Behaviour
Understand Teenagers Brains
Know what's going on in a teenager's brain when a small request gets a huge reaction, and teach in a way that works with it.
- 49 minutes
- 11 modules
- 1 CPD hour
- Certificate
Members
14 days free, then £70 a year or £7 a month.
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What you'll learn
- Explain why teenagers react so strongly to small, neutral requests
- Challenge three common myths about teenagers that get in the way of teaching them
- Use the window of tolerance to tell when a pupil is ready to learn
- Plan lessons that make use of teenagers' appetite for novelty and belonging
- Lower the emotional temperature before asking for their best work
About this course
You ask a Year 9 to take their blazer off and get 15 minutes of fury in return. It's tempting to put that down to hormones or attitude. There's a better explanation, and it's far more use to you.
The emotional, reactive part of a teenager's brain develops well before the part that plans and reflects, and that development carries on from about 12 to 24. Once you know that, a lot of classroom behaviour starts to make sense, and you can plan for it: calmer starts to lessons, less pressure piled on at exam time, and more room for the novelty and belonging teenagers crave.
A behaviour and education specialist takes psychiatrist Dan Siegel's ESSENCE model and the window of tolerance and turns them into things you can do in your own classroom.
- For early career teachers, senior leaders and 3 other roles. Secondary.
11 modules
Open in order
- 2 min
Introduction
- 4 min
How is the teenage brain different?
- 5 min
Myth 1 – Teens have raging hormones and just need to grow up
- 4 min
Myth 2 – Teens are crazy, lazy and out of control
- 7 min
Myth 3 – Teens need to push against adults
- 7 min
The window of tolerance
- 6 min
Introducing ESSENCE 1 – Emotional Spark
- 5 min
ESSENCE 2 – Social engagement
- 4 min
ESSENCE 3 – Novelty
- 7 min
ESSENCE 4 – Creative exploration
- 3 min
Wrap up