Currently reading Shoshani (2025) on “Teachers’ flow, emotional well-being, and optimal teaching and learning experiences”

I’ve been vaguely interested in the persistence of emotions ever since Marlis’ presentation about eco-emotions since at least mine can fluctuate enormously (which makes it very hard to fill in any surveys that is asking about emotions because I never know whether they want to know how I feel right this second, or on average over the last workday, or the last month…), so this article caught my interest. It is theoretical enough that I could not be bothered to read large parts of the methods and results in detail today, and it is on elementary school teachers, so make of that what you will — but I’ll still take the conclusions and discuss them in the context of university teaching, ha!

In this study, Shoshani (2025) investigated teachers’ emotions and their fluctuations. Unsurprisingly, teaching can be fun and teachers can get into a flow state while teaching (with the feeling of mastery, the changed perception of time, and all the other good stuff), but they don’t always do. Also they have to deal with a lot of stuff outside of the classroom — like discussions with parents or mandatory professional development — where they generally don’t experience as positive emotions as in the classroom. But even inside the classroom, emotions can fluctuate a lot.

They find that “teachers’ positive emotions and professional well-being were significantly associated with both the emotional aspects of students’ learning experiences and their understanding of the material“. But this probably goes both ways, and then “[s]tudents’ positive engagement may enhance teachers’ efficacy and emotions, creating virtuous cycles, while disengagement might diminish teachers’ well-being, leading to negative spirals.” Also, just because a teacher is experiencing flow does not necessarily mean that students will experience it, too, and “[c]reating an environment that appropriately challenges students at their individual levels may be more effective in fostering student flow and facilitating optimal learning“.

One thing I found funny: Shoshani (2025) writes that “[a]ge was positively linked to teaching efficacy and positive emotions, and negatively associated with negative emotions, suggesting that professional experience may enhance both emotional regulation and confidence in one’s teaching abilities.” — yes, that, or maybe people just burn out and drop off early, and only the really positive ones get old on the job and hence only they show up in the data?

But Shoshani (2025) offers interesting recommendations based on their study:

• Give teachers more autonomy when it comes to how and what they teach and what they do as professional development, for a larger sense of control and alignment with what matters to them
• Provide time for collaboration and reflection with peers so that teachers can gain clarity over their own goals and receive peer-feedback
• Offer positive psychology and mindfulness practices so teachers can be more aware of their emotions and regulate them better
• Provide professional development with the goal of strengthening the relationships between teachers and students. This can help teachers experience more meaning and connection and at the same time improve classroom climate
• Give teachers time to teach and interact with students by taking away administrative burdens

Because “when the well-being of teachers is valued and supported, it contributes to a more positive and productive teaching and learning environment for both educators and students. Thus, investing in teacher well-being is not only essential for the health of the education system but also for the long-term success of both teachers and their students.”

So in the end, it comes down to mindfulness interventions and creating conditions to experience intrinsic motivation, which according to self-determination theory requires autonomy (about the how and what of their teaching, about the areas of their professional development, about their time by removing boring busy work), competence (time to reflect on goals, receive peer-feedback to improve, choosing professional development in areas where they want to improve, but maybe also being able to adjust teaching content and style to match their strengths), and connectedness (time for collaboration with peers and interactions with students, skills to develop positive relationships). So maybe nothing super surprising here, but great to have a reference for it!

Shoshani, A. (2025). Teachers’ flow, emotional well-being, and optimal teaching and learning experiences: An experience sampling study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 165, 105138.

When I write about flow and mental health and emotions, the post obviously needs freediving pictures. These are from a couple of weeks ago. This is the quarry where we often go diving.

And my safety diver, always looking out for me!

While I try to perfect bubble rings. This one is not so perfect in itself, but I love the light in the bubbles, makes them look like crystal!

Sometimes I just want to stay underwater and look at the surface from below, and the light streaming through. And those tiny tiny areas in the waves where the angle is *just right* so that I can see the blue sky outside, not just the total internal reflection of the green water itself!

I appreciate my freediving family so much!

Them, and bubble rings.

I could happily spend a whole freediving session just doing bubblerings!