This is NOT fully developed until you
are 28!!
More changes occurring in jh age kids
than in infants!
It’s like the conductor of the whole brain.
Teens’ frontal lobes are just getting
going; which is why they’re so different
on a day to day basis.
Girls are typically a year ahead of boys in
development
Imagine things with this part of the brain
Free play as little kids is vital; allows these
cells to develop
Listening as well as talking to yourself with
this part of the brain
Whatever you’re paying attention to is what your brain makes into a memory
The neural network has to be “fired” multiple times for it to stay; the network is very fragile when
they’re new
If you recall something 24 hours later, it’s in your long term memory
This REQUIRES sleep!!! As in 7-9 hours of sleep!!! When you sleep, the brain is quiet because there
is no new information to process. This is when your brain REVIEWS the neural networks and commits
them to memory.
Learning creates new neural connections in the brain- occurs with emotion, takes time, requires trial and
error.
Brain plasticity- changes with experiences
Know your cognitive strengths
Different parts of the brain work differently in adults and teens in various situations. Teens literally
think too much about a situation (good idea vs bad idea; they don’t visualize the bad things, they don’t
get the gut feelings like adults do)
Facial expressions- adults use the prefrontal cortex to read them and teens use the amygdala (respond
out of emotion and not reason)
Once a teen is on a train of thought, it is very hard for them to go back and come up with a different
solution.
How Stress and
Emotions Affect
Learning
Mountain Brook Junior High
Kimberly Carraway, Ed. M
Carraway Center for Teaching and Learning, 2014
kimberly@carrawaycenter.com
www.carrawaycenter.com
General Recommendations for Nutrition, Exercise and Sleep
1. always eat breakfast
2. eat five small meals a day (this keeps their blood sugar levels in a happy place)
3. vitamins
4. hydrate the brain! A hydrated brain is crucial for learning!
5. just 10 minutes of exercise in the mornings, before school, can boost attention and other
cognitive functions
6. Fertilize the brain! Exercise increases dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. It is like
fertilizer for the brain and helps make the brain more ready to learn. Exercise also helps quiet a
noisy brain!
7. Exercise increases dopamine. This results in increased executive functioning and
mathematical abilities.
8. Give your child a 5-10 minutes break while doing homework/studying. Have them
participate in some form of exercise (walk the dog, wii games etc). This will help change
brain chemistry and make him or her more ready to learn.
9. Sleep! Recommended for the teen brain is 9.5 hours!
10. Review important material before going to sleep. this will help the brain consolidate this
information into memory
Stress and the Brain
Three Kinds of Stress
1. Positive Stress- exhilaration from challenge
2. Tolerable Stress- adverse life events (ex; test anxiety)
3. Toxic Stress- abuse, neglect, absence of emotional support (ex; parents going through a
divorce)
Signs of Stress
-
Stomach aches
Doesn’t sleep well
*young kids cannot verbalize their
Sleep too much (avoidance)
stress
Overactive or distractive behaviors
Physical complaints
Seek drugs and alcohol
Eating patterns affected (eating too much or too little)
Antisocial or disruptive behaviors
Negative Effects of Stress
-
Impairs memory
Impairs cognition
Immune system declines
Overproduction of cortisol and adrenaline
Increased blood pressure
Dendrites shrink in parts of the brain
Hippocampus shrinks
Amygdala is overactive
Mineral loss
Prone to anxiety, anger and depression
Decline in mental flexibility
Working memory difficulties
Ability to suppress negative thoughts
Learned helplessness
Amygdala is the emotional center of the
brain. It takes a snapshot of
something/stress/sensors and fires cortisol.
Cortisol floods the brain. A little bit is ok but
a lot is not good because it impairs
connectivity (impairs learning!).
Stress Management Strategies
1. Exercise
2. Practice deep breathing (breathing from the diaphragm)
3. learn to recognize your personal signs of stress
4. write about it! (write out what is causing you stress to get it out/away)
5. do progressive muscle relaxation techniques (tensing and relaxing various muscles in
sequence)
6. get good sleep!
7. SMILE (smile at somebody who is stressed or if you’re stressed do the smiling; the
same part of your brain that interprets the smile is the part that recalls your happy
thoughts! You release endorphins when you smile. Smiles are contagious too!)
8. talk to somebody
9. drink water
10. hang around people who encourage you
Tips for Reducing Test Anxiety
1. SMILE
2. Drink water 5-10 minutes before a test. Water has been found to lower levels of
cortisol (the stress hormones released in the brain).
3. Incorporate humor. Humor decreases stress and anxiety and has been found to
increase retention by 15%
4. Move! Exercise is important for learning, getting rid of the “noisy brain,” reducing
anxiety and relieving the nervous system.
5. Play classical music prior to taking a test. Music has the ability to put the brain in a
“flow” state of mind.
6. Breathing is key! Taking slow and deep breaths bring greater amounts of oxygen to
the brain and can calm you down.
7. Start doing cognitive work like different puzzles or other “thinking” activities. The
more you do of these, the less active your amygdala (fear center of your brain) becomes.