Social and Emotional Pedagogy: Rhythm and Junctures

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ social and emotional knowledge of students and how it functioned within the wider context of their daily work lives. Five elementary school physical education teachers participated in six rounds of observations with formal and informal interviews over one school year. Data were analyzed through constant comparison and inductive analysis. We identified four key junctures where social and emotional knowledge of students played a critical role in teachers’ work. The results of this study and previous literature point to the complex interconnections between teachers’ social and emotional knowledge of their students and teaching practices.