Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog!
I wanted to reflect on two questions from the reading that we did this week:
Have you consciously used strategies to address emotion?
What will you be doing differently as a result of reading this chapter?
In regards to the first question I have consciously used strategies to address emotion in the classroom. I have tried to pay close attention to my tone when talking to student, especially ones that are off task. When I see a student that is off task, instead of saying an accusatory comment I try to ask them politely what they are doing or why they are not doing their work. Typically the non accusatory tone of voice that I use earns me a pleasant reaction and an honest answer from my student. One particular instance where I really noticed the difference tone can make was yesterday at the end of the day. At my school we have two bells at the end of the day. The first bell is for bus riders and the second is for walkers. Well, the first bell had rung so many of my students left the classroom, but I noticed that a student that is not in my 7th hour class decided he wanted to sit in my room until the second bell rang. When I saw him I instantly said, "Why are you in here?" in kind of an aggressive tone. He quickly responded in the sassy teenage fashion, "because I can be." When I realized what happened and how my tone had come across, I said, "I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything I was just asking a question" and his whole demeanor changed. When the student realized that I wasn't accusing him but simply asking a question he became less defensive and actually smiled (a student that rarely smiles).
After this experience I noticed how important tone of voice is when questioning students, and I will always pay attention to my tone when addressing students in the future.
How do you think tone might impact learning? Have you experienced that yet in your work? Teachers' tone can impact emotional climate, which is really what was discussed in the text. Students need to feel non threatened and supported and that the context is predictable- predictable rules and routines. This supports their efforts to engage with challenging information and risk taking in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think tone greatly impacts learning. For instance, I have a neice that is two, an age when her little brain is like a sponge soaking up information. I noticed someone tell her to put on her jacket in a loud and non-friendly voice. She responded by whining. I then asked her to please put on her jacket in a much different tone of voice and she did it without hesitation. This was a perfect example of how tone of voice can affect learning. She was much more willing simply because of the difference in the tone used.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that I noticed about tone and emotional climate is that tone plays a huge factor in stress and anxiety. My older sister used to constantly feel stressed because my mother's tone of voice was a nagging one. Once we figured out that all my mom had to do was change her tone of voice my sister felt much less stressed. Sometimes we would just have to say, "Mom, please change your tone." And when she would change her tone it was like we were having a compeltely different conversation. I think this can carry over into the classroom. Students can feel stressed and anxious about what a teacher is asking them to do if her tone is harsh. I think it is very important for a teacher to try to maintain a neutral and non-stressful tone of voice.