The I.N.P.U.T. Affect
Before you become too focused on whether or not I misspelled “affect” and that I really meant, “effect”, I will let you know that I fully intended to write “Affect” with an “A”.
The etymology of the word affect is from ad “to” + facere (past participle factus) “to make, do”.(etymonliine.com)
We use the word “effect” more to describe the result of something that affected us and our environment…the result of an action that was taken.
Actions DO have an effect on our affect…or is it the other way around?
The proverbial “chicken or egg first” enigma!
As an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) and a language teacher, I have had many opportunities to study and experience first hand what I call the “INPUT” Affect.
Input is what we take from our outside environment and put into our inside environment.
In language terms, “input” is used to describe the words we take in and how we then interpret them based on our own personal values, meaning, experiences, etc.
This “input” can affect how we see ourselves and how we interact (take action) with the world around us and the world within us.
Just a little more context and information…in language terms, there are three modes of communication. The first, and most important one, is the interpretive mode. It powers up the other two modes of communication (interpersonal – two way exchange with another person, and presentational – one way communication).
Early in my career, I realized how important the interpretive mode was to effective communication and to motivating my students to take risks to use the language in personal and meaningful ways.
Then, I created an acronym for the word INPUT to help explain, retain and guide language teachers on their pedagogical decisions for lesson planning so that they could help their students have a more powerful language learning experience.
(Of course I did because that is a staple in education and learning, right, to create an acronym! Lol!)
I have made this acronym the picture for this blog post to better explain what I mean by INPUT in terms of our personal, everyday lives.
Let me explain it a little more.
We take in what is around us through our senses.
Then, those sensations are filtered through our experiences, memories and even our subconscious mind.
The end result?
Feelings – from feel; Old English felan “to touch or have a sensory experience of; perceive, sense (something),” in late Old English “have a mental perception (etymonline.com)
Emotions – Old French emouvoir “stir up” (12c.), from Latin emovere “move out, remove, agitate (etymonline.com)
What we take in from our environment AFFECTS us. And it is an ACTION.
Whatever we choose TO DO or TO MAKE (up or create or fabricate) has an end result or an EFFECT.
That’s why I choose to use AFFECT for my INPUT chart and not EFFECT because in every moment and in every opportunity, we have a choice of our ACTION both physically and mentally.
We are not victims of an EFFECT or result of things outside of us.
We are empowered and in charge of how we will be AFFECTED by our ACTIONS (and those of others) as a result of our choices.
And that’s why we need to manage our environment and our INPUT.
The WWWWWH in our lives.
WHO we choose to be around.
WHAT we choose to take into our minds and into our hearts.
WHEN we choose to say “yes” or “no”.
WHERE we choose to draw the line and set boundaries that make us feel safe.
WHY we choose to make the choices we are making (the highest level of Bloom’s and how we are going to reach Maslow’s highest level in the hierarchy of self-actualization).
HOW we choose to manage our INPUT – the AFFECT and the EFFECT
- Integrate – put them together and make connections: choices and actions, all modes of communication – get all the information using interpretive-interpersonal-presentational communication, emotional intelligence – all the 5 senses, use curiosity/exploration/discovery learning to raise awareness
- Negotiate – meaning, information, connections, context, situations, relationships, goals with actions, boundaries, flexibility, yes vs. no, don’t negate any possibilities, be open to all possibilities
- Personalize – feel and tap into your heart, emotions, experiences, background knowledge, reflection, make meaning through your senses & “affect”, implement vagus nerve and somatic activities to gain insights
- Understand – tap into curiosity, raise awareness, make things comprehensible, journal/reflect and make connections, figure it out, use Bloom’s Taxonomy + WWWWWH, find what truly matters and make a plan
- Transcend – learning stretch, growth opportunities, Maslow’s Hierarchy, real world/life connections/applications/new & improved experiences, see things more clearly-journal and make a plan to take action
There are two other suggestions I have to help manage the input that we receive in every second of every day:
Check out the SPIRIT lessons, can do statements and guides on The Spirit of Teaching website here.
Listen to other teachers on the podcast Teacher Tales and take in their input of wisdom, experiences, make connections and get curious and inspired .
Sign up for some weekly inspiration, insights and support for managing INPUT through the Sunday Spirit Spark here (scroll down on right side of page).
Read my book Learning Lessons. You can buy a copy here.
There are even more resources for your personal and professional learning journeys and INPUT here.
Teaching is hard.
Being a human being these days is hard.
But if we manage our INPUT well, we can survive and maybe even thrive!
And just another thought…
I hope you will consider the INPUT AFFECT when planning lessons and interacting with your students on a daily basis because it will make all the difference in the world in the experiences, memories created and lessons learned for all.
Photo credit:
copyright by Linda Markley – The Spirit of Teaching
Request permission to use by emailing thespiritofteaching@gmail.com
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