Episode 4: Reader Q&A – Redirecting and the Effects of Negative Emotions on Learning

child

In this episode, I’m answering a reader’s two-part question. First, what are some suggestions for redirecting children and second, what did I mean when I wrote that “teachable moments cannot occur when children are in an emotional state.”

With the first question, we’ll examine what redirection really means, and how it differs from distraction.

For the second question, I start by doing some clarifying as well. And even as I listen to the show again, I realize I could have made even more clarification: When I reference “learning” in this podcast I’m referring to “upstairs brain” learning. Logical reasoning, decision-making, etc.

Secondly, when we talk about stress and negative emotion getting in the way of learning and performing, there’s an argument to be made that (particularly for adults) some degree of stress actually enhances performance rather than getting in the way. This is true for healthy levels of stress and for people who have healthy coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety. Two people (children and adults) can experience the same stress in different ways and the brain’s response will be different as well.

Have I created more Q’s than A’s at this point? Join us in this podcast and it will soon become clear! Let’s talk about redirecting behavior and the powerful influence of emotion on learning.