There’s no doubt that emotions are integral to learning. They can contribute to motivation, encourage problem-solving, and keep students engaged. But when it comes to connecting learning with emotions, many educators are struggling to create a successful approach.
In their book, “Building Emotional Intelligence,” James Clear and Jeff Sutherland provided a step-by-step guide for activating positive emotions in students. They recommend using activities that are fun and challenging, provide opportunities for students to talk about their feelings, and help them learn to identify and manage negative emotions.
But even with these steps in place, many educators are struggling to create a successful connection between learning and emotions. Why?
One reason may be that educators don’t know how to create effective emotional activities. One recent study found that only 18% of educators use activities that can be called “emotional learning” methods. In contrast, 68% of educators use activities that are not emotional.
So, what can educators do to make their classes more emotional? One approach is to create activities that are challenging and engaging. For example, many educators use games to help students learn new information or to engage in creative problem-solving.
Another approach is to use activities that can help students identify and manage their emotions. For example, many educators use tools like questionnaires or surveys to help students understand their emotions and to manage them.
Regardless of how you create emotional activities, it’s important to remember that your class must be designed in a way that is effective for your students. If you don’t have a successful emotional connection with your students, your class may not be successful.
