Article Share: Motiving the Teen Brain *Aka The Wonky Brain*

If you teach middle or high school, this article is a must. In a session years ago at a PA Middle Level Association conference, I was fascinated to learn from a neurologist just how “wonky” adolescent brains really were. (My term, not his.)

If you don’t already subscribe to MindShift, consider it a new resource and check out Why Identity and Emotion are Central To Motivating the Teen Brain by Emmeline Zhao.

Adolescence is a tornado of change: Not only is it the period of fastest physical change in life – aside from infancy – but also newfound drives, motivations, and feelings of sexuality are amplified. There are profound shifts to metabolisms and sleeping cycles, as well as social roles – especially in the context of schools. During these years, motivation is propelled not by a tangible goal to work toward, but by a feeling of wanting and thirst. Within the tumult of pre-teens or teens is an opportunity to enhance their desire and interest to learn.

As I said…wonky.

After teaching 8th grade for fifteen years, I vowed not to have teenage kids of my own, but to my dismay they are creeping toward the tween years anyway. For many of you, striking a balance between the awe-inspiring personalities of teens and keeping them motivated to learn continues to be a daily struggle. Arm yourself with information as it’s as good as any tool in your tool belt.

And chocolate of course. Lots of tea/coffee and chocolate.

Current Reading: John Hattie’s “Visible Learning for Teachers”

John’s Hattie’s 2009 Visible Learning outlines a massive meta-analysis of educational research involving over 50,000 studies. In 2012 he wrote Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. Some highlights (for me):

• “An effect size of 0.40 is about the average effect we expect from a year’s schooling.” Who knew?

• Hattie stresses the teachers’ primary role as an evaluator of their effect on learning.

What is and isn’t working? How do we know? Do teachers use evidence to inform actions in the classroom?

• Teachers make a difference! A child is a low-effect classroom learns approximately one less year’s worth of material than his/her peer in a high-effect classroom.

A “high-effect” classroom teacher monitor understanding and provide feedback and believes all students can be successful.

A large portion of the book focuses on effective lessons and reiterates what we know about good teaching: for example, the need to move away from “sage on the stage” and the importance of establishing trust and confidence in students in order to foster an environment for risk-taking.

The quote at the top of “At Least It’s Not Math” reflects one of these beliefs.

IES Releases “Condition of Education 2015”

The Institute of Education Sciences, a division of the US Department of Education, released the Condition of Education 2015 in May.

Some of the statistics which stuck out for me:

International Assessments Among 15-year-old students, 29 education systems had higher average scores than the United States in mathematics literacy, 22 had higher average scores in science literacy, and 19 had higher average scores in reading literacy, according to the 2012 Program in International Student Assessment (PISA).

Also, while not surprising, the gap between post secondary attainment of low and middle SES (socioeconomic status) and their high SES counterparts is stil startling:

A smaller percentage of students of low socioeconomic status (SES) than students of middle SES attained a bachelor’s or higher degree within 8 years of high school completion (14 vs. 29 percent), and percentages for both groups were smaller than the percentage of high-SES students who attained this level of education (60 percent).

With data ranging from enrollment trends, post secondary education and population characteristics and elementary and secondary education, it is an interesting read for educators.