to convey excitement, curiosity, passion for the subject? What are you doing to convey confidence in your students? 7/9

In years to come your students are unlikely to remember the details of the content you are teaching right now. What do you want them to remember about the feelings and emotions they are experiencing in your class? 8/9

On my syllabi I always include a goal relevant to emotion. I want students to enjoy applying stats to solve problems. I want grad students to enjoy their experience teaching psychology.

If emotion isn’t something you are considering in your classroom, ask yourself why not. 9/9