Few things make me miss Brazil more than a bakery that serves cheese bread and good old café com leite, served in equal portions. Try to answer the following question: Is the average the coffee, the milk, both the coffee and the milk, or a third thing—besides the coffee and the milk—that is produced only when they are mixed together?

We are so accustomed to understanding phenomena by analyzing their parts in isolation. This is what is known in science as reductionism: we could try to understand the average by looking at the coffee or the milk—after all, without either of these parts, there would be no average. But that would not be enough, because the whole is different from the mere sum of its parts.

The same thing happens with thought. For a long time, it was believed that there was such a thing as “purely rational” thought. As a result, many models were developed that deal with “rational agents.” In education, this belief helped solidify the image of the “good student”—the one who stays quiet, doesn’t cause trouble, and does well on tests.

In fact, research has shown that the thought process itself involves emotions. These studies also indicate that more complex cognitive activities, such as decision-making and critical thinking, involve emotions.

We are rational-emotional beings, and it is this unique combination that has allowed us to survive and thrive, maintaining our homeostasis and superior capacity for social interaction. It is because we integrate such remarkable emotional abilities into our logical thinking that we adapt far better than any other species. These attributes—including our insecurity and uncertainty—should be celebrated, not suppressed.

Robots don't cry or complain, but they don't dream, they don't create, and they don't solve complex problems. Teaching students as if they were machines that memorize and regurgitate information on tests is to overlook what makes them so special. 

This is one of the school’s key roles: to equip students with the tools they need to cope with life’s complexities—tools that will be more easily accessed if the emotions associated with learning are positive. If going to school is like going to the dentist—a useful but dreadful experience—students will be resistant to learning for the rest of their lives.

 

References

https://cloeedu.com.br/o-papel-das-emocoes-no-pensamento-e-como-isso-afeta-a-educacao/

 

https://exame.com/bussola/o-papel-das-emocoes-no-pensamento-e-como-isso-afeta-a-educacao/

 

Did you like this content? Share it on your social media: