flynn078

Why are teenagers so unmotivated all the time? What activities can we do to engange them in class? New discoveries in neuroscience can provide us with a biological explanation for this. Brain function is different in adolescence than in adulthood (25 years). The Prefrontal cortex continues to mature into the 20s, making decision-making generally more effortful and difficult. Adolescents operate more from the reflexive, instinctive, amygdalar part of brain, leading to impulsivity. They also have less activity in the nucleus accumbens (a region of the frontal cortex) which leads to motivational deficit. This means that adolescents are drawn to high-excitement and low-effort experiences, or both. Long-term planning suffers and risk-taking or "laziness" are very common. Teenagers can be very demanding and critical but once they are motivated they can show a lot of creativity and imagination in class so the question is how we can motivate them and get the most of each of them.... ...

This is a topic so relevant in today's world. Last year, one of my students was bullied outside the classroom and it was quite difficult to detect it until she came to me and talked about her problem. Detecting bullies is not that easy because most of them don't act uopn their victims in front of adults. Children and teenagers tend to become cruel sometimes and it is part of their growing. However, when teasing becomes repetitive and it is made on purpose to hurt a child that is called bullying.  It is essential to take this issue seriously and do something about it. Not only teachers and the school community should be involved but also parents and the government too. Developing kindness and empathy in our children is essential if we want to make a substantial change to stop bullying in class. Some Ideas to prevent bullying With teenagers you can explain what bullying is and prepare some questions for discussion to raise awareness of such an important issue. How can bullying ha...

A mindful teacher in the classroom is essential if you want a class which flows naturally without disruptive behaviour and lack of attention. Humans are not born with completely developed brains and nervous systems. Neuroscience tells us that children as well as teens cannot regulate themselves till they are in their 20s. Their pre frontal cortex complete developing by more or less the age of 21 so their ability to downshift and regulate their emotions is incomplete until their adults. Current scientific findings are clear that in order to regulate emotions, human beings are dependent on mature brains to initially assist in the microregulation of their physical and emotional world. Ideally, this interactive regulation transitions back and forth over the childhood and adolescence until the person is largely selfregulation. However, at stressful times, it is necessary and appropriate to seek interactive regulation from stable others. - Arlene Montgomery, Ph.D., University of Texas at Aus...

Four activities to develop emotional intelligence "In the dance of feeling and thought, the emotional faculty guides our moment-to-moment decisions, working hand-in-hand with the rational mind. In a sense we have two brains, two minds and two different kinds of intelligence: rational and emotional. How we do in life, and learning, is determined by both. It is not just IQ but emotional intelligence that matters. " Daniel Goleman. To develop emotional intelligence in our kids is as important as intellectual intelligence.  It is said that humans are not rational but emotional  beings so learning and teaching about emotions are essential if we want our children to live happy and healthy lives.  In today's post I will give you four activities that you can do with your students to help them develop their EQ. Postitve Adjectives - Level: Elementary Objectives Build student's self esteem Identfy positive traits in them The teacher prepares cards with positive adjectives. She/...

The Triune Brain and its implications in the classroom Dr. Paul Mac Lean developed the theory of the Triune brain. It states that our brain evolved in three different stages: the reptilian brain, the mammalian brain and finally the neo cortex or human brain. As a result, humans don’t have one brain but three. Newer and more elaborate structures were added to the old and integrated into a functional whole. Each of these brains are located differently in the mind and have different evolutionary functions. Let’s have a look at each of them and the implications they have in the classroom. The Reptilian Brain It is the lowest and most primitive part of the brain and we share it with all other animals which have a backbone. It evolved during the Triassic period. It is connected to the spinal cord and its main function is to guarantee survival. It releases chemicals to face the “fight or flight” response. It also controls other functions to sustain life such as heart rate, breathing, digestio...