The adolescent brain is quite the phenomenon. As they begin to experience physical changes from puberty, their brain is also experiencing complex cognitive changes. According to Piaget, children enter formal operations (the last stage of cognitive development) around age 11 or 12. In contrast with concrete operations, formal operations enables adolescents to think more abstractly, and take on various perspectives (Piaget as cited in Adolescence, 2015). This includes a number of competencies such as problem solving, deductive/inductive reasoning, and metacognition. During these transitions, adolescents take on various forms of egocentrism. According to Elkind, adolescents feel there is an imaginary audience constantly watching their every move. They also feel as though their experiences are unique, and no one could ever relate to their situation (Elkind as cited in Adolescence, 2015). As they move into middle adolescents, these tendencies begin to fade away.

 

This week we were asked to explore 12 brain rules that were developed by John Medina. They consist of exercise, survival, wiring, attention, short term memory, long term memory, sleep, stress, sensory integration, vision, gender, and exploration (Brain Rules, 2016). I chose to focus on stress as this is a huge influence when it comes to school and adolescents. One fact that stood out to me was that our brains are only built to handle 30 seconds of stress at a time (Brain Rules, 2016). This is a major concern since even as we transition from adolescence into adulthood, a large majority of us still experience large waves of stress.

 

Having focused on the stress brain rule, I would develop a system of self-regulation within my classroom. Having a self-regulated classroom allows for students to have more autonomy, motivation, and the ability to set and work towards their own goals. In my EDPY 301 class, we were asked to listen to a podcast that dealt with self-regulated classrooms. Dr. Stuart Shanker provides his expertise on the topic and gives real life examples of strategies that worked in the classroom. TeachThought provides information on how to reduce stress levels in the classroom. Some of the advice they gives is to avoid having clutter or distracting classrooms, provide students items that will reduce fidgeting, reduce unnecessary noises, provide more time for transitions, and allow for students to be aware of their own learning. These are easy enough tips that I could easily incorporate into my own practice. Another resource is a blog that provides videos on the dangerous impact of stress, and how to manage stress in a classroom. One tip is to have an active conversation with your students on what they feel most benefits them to reduce stress. This could include a quick nap, meditation, listening to music, etc. I could incorporate techniques such as deep breathing and visualization half way through my lesson for the students to get their minds off of the lesson for 5 minutes. Lastly, I found a website that provides 10 tips for reducing stress. I think the best advice is to add laughter to your classroom. Going to school does not need to be a chore. Make your lessons interesting and engaging. Let students tell stories. Make the classroom as interactive as possible.