Week 2 - The Emotional brain and Motivation
Tony's Story was a great place to begin as it opened our minds to think about how emotions are involved in the learning process. It also shows us how emotions can be mysterious, even for the person experiencing them firsthand. As educators, we never know for certain how what we say or do will effect our students. Emotions are very personal and private. As educators we must pay attention and tread lightly.
For me the name Tony has deep personal meaning and is connected to many memories. Even scientific words which appear to be void of any apparent emotion can have deep personal emotional connections. When I looked at the word cloud, my eyes rested on "frontal cortex," because when I was almost 18, my brother Tony was killed in a traffic accident. He was a young 16 year-old out having fun with friends when he experienced severe head trauma, specifically to his frontal cortex. Simply looking at that word cloud started the memories flowing and as I read and learned more information about that part of the brain it reinforced learning I somehow intuited from that experience when I was younger.
The frontal cortex is so important that without it, we cannot interact with the world we live in. As he lie there in the hospital with no apparent physical injuries other than the swelling in his brain due to his forehead striking the windshield of the family VW van, it was difficult for me to understand exactly why he wasn't expected to regain consciousness. He appeared to be quite healthy. Other key body systems continued to function as the frontal cortex isn't necessary to keep one's heart pumping or lungs functioning sufficiently to supply the oxygen needed for those more "primitive" functions. So as I read about the frontal cortex, I became quickly overwhelmed by the number of mental processes tied to this essential part of the brain. It is a crucial part of most cognitive processes. Not surprisingly I kept putting off writing this reflection because the seemingly safe topic was connected to some powerfully emotional memories.
In retrospect, what this experience brings to my teaching is a heightened awareness of the responsibility we have with respect to the emotions of our students. As we try to make those emotional connections that help our students learn which this week has reminded us are so important to the learning process, we must always be on the lookout for what our students are bringing to the experience emotionally. We never know what else will be triggered by our choices of what is brought to the classroom. It is an awesome responsibility and I for one will strive even more to tread lightly.
Thanks to all of you for the amazing reflections posted. This class has already been an incredibly enriching experience. Thanks especially to Mila for her great summary. It helped me feel less lost in the wilderness of my past. I'll end with a quote from Julie Scott Taylor who feels that awakening the the emotional brain is essential. "Without including emotion in the learning process, it is impossible to truly engage students." I hope to engage them.
I'm a little late getting started but bring on week 3
Another very touching post by Chris! You always add a brand new layer to the course.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we have to tread likely and it also makes me think about the teaching profession. Particularly, about teachers' emotions and what role they play in our work.
I decided that since I started my blog the way I did...with a personal story...it was fitting to continue that way. I thought about what I wanted to say for a long time and was planning to write about something completely different but it wasn't coming together. The blogging assignment for this class has helped me to become keenly aware of how are emotions effect our teaching and learning. I intend to do everything I can to err on the side of patience and understanding from here on not only with my students and colleagues but also with myself. Thanks for your comment friend!
DeleteWow Chris! That was touching. I can imagine how the introduction to week 2 must have had such an emotional effect on you, based on that terrible experience you had to live through. For me, Tony's story only reminded me of those "students from hell" we have in class. How differently we make emotional connections, based on previous experiences. It's interesting to see how what we take into the classroom affects different students' emotions on different levels.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Sarah
Thanks for your comment Sarah. You have condensed the essence of what I believed I was trying to say into two sentences. I have certainly had my "students from hell" and what this week has shown me (again I guess because I already knew this) that we may never know what is motivating/causing our students to act in the ways that they do and we may not even be able to help them with those emotions for a multitude of reasons. Nevertheless, we can listen and observe and try to help if we can. We can even support others who might be more equipped to help in that particular situation. It would be unrealistic to ask more than that I think.
DeleteTake good care,
Chris
Thanks for reminding us that we can never predict what effect our lessons will have on the individuals within our classroom. Just one word, one name, can mean so much. I think we can forget how much power we wield as teachers and, as you say, we need to tread lightly. I'm sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your supportive comments Sinead. I agree that it is important to remember that as teachers we perhaps ought to even give up our power...or at least share it.
ReplyDeleteChris
A powerful account of the role emotions in learning and your writing leads us to explore it from a different perspective. Thanks for sharing your story with us. I think writing may be one way that we can understand our students' and our own emotions better. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your wonderfully supportive comment Mary. Emotions get involved in the teaching/learning process from as many different perspectives as there are teachers and learners.
ReplyDelete