Reflection to "Flow"

When I first learned about the concept of flow, I immediately connected it with my own experiences as both a teacher candidate and a student. There were many moments when I felt completely immersed in an activity, and time seemed to pass unnoticed. These moments often occurred when the task was fascinating and slightly challenging, but still within my ability to understand or solve. For example, while working on mathematical problems, I often experienced flow when a topic initially seemed difficult, yet I felt confident that I could figure it out through effort and reasoning. 

As a teacher, I believe it is essential to create similar experiences for my students. When activities are engaging, appropriately challenging, and suitable for their age, students are more likely to enter this state of focused enjoyment. For instance, using a math bingo game can combine fun with learning: students compete to solve problems, stay motivated by the game’s structure, and practice important concepts in an active way. During my short practicum, I also learned from my SA, who designed a scavenger hunt for her Grade 8 class, posting fraction problems around the classroom. Her students were highly engaged, running around, collaborating, and solving as many problems as possible. Such activities not only make learning enjoyable but also help students experience the kind of deep engagement and satisfaction that Csikszentmihalyi describes as flow.

Learning becomes most meaningful when students are both challenged and supported. Being a teachers, my role is not only to deliver content but also to design opportunities that stimulate enthusiasm, curiosity, focus, and joy. By intentionally creating moments where students can lose themselves in learning—just as Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow suggests—we help them experience the true satisfaction of growth and discovery. Ultimately, when students find themselves deeply engaged, learning becomes more than a task; it becomes a source of happiness and fulfillment.