We might not always think of learning as being an emotionally driven process, but when we attempt to divorce emotions from learning, we diminish the process and lessen its value. Learning is not just a matter of memorization and repetition, although these processes can help students to retain what they learn. When learning is pursued without emotion and purpose, what is gained is soon lost, and what should be valued too often is abandoned in favor of what comes next.
Unfortunately, many emotions associated with learning are not always comfortable or pleasant, yet their presence can make learning meaningful, rewarding, and empowering. When learning is accompanied by strong emotions, what is learned is more likely to be embedded in memory, recalled with greater ease, and applied with greater understanding and insight.
Obviously, students can experience many emotions as they tread the path of learning. However, five emotions appear to play especially significant roles. Let’s explore these five emotions and their roles in the learning process.
Curiosity. The best and most lasting learning begins with an unanswered question, an interesting possibility, or an unexplained phenomenon. Curiosity opens the mind and directs attention, two key conditions for inviting and supporting learning. Learning that responds to curiosity feels voluntary rather than imposed. Curiosity stimulates our brains to release dopamine (the pleasure chemical) and helps to increase focus and prepare for memory building.
Teachers can create and leverage curiosity for learning by:
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Asking questions that students find compelling and relevant.
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Designing activities that build interest without giving answers.
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Providing partial information that invites further investigation.
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Telling an intriguing story with a surprising ending—or no ending at all.
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Demonstrating a phenomenon or sharing an experience that invites additional discovery and explanation.
Confusion. Confusion signals that more organization, understanding, or information is needed. It's the brain’s way of telling us that what we know is not enough or is not organized in a manner to give us the answers we seek. Confusion is not failure. In fact, it is an important step toward understanding. Students often need this reminder and some coaching to maintain learning momentum.
Teachers can support students through times of confusion by:
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Preparing them for it, normalizing it, and reassuring them that their confusion is evidence of learning progress.
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Coaching them to describe and explain what they find confusing. Often, students find their way through confusion when they put their experiences into words.
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Promoting and supporting productive struggle as a key strategy for learning difficult things.
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Helping them determine whether they are confused and need clarity and sensemaking or if they are overwhelmed. When students are overwhelmed, we may need to help them break down tasks and sequence steps.
Frustration. Frustration is a signal that new learning is stretching current competence. It is evidence that focus and effort are required to overcome a challenge, and it can also be a message that it is time to identify and apply another strategy. Frustration is often the final step before learning breakthroughs.
Teachers can help students to understand and persist through frustration by:
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Reassuring them that when they feel stuck, they are on the threshold of a learning breakthrough.
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Reminding them that learning is supposed to be hard.
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Helping them break learning tasks into smaller chunks and identify progress markers.
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Providing hints and resources rather than answers.
Hope. Hope sustains motivation and encourages persistence. However, hope is most impactful for learning when students ground their hope in their ability to succeed through their efforts, not their talents. Hope reinforces students’ confidence that if they keep trying, they will improve and eventually succeed. Hope is not a measure of capability; it is evidence of confidence, and confidence that success is possible drives persistence.
Teachers can nurture and reinforce hope by:
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Designing, reinforcing, and celebrating early wins,
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Creating progress markers to show growth.
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Using the language of “not yet” to remind students that success is possible.
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Having students recall times in the past when they struggled and eventually succeeded.
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Sharing our confidence in our students’ ability to face and overcome adversity.
Pride. Pride that is earned through effort and persistence can provide a major boost to confidence in future learning. However, students need to see the connection between their actions and successful outcomes. When success results from controllable factors, students begin to see themselves as learners capable of mastering difficult tasks. Learning success can also foster intrinsic motivation and encourage risk-taking related to learning.
Teachers can help students build and experience earned pride by:
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Encouraging students to reflect on the steps they took and the strategies they used to be successful.
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Reinforcing with students that their learning resulted from controllable factors.
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Marking and celebrating important progress and success events to reinforce the significance of what students have accomplished.
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Having students share what they have learned with or teach other students.
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Using language with students that reinforces their identity as a skilled learner.
Without question, emotions play a crucial role in learning, especially when it is hard. By recognizing, reinforcing, and leveraging emotions as part of learning, we can help students to normalize struggle and frustration, maintain hope, and take pride in what they accomplish. Are there other emotions that you might add to this list as instrumental in designing successful learning experiences?
