1. Teenage Brains in Your Classroom with Nicola Morgan
Information, classroom materials
and free resources:

2. More information www.nicolamorgan.com
Handouts + this Powerpoint on today’s blog
Lots more free materials
Teaching resources: Brain Sticks,
Stress Well for Schools, Exam Attack - (discount on blog today)

3. To consider today What’s so special about teenagers?
How this affects learning
Some strategies

4. Understanding  control
Aiming for “active agency” Our brains are in our hands

5. What makes adolescence special?
State of Brain – internal pressures
Stage of Life – external pressures
Yes, they are all individuals…
But adolescence is biological, natural,
universal and positive

6. Most important brain difference
Prefrontal cortex develops last (mid-20s): “control centre” – logic/reason, decision-making, impulse control, prediction
PFC
Limbic system, with amygdala – emotion, impulse, reward, reaction, instinct

7. This can affect: Emotions (volatility / control) Empathy
Impulse control
Peer pressure behaviour
And risk-taking
See Blame My Brain and your handout for references

8. And…
Sleep changes
Sleep deprivation
Lower performance

9. External pressures – “stage of life”

10. First, what is stress? A positive, biological response to threat
Adrenalin + cortisol
To maximise performance
So, what’s the problem?
Too much reaction  panic
Cortisol builds up  many negative effects
“Preoccupation”

11. “Preoccupation” Brain “bandwidth” is limited
Everything occupies some bandwidth
These occupy a LOT:
Worries
Processing information – learning
Internet + social media – many rapid tasks at same time
Resisting temptation
Any preoccupation lowers performance:
Learning – “cognitive ability”
Behaviour – ”executive control”
Daniel Levitin’s The Organized Mind covers this

12. Different teenage stressors
Think of each “occupying” bandwidth + raising cortisol
Perfect storm of change
A regular school day:
Constant pressure to do better
Friend/peer issues
Self-consciousness
Extra stresses for introverts

13. Two big modern stresses
1. Exams
High frequency, high pressure
Constant pressure over long period
 cortisol build-up

14. 2. The Internet + Social Media
Knowledge, BUT….
Information overload - exhausting
Repetition of bad news  emotional effect
And  anxiety
See The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin

15. …and Social Media Social networking very important, but…
Highly addictive – social + curiosity
More “friends” than we can manage
Competition with perfect images/lives – measuring self-worth by number of “likes”
“Online disinhibition effect”  cyber-bullying
Irresistible by Adam Alter
The Happiness Effect by Donna Freitas

16. Two big negative results
Digital overload and constant attempts to multi-task: ‘continuous partial attention’ and exhaustion
Theft of time and peace to think: reacting, not thinking; absorbing, not creating

17. Time for some solutions!
Details in my breakout sessions
And my website and teaching materials

18. Things I’m not going to tell you

19. See my website and handouts for free advice for students
Enable better sleep
See my website and handouts for free advice for students
(and parents)

20. Encourage reading for pleasure

21. Now LOTS of evidence of benefit!
Including:
Better results and performance
Reduced stress and greater wellbeing
(Evidence on my website)

22. Readaxation Allows engagement/flow
“The deliberate act of reading for the purpose of relaxation, wellbeing and therefore performance”
Allows engagement/flow
“Narrative transportation”  empathy
Escape from worry – reset thinking patterns
Self-chosen, autonomous

24. Three Suggested Strategies

25. 1. Respect and cater for introverts
Understand the differences
Need peace + to be alone sometimes
Often prefer to work alone
Openly discuss and value both types
Adapt some teaching practices
Give students strategies
See “Quiet Power – The Secret Strengths of Introverts” by Susan Cain

26. 2. Teach stress management
Educate and empower with strategies
How to recognise symptoms
Educate parents

27. B: Relaxation  wellbeing  performance
Better sleep
Better wellbeing
Better success
Manage stress
Relaxation
is not a luxury

28. Empower daily relaxation
Discuss healthy activities to lower cortisol
Personal choice
Varied – physical and mental
Deliberate  extra benefit

29. Daily relaxation ideas
stroke a pet
draw
daydream
music
breathe deeply
walk
SWITCH OFF!
read
look at nature
be alone OR social
write
bath
yoga
mindfulness
laugh
bake

30. 3. Manage screen time
Understand science: why screen-time is a) so tempting and b) a potential problem
Treat it like anything else pleasurable but problematic / addictive: eg sugar
Create good practice – set rules with reasons
Model good practice
Have some screen-free time
Discuss how this feels: “intrinsic motivation”

31. Understanding  control
“Active agency” Their brains in their hands
Information, classroom materials
and school events:

32. Teenage Brains in Your Hands with Nicola Morgan
Information, classroom materials
and free resources: