When I was younger I used to spend hours a day outside on the basketball hoop practicing my foul shot and jump shot. My parents used to have to pull me away to come in to eat dinner and do homework. Many times my dad would join me outside and we would spend hours shooting and not talking. I was in my flow.
I have also been told that when I was in high school playing ball, the momentum of the game would switch when I was on the floor. My dribbling skills weren't the best, but I had this certain control over the game. I was told that when I was in the game the whole team would calm down and play under control. I knew where to pass, when to hold the ball...I was in my flow.
Today I do not play basketball competitively anymore, but I do other forms of exercise which put me back into my flow. I don't think about anything when I'm working out, my mind goes blank, and I just watch and enjoy my surroundings.
Flow is something that I think everyone should experience. If people are not participating in activities that put them in this mode, they need to experience different things until they find their flow. Flow is something that, as educators, we need to have our students experience. Because every person experiences flow in different ways, bringing flow into a classroom can almost be like a "project".
If a child gets into a flow from reading, then teachers should make time for students to have quiet reading time. If a student is in a flow from cooking, or by performing music, the teacher should invite the student to cook in front of the class, or perform in front of the class. Being in a flow allows a person to become intrinsically motivated, something that students need to experience more of. If a student knows what it is like to be intrinsically motivated, they may become more motivated to accomplish things because of how it makes them feel, not by what they will get out of it extrinsically.
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5 comments:
Being in the Flow whether on a basketball court or in the classroom is amazing. I used to play basketball as well; however, I never felt the flow that you refer to. However, when playing softball in high school I was disappointed even when practice was over. Now we as educators need to get our students to feel the Flow while learning even if they aren't aware that learning is taking place. If we can get students to intrinsically want to learn as you mention that more students would find the Flow.
It's amazing that so many of us refer to our youth when talking about flow. I wonder why that is? Maybe, when we were younger we enjoyed experiences and felt flow. As we got older, we entered more structured environments, which may have stifled flow.
I wonder how many of us think of physical activities , like you thought of basketball, when we contemplate our own versions of flow? I'm willing to bet quite a larger percentage. Yet, the activities we do in school often do not tap into the physical abilities of our students. This idea of flow really lends support to the argument behind daily gym and recess periods.
Looking at Joe's comment and your post, think of our language we use. As kids, we'd "play". In school and in practice, we do "work". We do "homework", "Do your work" is a common phrase. Would we have more flow if we played more?
I agree and can relate to being in flow while playing sports. It has been too long since I was in that state. I think excellent educators bring that feeling of involvement and joy into lessons on a daily basis. It is hard but very rewarding when we tap into everyones individual styles and needs for maotivation in the classroom.
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