A teacher's sentiment after failing to make students' positive emotional experiences

How teachers should view students’ emotional experiences?

One of my goals as a teacher is to provide socially and emotionally positive experiences in physical education. Negative or even harmful experiences in physical education have been repeatedly reported for a long time, including abuse, bullying, alienation, and embarrassment (@ImSporticus: Harmful experiences). Having read these reports, I did not want to encounter these experiences. My lesson incorporated a list of actions for prevention. I tried to get close relationships with students; I offered a regular opportunity to share students’ thoughts to improve the course; I emphasized respect for each other’s thoughts and emotions; I prioritized social and emotional learning outcomes; and I consistently monitored students’ experiences. I was proud that my lesson aimed to be away from typical negative experiences.

Yes. As expected, I failed to create positive experiences in my lesson. I was so frustrated. Despite my efforts, some students were not happy with my lesson, which was evident in my recent class.

Photo by Zulmaury Saavedra on Unsplash

Here’s my example. My lesson aimed to practice active listening skills in recreational activities. The chosen activity was Mat ball, which is an adapted activity from kickball. Many students were very excited to play a familiar and competitive activity. As soon as they came to know they would play Mat ball, the learning focus disappeared. The first activity, for example, was designed to discuss good ways of team formation. I expected students to share some options to form teams, but students who had a bigger voice dominate to be team leaders to pick members (yes, the representative way to bring about alienation). I stopped and encouraged them to think whether it was the best way. The discussion could not progress because many students were just eager to start playing. Secondly, some students considered themselves to know all the rules and did not listen. After the rules were explained, they insisted on following the familiar way of playing. This led to a point where students stopped listening and began blaming each other, including me as the referee. The lesson ended in chaos with all different arguments and discomfort. I had to stop the activity, bring the students in the center, and share the learning purpose. After that, the students seemed unable to grasp what what I intended to teach. Students’ experiences were definitely less positive.

I own up to my fault. The lesson could have been better structured for students to learn better. With structured ways of learning, students could have practiced active listening skills in recreational activities. There were many moments that could have brought students back to the point.

Let’s look at it in a different way. Students’ emotional experiences varied by class. The day before this lesson, I had used the exact same content and activities. I was the same teacher; the goal and activities were the same; the same school and year. The students’ responses were completely different. I can tell that students’ experiences were positive.

How teachers should view students’ emotional experiences? My disappointment and frustration asked me to find any answer to this question. I had to say my lesson was unsuccessful because I set my goal to make socially and emotionally positive experiences for students. On second thought, I am questioning my goal. Is it even possible to create positive emotional experiences, no matter how I really want to do? Should it be more of an aspiration rather than a specific goal to measure the success of my lesson? Should I use emotional discomfort as a teachable moment? Can’t experiences be the goal of lesson?

My thoughts are scattered, and I find it difficult to organize them. What am I supposed to do? At this moment, all I can do is to share my thoughts. My thoughts will be a valuable source to create a way of thoughts, strategies, and knowledge.