Blogging on "Flow" - engagement and the thinking classroom

 

In the flow state, people are in high skill and high challenge mode. They are focused, determined, and self-conscious. 

The question Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi left for us is " how to put more and more of everyday life in that flow channel?" 

In order to reach "flow", we first need to figure out the goals. What is our goal? What are looking for as the outcomes? Why do we do this? What are we trying to achieve? It is important that we set goals as we do things. Goals are the motivations that keep us going and moving forward. 

In a math classroom, teachers can set goals for students, or students can set their own goals. Ask them questions like, "What isyour goal in math class? What are you trying to achieve in this class?" I think helping students find their goals would help them transition into the flow state easier.

 To promote flow and happiness in our mathematical classes, it is important to keep our students focused and on task. One good strategy to implement flow in a math classroom is to have warm up activities in the beginning of class. Warm up activities can be as simple as math puzzles, or they can be something relating to what will be taught that day. As soon as students see the warm up activities, they get into the "math mode", and they start thinking about these problems. Some students might find the problems challenging, and they can always discuss with their partners on the solutions. It is also good way for students to practice their communication skills while they are explaining their mathematical thinkings to their peers. Having warm up activites is a good way to start the lesson and prepare students to get ready to learn math.  Students get the sense of accomplishment from solving these math problems. When students are satisfied with what they are doing, they can reach the state of "flow" smoother and sooner.