Tony's story shows how emotions can affect learning. They are cause and effect at the same time. Paying enough attention to developing emotional brain, that is creating a brain-friendly classroom helps form an effective learner.
I find this video quite educational and helpful in understanding the interconnection between emotions and learning
This presentation was recorded on December 10, 2007, at the CASEL Forum, an event in New York City that brought together seventy-five global leaders in education and related fields to raise awareness about social and emotional learning (SEL) and introduce important scientific findings related to SEL.
Neuroscientist Richard Davidson presents his research on how social and emotional learning can affect the brain.
This is my wordcloud presenting the main concepts of the emotional brain
This is not the first time that I learn about brain-compatibility in the classroom. I am quite aware of the issues that can enhance the learning atmosphere. Of course, things are easier said than done, but I do believe that the learners should be challenged by the tasks that shape, change and develop their brain. I also think that there must be not just a brain-friendly classroom but a brain-friendly school. The students get confused when the requirements of different teachers contradict each other: in one classroom critical thinking is highly appreciated, but in the other memorization is the best achievement. In my context, these are mostly English teachers who bring innovations to school, the teachers of other subject are quite behind because they don't know a foreign language and can't catch up with the latest research. Besides, every change, even positive, takes time to happen.
