The Last Time We Were Together

In the last post, we broke down why stress changes what the brain can access—so kids can “know it” but still not be able to use it under pressure or real world connections.

If you haven't read Part 4 yet, check it out here: 🧠 Part 4: Why Some Kids Just “Never Seem To Learn”

If you’re new here start with 🧠 Part 1: The Neurobiology of Learning 

Stress is HARMFUL

Stress influences whether the PFC thinking brain gets “stronger” or the 2.5 million year old, very primal, survival brain.

Translation: this means stress changes what parts of the brain activate and grow.
It all depends on which brain gets used more, or gets more “practice.”

When stress is chronically high, the brain prioritizes and sends all energy to the survival brain 🧟 and it spends its energy on really silly stuff like: subconsciously scanning for threats or trying to get itself to chill out and just  feel “safe”. 

Unfortunately that shuts down the PFC thinking brain.

This sucks for us because that's the brain we need activated in order for students to perspective take, rationalize and emotionally regulate.

So if you feel like sometimes you’re beatin’ your head up against a wall thinking, “We’ve practiced this!!??? How can they still not know it!!!!???”

You’re not crazy, and you’re also not the problem- the brain just doesn’t automatically absorb information- the PFC thinking brain has to be “active” and the info has to be “experienced” in multiple ways over time.

Now, you probably HAVE practiced a lot.
Maybe so many times students are bored and you’re irritated.

But not all practice is created equal, because not all practice builds neural connections 🔗. Especially during times of chronic stress.

What Chronic Stress Looks Like In The Classroom

Brains that can’t hold onto directions long enough to begin and they’re super worried about making a mistake.

Brains that argue about tiny things and prioritize whatever is most threatening or rewarding in the environment.

Brains that look fine… but fall apart fast during independent work. They either freeze, elope, shut down, or “act silly.”

👆This isn’t because students are willingly ignoring you and your amazing slide deck.
It’s because they have stressed brains.

I really need to reiterate this.
🗣️ It’s because THEY HAVE CHRONICALLY STRESSED BRAINS.

And stressed brains don’t have “McDonalds money”, or “extra energy” to power working memory and hold multi-step directions. Especially after being used all day.

Is your end of day class consistently the worst?? It’s probably because of this 👆. 

Chronic stress zaps mental energy and changes how the brain develops.

If You’re Using The Toolkit:

In the Behavior Detective Toolkit, pull up the Student Needs Checklist—if you’re seeing “learning isn’t sticking and it’s leading to behavior” you need to identify how the students' struggles are compromising their NEEDS.

Don’t have The Neurodivergent Toolkit? Check it out [HERE]

Two Tid Bits on Neurodivergent Brains 

ADHD + Dopamine

What the brain pays attention to determines what neural connections strengthen and where the new information gets stored. 

ADHD brains have interest-dependent nervous systems.
Novelty and interest drive attention AND nervous system regulation.
And both of these drive what neural connections strengthen.

Vroom, vroom.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter 🛜that helps signal relevance and it supports attention.
When something feels interesting, novel, urgent, or emotionally engaging? Dopamine increases.
And dopamine supports LTP💪 or Long Term Potentiation.

Low interest = weak LTP 😰
High interest = strong LTP💪

Strong LTP 💪 in the PFC means a strong thinking brain.

ADHD brains are dopamine “irregular”. You really have to infuse their interests and give lots of autonomy (also dopamine producing) to get the amount of dopamine required for attention regulation and focus. 

So no—it’s not laziness, apathy, defiance etc.,..  it’s neurobiology.

For the #1 Toolkit to help meet ADHD in the classroom check out the Neurodivergent Toolkit [HERE]

Autism + Serotonin 

Autistic brains often process predictability and sensory input differently. 

When the environment is unpredictable? Stress rises. Survival brain kicks on.
Attention zooms in on what feels most threatening and the brain starts making neural connections 🔗 .
Autistic brains have TOO MANY neural connections and are notoriously good at “fear-learning” or how the brain learns “what” to be afraid of.

Probably because we’re serotonin deficient, which prevents it.
Serotonin also influences mood and sensory processing, so… dope.

BUT when an environment is predictable, interest is high and sensory needs are met an autistic nervous system can regulate.
Dopamine and serotonin signals get louder.
Neurons start sending them back and forth more.

The PFC thinking brain will now have the energy it needs to activate, stay activated AND strengthen. LTP 💪 in the PFC 😎

Closing Thought

The brain strengthens what it uses.
It weakens what it doesn’t.
The brain is always optimizing 🍃.

Your job isn’t to push harder.
The last thing you want to do is create MORE stress.

Your job is to build instruction and an environment that LET neural networks do what they do BEST- prioritize, connect and grow.

And novelty + interest are a huge part of how we can “steer” that process in the direction we want.

And yes, mystical unicorns 🦄 — that is the neurobiology of learning.

Why Psychological Needs?

If your class is consistently loud and chaotic, you CAN’T fix chaos with chaos.

You CAN’T fix chaos with random strategies.

In order for ANY strategy to be effective,
it MUST be intentional AND target the ROOT of the chaos.

Stop Wasting Time & Energy

In order to get to the root of the issue you have to-

Figure Out What NEEDS Are Compromised FIRST. 

🗣️ Uncover which psychological need is compromised  👇:

autonomy

belonging

competency

The strategy you pick should depend on which ever of these 👆  NEEDS is MOST compromised.  

A class that’s hootin' & hollerin' from social anxiety needs something different than a class that’s hootin’ & hollerin’ because they don't feel competent in doing the work.

That’s why The Instruction Kit, Classroom Environment Kit, and Behavior & Needs Detective all work together inside The Neurodivergent Toolkit [HERE].

Each resource helps you:

Identify the compromised NEED

Choose the right support to target the NEED

Adjust based on feedback 

Start this 👆tomorrow! All inside the Neurodivergent Toolkit [HERE]