W06 Blog: Differences in Emotional Expressivity

    Different cultures express emotions differently. However, you don’t have to be from another country to misinterpret someone’s emotions. In the United States there are fifty states, each state has its own (or sometimes several) different ways or cultures of expressing emotions. I grew up in Alaska, but I have also lived in Arizona and Utah. While living outside of my home state I had roommates from various parts of the country and from other countries. Rather than just guessing one’s emotions or how one viewed different household duties we sometimes had to have a conversation to make our expectations clear.

    In the classroom it is important to understand our students’ emotions and how they express different emotions. Some emotional expressivities will come from their culture, but it may also be impacted by current circumstances. Another important factor to consider are the students’ needs because some students may not be able to control their emotions to some extent. For example, students with ADHD may have stronger emotions in regard to schoolwork.