Confusion is painful

Confusion is not a headache exactly: the head just feels a bit strained, almost like we were squinting too long. We want the lecturer to stop talking so the feeling can go away. We want to quit reading and close our eyes. Often, later, when we are just thinking about the idea, this feeling of confusion returns. This is the inescapable feeling of learning something new. When we sense this feeling, it signals a break in the learning session: A swimming head absorbs nothing. Professional teachers recognize this: they know how to spot "temporarily interesting," "moderately painful" and "severely confused" on the face of their students.