Which student emotionally affects the teacher?

A teacher can experience a lot of joy through contact with students, but can also feel frustration when students show disruptive behaviours. Education scientist Janneke de Ruiter studied the emotional interactions between primary school teachers and specific students. The way a teacher views a student seems to influence the emotion experienced. 'Some students have a stronger effect on teachers' emotional well-being than others.' On Friday, 23 April, she will defend her PhD thesis at the University of Amsterdam. One single school class contains many different kinds of students, from quiet ones to students with behavioural problems. Primary school teachers can experience a wide range of emotions when interacting with these students: from suppressed anger when a student refuses to listen, to feelings of attachment and affection during a good conversation with a student. 'These momentary emotional interactions may seem small and insignificant', explains education scientist Janneke de Ruiter. 'But if they are experienced each day, the emotions can have long-term consequences for the teacher's well-being and for students' school engagement.' De Ruiter has researched emotions experienced by primary school teachers in their interactions with students, how they deal with their emotions, and the role that their general perceptions about specific students may play in these experiences. She concludes that some students have a greater impact on teachers' emotional well-being than others, especially students whom teachers generally perceive as disruptive. 'Thus, it can be very profitable in today's classes to support teachers in their emotional interactions with such students', concludes De Ruiter. Recording events and emotions in a diary