Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a leading researcher in the area of positive psychology, coined the concept of “flow.” Also referred to as being “in the zone,” flow is a pleasant experience in which a person is so focused and engrossed in an activity that they lose track of time. Another characteristic of flow occurs when a person is engaged in a task that is a slight stretch from his or her current skill set, not too easy but not too difficult. When the challenge is too high and skill level is too low, anxiety looms. On the other hand, when skill is low and challenge is high, boredom surfaces.
At Currey Ingram Academy, we seek to find this balance for our students. Creating “flowing” opportunities increases student engagement and, as a result, overall learning. “An engaged student at any grade level will invest - and therefore achieve - more than a disengaged student,” (Doubet & Hockett, 2016). Furthermore, there are many other ways to increase student engagement:
At Currey Ingram, we are conscientious of the need to provide an engaging learning environment for our students, especially when school elsewhere has typically not been very pleasant. Balancing the level of academic challenge with the child’s skill level is a critical first step; however, student engagement is only enhanced by the creative and varied activities teachers plan for their students, not to mention the close relationships that are built within the walls of the classroom.
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