Flow

Czikszentmihalyi’s TED talk on flow referred to it as an experience where the skills a person has are being used in a way to allow for greater enjoyment and fulfillment. I have had many experiences being in a state of flow where I was very engaged and focused on completing my work. It usually involved more creative work rather than any mathematical experiences. However, there have been times while solving math problems I have felt very focused and eager to finish the problem. I think that the key aspect to having flow in the class is that it should be something enjoyable. It is important to have this flow to increase student engagement and participation. I think it is possible to achieve a state of flow in a math class. During the two practicum, I found there was an increased flow in work when I used various types of activities during the lesson. For example, when I was working with the grade 8s for Math, I allowed students time to have discussions, activities that involved moving out of their seats, and time to do work on their whiteboards. I found this helped the students stay engaged and focused on their work. I also think that from the list of characteristics of flow, the one on people knowing the task is doable and there is a balance between skill level and the challenge presented is a very important characteristic. One thing that I did during my two practicum, was having a variety of concept check questions throughout my lesson which would range from easy questions to more applying the information type of questions. I found this allowed various types of students to participate during the lesson. It also allowed students the opportunity to challenge themselves and possibly improve their skills and abilities.