Critical Engagement With Emotions In The Classroom Environment

Presenter Information

Carter Hardy, University of Tampa

Presentation Type

Presentation

Location

Student Life Center 2101

Start Date

10-3-2019 2:10 PM

End Date

10-3-2019 2:35 PM

Abstract

Learn how engaging with even a few different emotions can positively affect the learning environment, and foster better creative thinking in students and teachers alike.

Description

Emotions are essential, and ever-present modes of being in the world that affect our perceptions, judgments, and reasoning. As such, engaging with certain emotions in the classroom can change how students reason within that environment, as well as improve their understanding of their own emotional reasoning. In this session, I aim to improve the critical and creative reasoning of teachers concerning emotional engagement. Doing so will allow them to improve the classroom environment to likewise improve the creative and critical reasoning of their students. I do this by focusing on three different emotions. First, I address boredom and the way that it affects students negatively by leading them to seek distractions, but also positively by opening them to new activities. When recognized, it can be used to lead them to new activities to engage with topics. Second, I discuss frustration, which is an emotion that can often cause students to close off from the rest of the classroom environment, but also provide them with a strong drive to resolve the source of the frustration. I argue that recognizing frustration and using narrative methods can help redirect the energy of frustration into better critical reasoning. Finally, I explain how humor can open students to topics and discussions concerning which they would typically be resistant. However, I also note that this is a double-edged sword that can also cause students to take serious topics less seriously. Humor is an immensely useful tool, but one that needs to be used cautiously and reflectively.