1. MY Teenage Brain
By Barbara Shapanus

2. Acting before thinking
Why am I acting this way?
Impulsive
Emotionally reactive
Acting before thinking
Reckless
Frustrated

3. Or feeling this way? Or this way? Or this way? Angry for no reason
Moody
Irritated
Or this way?
Annoyed
Confused
frustrated
bored

4. What do I have to face in adolescence?
Pair off with a classmate
Choose a secretary
Make a list of all the demands you are facing
Share your list with the class if comfortable

5. Look at all I have to accomplish
Handle my sexually maturing body and urges
Manage powerful emotions
Fit into a complex social network
Deal with immense peer pressure
Deal with wildly changing moods

6. And this… Figure out what my values are going to be
Renegotiate my relationship with my parents
Get through school
Figure out how to get enough sleep
Begin to plan for my future

7. What is going on in my brain?
Brain still developing
Experiencing emotions intensely
Prefrontal Cortex – last to develop
High capacity to learn
Reward centers highly active
Increased peer pressure

8. Why am I so impulsive?
Because my Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) is not fully connected (literally)!!!

9. Let’s take a closer look at the PFC
The “CEO” of the brain
Makes decisions
Problem solves
Weighs consequences
Regulates emotions
Inhibits “puts the brakes” on inappropriate behaviors
Not fully CONNECTED until age 25

10. Teenage brain “Window of Opportunity and Sensitivity”
Genetics versus experience
PFC major construction zone
Experience “wires” the brain
Media as major source of experience
Importance of wise media choices

11. What is the amygdala? The fight or flight center of your brain
Seat of fear and aggression
Meant to protect your from danger
Highly emotional
Guess what?
It is over activated in teenagers!!!!
It reacts to “harmless” situations
Responsible for some “stomping feet” “slamming doors”

12. female physical changes
Hormones – raging in teens
Testosterone
Estrogen & Progesterone
female physical changes
male physical changes
growth spurts
growth spurts
female puberty
male puberty
memory
anger, aggression

13. Dopamine reward center makes us feel good
Neurotransmitters
Exercise increases our feel good neurotransmitters!!!!!!!
Dopamine reward center makes us feel good
Serotonin
Makes us feel relaxed
Confident
Norepinephrine
increased energy
fight or flight
memory

14. “Neurons that fire together wire together”
The more often we do something the easier it is for our brain to repeat it. If we repetitively do something it becomes sort of hard-wired in our brains. We then do it without thinking. This is why routines and habits are much easier to complete than novel activities.

15. “Neurons that fire together wire together”
Pick a partner:
brainstorm some examples of activities you have done repetitively that have become easier
think of possible positive activities that could become easier the more you engage in them
think of possible negative activities that could become easier the more you engage in them

16. Teen brain under construction “window of opportunity”
Dopamine, serotonin surge with exercise
Anxiety decreases, focus increases, brain begins to crave exercise
Exercise more
Do homework routinely every night
Grades get better – feels good – dopamine increases
Gets easier
Habit forms - “neurons that fire together wire together”

17. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs & the teen brain “window of sensitivity”
Dopamine surges with drugs, alcohol, tobacco
Dopamine levels plunge when substance removed
Need more substance just to “feel good”
Cycle continues
Teen brain “sensitive” or vulnerable to addiction

18. Hint: make sleep a priority and read or study before bed
Sleep & the teen brain
Teen Brain shifts sleep patterns toward later times for sleeping and waking
Teens need 9 ½ hours of sleep
Teens are chronically sleep deprived
Sleep is crucial to well-being
Your brain continues to processes material while your sleep
Hint: make sleep a priority and read or study before bed

19. You are sleep deprived!!!!

20. What can you do?
Understand your brain – read, watch videos, ask questions
Increase your communication skills
Develop strategies, “stop, breath, chill” “count to 10”
Exercise – varied, daily, even small amounts help
Set routines – start small, be consistent
Plan more sleep – take naps, sleep little later on weekends
Wind down in the evening – quiet activities, turn off devices
Read over academic information before bed – brain keeps working on material – keeps learning while you sleep!
Limit screen time – plan offline times
Avoid substances
Fill out adapted communication skills pg 77
Name your feeling
State the reason for your feeling
State what you would like pg 86

21. Develop a teen survival guide
Get in small groups of 4
Choose a secretary
Brainstorm specific detailed ideas for navigating adolescence (come up with at least 10)
For example:
To help me exercise more I will…
On the weekend I will sleep until…
I will start to wind down at…
I will start more sentences with I…
Be prepared to share with the group
Fill out adapted communication skills pg 77
Name your feeling
State the reason for your feeling
State what you would like pg 86

22. Citations
Walsh, D., & Bennett, N. (2004). Why do they act that way?: A survival guide to the adolescent brain for you and your teen. New York: Free Press. The Teenage Brain. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2015, from Teenage Brain Information was taken from Learner’s Edge, Inc., online continuing education vehicle Google Images
Fill out adapted communication skills pg 77
Name your feeling
State the reason for your feeling
State what you would like pg 86