I was struck by the importance of creating a positive environment for my students. One presenter showed a picture of a woman who had a fearful expression on her face. Most of the teachers in the room said she looked afraid; however, the presenter said 8/10 middle school students thought the teacher was angry. We need to be careful how we express ourselves in front of our students, knowing that they misread some of our thoughts.
Tim, we must've seen the same presentation. I thought it was amazing, too. We know that perception is crucial, however, to see such a misinterpretation of emotional expression was eye-opening. I wonder though, is it that adolescents don't have a developed emotional IQ to discern anger from angst or is it that they lack a working vocabulary that they can draw upon to verbalize what they're feeling?
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