Insights into the brain of a teen
Talking neuroscience for Karamu High
Neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis zoomed in to Karamu High School recently to give teachers tips on dealing with the teenage brain. Along with Karamu High, Wallis also spoke to eight other schools in the Whirinaki Ka¯hui Ako via Zoom.
He has built a career studying human brain development and now equips teachers dealing with the teen brain.
During the Zoom session, Wallis spoke to teachers about the brain’s basic anatomy, the impact of stress and trauma, and the changes during adolescence.
He also presented key strategies found to help reduce anxiety and depression among students and increase resilience.
“Adolescence is a very emotional time in life, second only to that of a toddler, where their thinking is overwhelmed by feeling,” Wallis said.
“To understand adolescence is to know that somewhere between 7 and 27, for about three years, their frontal cortex will be shut for renovations.”
Neuroscience shows that teenagers go backward in their ability to control their emotions, see things from other people’s points of view and regulate their behaviour.
Ninety per cent of the time, they are programmed to be in the “emotional brain”.
“It is not just about cognitive strategies, and their emotional brain will have to be catered for as well,” Wallis said.
The main message from the Zoom session was that if teachers want to have effective relationships with students and help them manage stress and anxiety, they will have to do it in an emotional way.
Wallis said controlled breathing is the most effective way to calm the brain stem and reengage the frontal cortex.
“By breathing in 6:4:6, this directly speaks to the sympathetic nervous system, telling it that you can’t be in a state of stress, and it overrides the anxiety.”
The neuroscience educator suggests a two or five-minute mindfulness exercise at the start of the day is a really productive use of time and means students can take more in during the rest of the lesson.
Karamu High School principal Dionne Thomas said she was pleased they could use Wallis’ expertise as part of staff professional learning development.
She said Karamu High’s 2021-2025 strategic plan reflects the importance of wellbeing for staff, students and the community, with an equal focus on teaching and learning.
“Knowing or acknowledging our students as young, vulnerable, ‘crazy’ adolescents is where great relationships start,” said Thomas.
“Karamu prides itself on relationships between staff and students.”