Abstract
Exploratory Practice (EP), (ALLWRIGHT, 1991ALLWRIGHT, D. Exploratory teaching, professional development, and the role of a teachers’ association. Approach (Newsletter of the Cuban National Institute of Tourism - INTUR) v.III, n. 2, p. 9-21, 1991., 2006ALLWRIGHT, D. Six promising directions in Applied Linguistics. In GIEVE, S.; MILLER, I.K. (eds.) Understanding the language classroom. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006. p. 11-17., 2008ALLWRIGHT, D. Prioritising the human quality of life in the language classroom: is it asking too much of beginning teachers? In: GIL, G.; VIEIRA-ABRAHÃO M.H. (Orgs.) Educação de Professores de Línguas - os desafios do formador. Campinas, SP: Pontes Editores, 2008. p. 127-144.) is a teaching-learning and research approach, which encourages practitioners to generate understandings on issues related to quality of life that puzzle them in their personal and professional settings. Considering the impact of the Covid19 in our quality of life as practitioners, we analyze the interaction generated during one meeting of regular members of two groups of exploratory practitioners that occurred on May 27, 2020, on the virtual platform Zoom. Therefore, these Communities of Exploratory Practice interact in meetings as affective niches (STERELNY, 2010STERELNY, K. Minds: Extended or scaffolded? Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, v.9, n.4, p. 465-481, 2010.), following EP’s principle related to understanding life in the language classroom. Thus, this study focuses on the way the community members expressed their feelings as well as how and through what strategies support and affective scaffoldings were provided through discourse.
Keywords:
Exploratory Practice; quality of life during the pandemic; affective mind; Niche construction; affective Scaffolding