Invalidation of students' emotions

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Approaching her teacher timidly is a student who flunked a test. She whispers, "I did my utmost, but math is an anathema to me." The teacher snaps, "Don't be a drama queen" without interrupting her grading papers. The student retreats with her embarrassment hidden deeper. Though brief, this conversation reflects a pervasive issue in education: the invalidation of students' emotions.

Educators who disregard, belittle or ignore the emotions of their students inadvertently damage not just their emotional wellness but also their academic ability. In a time when students' engagement in schools is depleting, emotional validation isn't merely a 'soft skill' but rather a pedagogical necessity for holistic learning.

Our schools focus on what students know and can do. This is allowed so far as teachers' foundational curriculum planning guidance states "what students should know and be able to do." Though this is useful guidance, it is critically incomplete.

Research in neuroscience verifies that emotions and cognition are inextricably linked. The limbic system interacts constantly with the prefrontal cortex, the brain's hub of reasoning and decision-making, to govern emotional responses. Emotionally disparaged students activate their amygdala, which is the brain's alarm system, flooding the body with cortisol. This physiological response damages attention, working memory and problem-solving performance.

Dr Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a leading educational neuroscientist, asserts, "We feel, therefore we learn." For instance, a student who feels safe expressing confusion about a math concept is more likely to seek help, whereas one ridiculed for "not getting it" may disengage entirely.

Dismissiveness creates emotional scars as invalidation functions across several types: a teacher scoffing at their students' panic, scolding a kid to 'stop crying' or attributing real agony to 'attention-seeking'. These microaggressions communicate a terrible message: "Your emotions don't matter."

Students who internalise emotional snubbing over time start to suppress themselves emotionally. Students learn to mask weaknesses, stress and isolation. Their self-worth depreciates. Research indicates that children subjected to emotional invalidation have high rates of self-harm and depression in their teenage years. Chronic invalidation embeds ideas like "I am overreacting" or "My voice doesn't matter."

Students who had their emotions invalidated took part 40 per cent less in discussions and avoided seeking assistance, found a 2022 study in the Journal of Educational Psychology. Absenteeism, sub-par grades and stifled curiosity all eventually result from this lack of engagement. One student protests: "Why bother raising my hand if my teacher thinks my questions are stupid?"

Invalidation breaks the foundation of good teaching, which rests on student-teacher interactions. Psychologist Carl Rogers stresses that learning thrives in an environment of "unconditional positive regard". When trust fades away, students see teachers not as partners but opposing forces.

Outbursts from children who bear poverty, violence and family instability call for an empathetic response rather than indifference from educators. One teacher shared her metanoia, "Everything changed when I stopped viewing 'bad kids' and started seeing 'I am hurting kids'."

Validation begins with listening. Respect is transmitted in easy remarks like "I am all ears", "Thank you for sharing that" or "It sounds tough". Giving attention is generative, as listening is acting God's part.

To validate students' emotions, teachers can paraphrase ("So you're feeling overwhelmed because the assignment is confusing?"), normalise ("Lots of students find this challenging. I, too, very often.") or

avoid minimising (replace "It's not a big deal" with "It's really daunting."). In her book Time to Think, Nancy Kline calls these human moments "streams of attention".

Workshops and training sensitive to emotional care, unconscious prejudice and de-escalation of conflict will help instructors deal with emotional complexity. Burnt-out teachers can't model empathy; therefore, educators' own well-being must be prioritised to achieve emotional literacy.