FRONTAL LOBE
Location: Front part of the brain and both hemispheres
Parts:
- Primary frontal cortex
- Prefrontal lobes
Responsibilities:
Planning, thinking, decision making, goal setting, speaking, and emotions.
The frontal lobe is used EVERYDAY!
Attention Educators:
- The frontal lobe plays a huge part in our lives as educators. It goes in to action every morning with the decision to get up or stay in bed or to eat breakfast or not to eat. Both of those decisions affect students. The choice of not coming to school will put them behind and not eating will affect how they function both mentally and physically in school. Students use this part of the brain to process what is being taught. Thinking and decision making take place everyday in school. If the frontal lobe is underdeveloped or damaged, there will be a delay in the student's thought process.
- Verbal communication takes place everyday, especially between students and teachers. Students that understand what is being said, but have a problem with verbally communicating because of stuttering or other speach related issues, have been affected by the frontal lobe. This could be very frustrating for a student because they would have difficulty expressing themselves. My uncle suffers from a stroke and stutters and has slurred speach. He is easily frustrated when he can not get his thoughts across and express himself. His thought process gets interrupted quite often and he relies on others to help him get his point across. The same actions would take place in a child/student.
- This part of the brain impacts emotions. A student that does not have any problems with learning, most likely will be happy and eager to learn. A student that does not learn so easily may keep to themselves or pose a more negative attitude toward teachers and school.
- The frontal lobe is the LAST area of the brain to mature, but plays such an important part. As educators, we are teaching individuals who are still developing a crucial part of their brain. It is ironic to think that students go through elementary, middle, and high school still developing their brain. Because of this, it is really important to give a delayed learner the attention he or she needs.
Educators Beware:
Take your time in teaching! Hurrying through a lesson and not re-emphasizing concepts will leave some students behind. Without grasping the foundation of a concept, students will not be able to build upon that and grasp the next step of that concept. There are plenty of students that will not have any problems and understand. On the other hand, if there is an issue with the frontal lobe of a student, thinking and understanding will be delayed or not take place. Do not give up on your students! Be creative and come up with different ways to help those students stay engaged and learn. More and more students struggle with learning. There are also more learning disabilities than in years before and the brain is the biggest contributor. As an educator, It is very important to be patient and adaptable to your students and their needs. Yes, those words are easier said than done. Differentiate lesson plans and assessments to give all students a chance to succeed.