Your Teenage Brain
The tools you need to get the most out of high school
Why do I need to know about my brain?
Everyone knows that to operate something to the best of one's ability requires a look at the directions or owners manual. Learning about the way your brain works will help you use it more efficiently!
Ted X Youth: Insight into the Teenage Brain.
Insight Into the Teenage Brain: Adriana Galván at TEDxYouth@Caltech
Your Brain: A Work in Progress
Your brain is a work in progress right now. It is undergoing massive changes, both collecting new information and dumping (or pruning) the information that is no longer needed. Your prefrontal cortex isn't done developing yet, which can lead to impaired judgment, impulsive actions, and inability to plan ahead (2009). Everyone's brain develops at its own pace; don't worry we'll all get there!
What can I do?
- Get some Zzzzzs! The teenaged brain needs 7-9 hours of sleep in order to process learning properly, control impulses, and pay attention throughout the day. Get these nine at home, in bed. (Not face down on your desk!)
- Eat well and exercise regularly. Diet and exercise are essential for learning and retaining information. Ditch the junk- eat your veggies!
- Try something new. Your brain wants you to take risks; just take ones that will help you instead of harming you! Try a new sport, club, or activity. Your brain will thank you for it!
Brain Training on Your Phone!
References
Brain-based Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.funderstanding.com/theory/brain-based-learning/brain-based-learning/
Greenleaf, R. K. (1999). It's Never Too Late! What Neuroscience Has To Offer High Schools. NASSP Bulletin, 83(608), 81.
Jesnsen, E. (n.d.). Brain-Based Learning Strategies. Retrieved from https://feaweb.org/brain-based-learning-strategies
The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-still-under-construction/index.shtml