Teaching About the Brain

Share / assign

Why it works

Teaching students age-appropriate basics about how their brain works, that the brain can grow and change with effort and practice (neuroplasticity), that stress and strong emotions affect thinking and behavior (and how to calm the stress response), that learning involves effort and struggle, gives them a framework for understanding their own learning and emotions and tools for managing both. Understanding the brain demystifies struggle (it is how learning works), supports a growth mindset and self-regulation (knowing what is happening when flooded and how to calm down), and helps students become more self-aware and strategic learners. It connects cognitive and emotional self-understanding in a concrete, empowering way.

The research: Educational neuroscience; research on teaching about the brain.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: give students a model of their brain

Teachers leave with a brain concept to teach students usably.

Pick a brain concept students can use (neuroplasticity, the stress response, how learning works).
Teach it age-appropriately and accurately.
Connect it to their own learning and emotions (why struggle is normal, how to calm down).
Give them tools that follow from understanding it.

Understanding the brain, understanding themselvesTeaching students how their brain learns, changes, and responds to stress gives them tools for learning and self-regulation. Demystify struggle and empower self-management.

Facilitator notes

Teach brain concepts age-appropriately and accurately.
Connect to learning and emotions, and demystify struggle.
Give usable tools.

Vague brain-is-a-muscle slogans without substance fall flatCatchphrases without real, accurate understanding do little. Teach genuine, age-appropriate brain basics students can connect to their learning and self-regulation.

Adapt it

Elementary: brain grows, calming the stress response, struggle is normal.
Secondary: neuroplasticity, stress, learning science, strategies.
All settings: accurate brain basics connected to learning and self-regulation.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Teaching About the Brain: usable self-understanding

Understand to manage: an accurate brain concept, connected to learning and emotions, with tools that follow.

The brain concept students can use (neuroplasticity, stress response, how learning works):
How I teach it age-appropriately and accurately:
How I connect it to their learning and emotions:
The tools that follow from understanding it:
A misconception to correct:

Make it stick

Usable self-understanding:

Give students a model of their brain.
Connect it to self-regulation.
Bring a brain lesson that helped to the next PLC.

Common questions

Why teach students neuroscience?

Understanding how the brain learns and changes, and how stress and emotions affect it, gives students tools for learning and self-regulation. It demystifies struggle and supports growth mindset and self-management.

Isn't brain science too complex for students?

Taught age-appropriately, no. Simple, accurate ideas, the brain grows with effort, stress affects thinking and can be calmed, learning involves struggle, are powerful and accessible at any age.

What should students understand?

That the brain can grow and change (neuroplasticity), that stress and emotions affect thinking and can be managed, and that learning involves effort and struggle. Concrete self-understanding they can use.