2011 Volume 13 Number 1
Attending to Oneself so as to Sensitise Oneself to Learners
John Mason
Open University & University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Abstract: The conjecture is proposed that by observing and paying close attention to
the movements of attention and energy in oneself, it is possible to sensitise oneself to
notice similar shifts in the attention and energies of learners. This enables teachers to
make appropriate choices in the midst of a lesson. A phenomenological stance is
taken, by offering some mathematical tasks to undertake through which it is possible
to notice shifts in attention and energies. These possibilities are then described, and
related to possible questions deserving of further research.
Key words: Attention; Energy; Affect; Phenomenology; Noticing