Tone as a cause and effect of learning
Written by Terrell Huyck
In “20 Words That Influence the Way Your Students Think,” he said: In fact, students’ own ongoing internal dialogue and thoughts about themselves and their self-identity as learners is not just an “ingredient” in learning, but one of the most important elements. ”
This is central to the principles and practices of social-emotional learning (and social-emotional learning strategies). It may be helpful to take a quick look at some of the key ideas and underlying assumptions about learning tone.
Tone as a cause and effect of learning
I. Tone is important. It affects humans, but students are humans too.
II. A tone may be notable for its “tenor” and its value, as well as its abundance or lack thereof. In other words, a tone can be “good” or “bad,” and its amount can be “more” or “less.”
III. Tone can be both cause and effect. That is, a tone can cause “something” or be caused by something. For example, a lack of confidence may produce an uncertain tone, while another tone may produce an obvious lack of confidence.
IV. As an element of “climate”, tone is closely related to mood, and together they contribute significantly to that climate.
VI. The environment created either intentionally fosters creativity, collaboration, and learning; or it does not.
VII. Students experience a certain tone in every interaction (even if that tone seems more or less unobtrusive, it is a “clinical” tone). In other words, there is a “tone” to almost everything that students experience during their learning process.
VIII.Having established that tone affects students and can be adjusted (especially through word choice) means that as a teacher, you can adjust anything that affects your students.
IX. To make these adjustments, you need to know what tone is and how it can be adjusted.
X. Tone is complex and is created explicitly and implicitly through a myriad of sources besides our words. But our words can be adjusted so easily that it makes sense to make that simple adjustment while sorting out other factors that affect tone in the learning process. .
