MODEL

Portrait of a Learner 9-12

Systems Change

Factor Connections

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Emotions are complex psychological states stemming from a person's experiences. They affect our minds and bodies and therefore can support or hinder learning. Students from diverse backgrounds and cultures, as well as students with learning disorders or ADHD, may have ways of expressing their Emotions, perceiving Emotion in others, and reacting to Emotions that differ from what we'd expect to see from learners.

Main Ideas

Several aspects of Emotion can affect learners' well-being and academic success:

  • Emotion knowledge is understanding what emotions are and properly recognizing them in others' facial expressions and speech. This typically begins to develop in early childhood but doesn't reach adult levels for most emotions until adolescence. In addition, as students get older, they develop the ability to understand more complex emotional concepts, such as mixed emotions.
  • Emotion regulation is the ability to control emotional arousal in order to learn adaptive functioning (the ability to complete daily tasks, cope with changes in the environment, and function successfully in a given environment). This supports mental health, and is an important aspect of social competence. During adolescence, individuals may face increased challenges that require Emotion regulation due to social, hormonal, or academic pressures, and so is a pivotal time for Emotion regulation development.
  • Mental health is the combination of emotional and psychological well-being and adjustment. Emotions are dynamic and will always fluctuate over time, so it is normal to experience both positive (e.g., excitement, joy) and negative (e.g., anger, sadness) emotions. However, students who tend to experience more positive than negative emotions overall, and who are able to successfully manage and minimize stress, will likely have better overall psychological well-being. There is some research to suggest that in adolescence, increased screen time, including passive (rather than socially-engaged or community-building) social media use, may increase the risk of mental health challenges. However, extracurricular activities such as sports, arts, and community programs can reduce the risk of these challenges.

To an extent, a little bit of anxiety or negative emotion around challenging work may contribute to adolescents' persistence during difficult tasks. On the other hand, experiencing frequent anxiety (either generally, or about a specific subject matter) can interfere with learning when it becomes internalized. It is important to acknowledge the value of working through difficult tasks and remind learners that mistakes are a part of the process, while monitoring student's emotions to ensure they have the necessary scaffolding to feel empowered along the way.

It is important to note that educators may misinterpret students' emotional states due to biases such as being more likely to perceive Black students as angry or hostile, which can contribute to discriminatory and inequitable disciplinary outcomes. As a result of different social norms and experiences around Emotion, students may benefit from linguistically and culturally-responsive approaches to addressing emotions.

Students with ADHD are also at risk of having their emotional states being misinterpreted, resulting in reduced emotional closeness and more conflict with educators than experienced by their peers who do not have ADHD. Students who have learning disabilities or ADHD may also have difficulties with emotional well-being due to frustration or anxiety surrounding schoolwork, peer exclusion,fear of failure, and/or feelings of stigmatization, to name a few. High-quality professional development around understanding and supporting students with ADHD is an important factor in educator's ability to support student co-regulation and self-regulate their own Emotion.

In addition, Adverse Experiences and/or a lack of Safety at home or in the community can lead to difficulties with Emotion regulation, and an increased risk of mental health challenges. It is important to support students' emotional well-being early on by listening to and addressing their needs, and building on their strengths. Strong Social Supports can help buffer learners from negative experiences like bullying, peer exclusion, or discrimination, and teachers can play a critical role in providing these supports.

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