The idea of flow is certainly interesting. I've played soccer for my whole life at a fairly high level, so I'm very familiar with the concept. I find that sports very much turn off my brain. However, this also happens when I encounter an intriguing puzzle (absolutely can be math related) or even when I'm talking/thinking/writing about a subject that I'm invested in.
I may be misremembering, but I thought that the speaker said that flow only happens when one is particularly good at the subject at hand— like with the orchestral conductor. This is definitely not how I've been thinking about it, as I find I can get into a "flow state" where I am locked into a subject, even if I am not the most skilled at it. Then again, by the graphic in the post, we define flow as happening when we are sufficiently skilled as well as challenged; this must be the definition we be moving forward with in terms of our classrooms, as probably most of our students will not be "masters" of the subject.
Something that I have noticed in terms of when I can "flow" is that flowing is not necessarily an independent state, but that if other people are not in a similar mindset, they can take you out of it as well. This would be important to consider if trying to get kids into a flow state in the classroom— if they are not all engaged in what you're doing, there may be a cascading effect that gets everyone working in that group out of it. Thus, we as teachers must be able to place students that work well together or make sure that our activity is interesting enough that everyone gets invested (either through topic or type of activity).
I do think it is possible to get kids to flow in the math class— I have experienced this in some myself as a student. Of course I am probably more interested in math than the average student, but this is just to say it is possible. With a certain amount of buy-in from the kids and an interesting activity, I think it is possible to achieve more generally too.
You’ve drawn out a really insightful thread here: flow isn’t just about mastery, but about immersion—that sense of being pulled into something engaging enough to quiet the rest of the noise. I appreciate how you connect your own experiences in sport, puzzles, and conversation to challenge the idea that flow only belongs to experts. Your point about flow being socially fragile is especially strong; you’re noticing that a classroom isn’t just a collection of individuals but an ecosystem, where one student’s disengagement can ripple outward. Do you think the same can be said for what is perceived as engagement? A ripple out effect when some students are engaged?
ReplyDeletePlease bring sports into the classroom too - so many learners will adore you for this! Some may not, but the more variety in learning experiences, the better!
A question to carry forward:
If flow depends so heavily on shared engagement, what conditions or routines might help a group of students enter that “locked-in together” state—without assuming they all start from the same level of interest or skill?