“To Move” is the Root – Unit 4 Reflections

A couple of years ago I delivered a few workshops on Emotional Intelligence (EI), on the heels of taking a course called “Emotional Intelligence in Adult Learning”. I transferred the concept to workplace workshops, and also had the opportunity to conduct a workshop in the community. I think the community workshop was the best one that I delivered. For some reason, I was quite comfortable with the idea, and by then I had refined the content and worked it through – a few times. I was better able to control my own emotions (not quite so nervous), and my confidence in the content and delivery was better, and I could even manage challenges to the content without being threatened, in real time.

There is the context. Now to explore week four and what I learned.

If agency is defined as “...the ability to take action with intention...” (Brown & Lee, p. 88), and “...agency is a prerequisite of “real” learning, involving cognition, emotion, and physical movement...” (Brown & lee, p.95), then real learning is at least partly dependent on emotion. I believe now that the link between the two is even bigger than I previously thought.

The root of emotion is “to move”. Emotion has the same root as motivation - “to move”. Motivation is a powerful tool that can be harnessed by everyone for the purpose of moving their learning forward. If this is equally available to all learners, why are some naturally motivated and why do some seem to lack it? This is a question that I regularly struggle with. As I work with staff learners, why do some persist in seeing education and training in a positive light – as something having value, and why do others seem to see it as a punishment?

I think the answer (at least in part) is in the word “emotion”. What we feel moves us, which means what we feel is key to our motivation. How we respond to our emotions (self-awareness) is key to how everything is affected, from any point going forward.

So, what is all this about? Well, when we consider what newcomers face when they arrive in a new country, with new customs, culture, people, infrastructure, laws, expectations, rules, language, etc., there must be a huge amount of emotion that I cannot even begin to understand, and maybe they do not always understand, or know how to convey, either. Their “...ability to take action with intention...” (p. 88), to exercise “agency” in their own lives remains in jeopardy. Even though they may have hope for a different/better/safer life, their emotions may overwhelm, or conversely, restrain them, which affects motivation for everything, including learning. It is also important to ensure that my emotions are not projected onto how I view a situation, and so as a teacher or instructional support, I must be very self aware as I work.

If you want to understand what motivates someone, you might have to unlock the key to their emotions. This is a scary task and requires that those working with newcomer learners have the fortitude and resources that may be needed to provide support when required. It will not be the same for everyone, certainly, but rather than fearing the unknown, think of the potential rewards and progress you will see (and perhaps get to be part of), if it can be done.

These thoughts are now out there for you to read. It makes me nervous, and a feels a bit vulnerable. I intend that those emotions will move me in the right direction and that I will be managing my agency correctly – plainly said... I plan on taking action with intent. In fact, I have already started. I took this course.