Optimal Emotional State
All learning is state dependent: the physiological, emotional, postural, and psychological state learners are in will mediate content. And these states are related to the chemical “flavor of the moment” in the brain. Chemicals can be too high, resulting in hyper or stressed states; chemi- cals can be too low, yielding drowsiness. The learner’s state can be influ- enced in the classroom with simple interventions. (Jensen, 2000, p. 125)
“Emotion drives attention and attention drives learning” (Sylwester, 1995). Teachers need to recognize and do something when students’ emotional states are either too low or too high to enable them to focus. They need to develop a repertoire of ways to induce emotional state changes or bring them into bal- ance when the need arises. To induce calm, for example, Jensen suggests calling up predictable, ritual activities such as routine openings, closings, and greet- ings. When the need is to energize or motivate, teachers might introduce nov- elty or unexpected change. The former (inducing calm) points to elements of classroom climate (Chapter 16), especially ways to create a sense of community and belonging. This also makes the case for strategic use of a principle of learn- ing called “Similarity of Environment” (Chapter 12). “Vividness,” another one of the principles of learning, highlights inducing surprise to energize. It under- scores why doing something out of the ordinary to surprise or startle students can serve as an effective, in-the-moment, attention move.
“Emotion drives attention, and attention drives learning.”
(Sylwester, 1995)
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PART TWO | MANAGEMENT | ATTENTION