This post references tools and resources found in The Neurodivergent Toolkit [HERE]

Today

We’re gonna connect: the brain’s various systems → motivation → behavior, so we can stop calling it “lazy” and call it what it actually is, a system that’s powered down.

You’ll be able to design learning that STICKS by strengthening retrieval and replace “coverage” with instruction that builds neural pathways 👣.

Last Time We Were Together

We zoomed out from neurons → networks → systems and made it fairly simple: when the survival brain takes priority, energy is sent from the PFC thinking networks to the survival networks. This shuts down the PFC thinking brain and slows down LTP 💪 in the PFC 😎.

If you missed the last post:
🧠 Part 7: Supporting Brain Systems with The Neurodivergent Toolkit [HERE]
If you’re new, start here:
🧠 Part 1: Mental Health is a Learning Issue [HERE]

What Motivation Actually Is 

Motivation is not a personality trait or characteristic.
It’s not a choice.
Lack of motivation is called anhedonia-  it’s very real and impacts millions- it’s also called depression. 

So motivation isn’t something the brain can choose to turn on and off.

The brain can’t just motivate itself to focus and do “it’s work”.

The brain has to activate the PFC thinking brain to prioritize the task it really doesn’t want to do.

That’s a fairly advanced cognitive thinking skill, developing around adolescence/ mid-adolescence.

While the brain is developing the prioritization system, teachers have to rely on more primal methods of instruction, learning, and co-regulation. 

THAT DOES NOT MEAN TOKEN ECONOMY AND PUNISHMENT!! That will, literally, only make it worse.

Primal methods of instruction, learning, and co-regulation did not involve PBIS- they were intrinsically driven exploration, play, story telling, rhythm, unified movement, curiosity, and heavily influenced by a sense of safety. 

This is all backed by neuroscience- I’m not some crazy lady saying we have to teach children like cave-babies. 

Neuroscience in learning says we have to stabilize serotonin and dopamine levels in the classroom and guess what all the above do? They help stabilize dopamine and serotonin.

Motivation, or dopamine release, is what happens when the brain decides:

• It’s safe enough and okay to fail
  
• I can do it authentically, my way
  
• This matters and will help x, y, and z
  
• I belong here and my ideas help others
  
• I control my outcome and can succeed if I try
• I am in sync with my community and environment
  
  

When those conditions are met, neurons start sending and receiving serotonin and dopamine through the various neural pathways, this turns off the survival systems and turns on the PFC thinking systems, they both can do their jobs and the brain can learn and be happy. 

Exploration/play/experimentation= Dopamine and serotonin

Story telling/curiosity = Dopamine and serotonin

Rhythm/unified movement= Dopamine and serotonin
Interest/novelty = Dopamine
Dopamine and serotonin = PFC thinking brain.

Here’s the zoomed-out version of the systems dopamine helps power during a typical school day:

• Filtering distractions + prioritizing learning = attention systems + motivation system
  

• Hold steps while working or remembering what was just read = working memory systems
  

• Turn thoughts into sentences + organize + communicate an “appropriate” response = language retrieval system + language generation system + attention system + working memory system + motor/operation system
  

• Check in, adjust, take breaks, remember to drink water = self-monitoring systems
  

• Decide what’s worth the effort and what’s not = prediction system + reasoning system + reward/motivation systems
  

• Protect, avoid threat, reduce risk = survival systems + reasoning system + pattern recognition system + social “but I have to fit in!” system
  
  

And when they come to us we don’t get to choose what conditions the systems are in. How much energy each one requires, or how aggressive the threat response is when the systems shift or transition. 

BUT we CAN design instruction and an environment that keep systems online longer, stabilizes their pathways, grow their networks, and contributes to overall cognitive functioning of a living breathing human being.

Why This Shows Up As “Behavior”

When the survival system takes over, learning, reasoning, rationalizing systems all lose power. Those are all PFC thinking skills, folks.

So the behaviors we see are often fight/flight behaviors or physical manifestations of the brain protecting itself.

What is the brain protecting itself from?

Often one of the following:

• confusion
  
• embarrassment
  
• cognitive overload
  
• social threat
  
• sensory overwhelm
  
• time pressure
  
• competence threat
• massive or abrupt shifts in mental energy
  

That’s why “student motivation” is perceived to drop. “They just don’t care anymore”... but an exhausted brain can’t care.

Interestingly enough, it’s also why the same kid can look totally fine during your lesson and then spiral the second they have to retrieve the info or process on their own.

Because storage and retrieval is a SYSTEMS job. Plural. That takes a lot of cognitive energy.

What “Sticky Learning” Actually Means

Sticky learning does not mean:
“But, they looked at me the whole time while I explained it!”
Or
“They were able to do it an hour ago!”

Sticky learning means:
They can retrieve it tomorrow.
After sleep.
After stress.
After a weekend.
During independent work.
With distractions.
Without you standing on top of them.

That’s the goal.

Not compliance. Not to “look” like learning is happening.
But connection and retrieval.

And retrieval is where most learning falls apart.

Keep reading 👇

What Teachers Can Do About It 👇

Two things you can do tomorrow

1) Use Overlearning to train retrieval 

If you’re using The Toolkit:
In the Instruction Kit, use Over Learning (p.9).

 Why it works:
It strengthens retrieval after students “get it,” so the learning holds up when conditions change (time, fatigue, stress).

Do it tomorrow like this:
In the last 7–10 minutes, run a quick “same target, two jobs” routine:

• Format 1 (retrieval): one-minute silent recall (write the idea from memory)
  

• Format 2 (transfer): example + non-example (or sort + justify)
  
  

Same target. Two different brain “jobs”. More diverse communication. Stronger networks.

(Instruction Kit — Over Learning, p.9. Neurodivergent Toolkit [HERE].)

2) Use Cue → Chunk → Chew to power motivation systems 

If you’re using The Toolkit:
In the Instruction Kit, use Cue → Chunk → Chew (p.9).
Why it works: cue lowers uncertainty, chunk decreases cognitive load, and chew creates repeated activation while the PFC thinking brain is online.

Do this tomorrow:

• Cue (30 sec): “Here’s what you need to be able to say/do by the end.”
  

• Chunk (8–10 min): teach one idea
  

• Chew (5 min): partner “teach-back” with a tight frame:
  

• Partner A explains in 20 seconds
  

• Partner B repeats it in their own words

• Switch
  
  

That hits learning + belonging + competence without turning your room into a circus 🎪.

(Instruction Kit — Cue → Chunk → Chew, p.9. Neurodivergent Toolkit [HERE].)

Closing Thought

We don’t fix motivation by pushing harder. We fix motivation by designing the types of environments where learning systems can stay powered on and do their jobs. This allows us to strengthen the systems we need.

And that, my mystical unicorns 🦄 is how real learning thrives in real classrooms.

Coming Next

This wraps up June! Happy Summer!
Next series we’ll be talking all about how the different systems come together in the classroom and how we can support those systems and meet psychological needs.

🧠 Next Series: Learning, Motivation, and Behavior Through Psychological Needs [HERE]

Why Psychological Needs

Psychological needs aren’t a “bonus feature” part of learning. They’re fundamental conditions that decide whether a lot of the systems we discussed can even turn on.

When autonomy, belonging, or competency are chronically compromised, the brain prioritizes survival. That steals A LOT of energy from the systems required for learning—AND it makes rewards and threats the loudest things in the room.

If you want the full framework + tools (Instruction Kit, Classroom Environment Kit, Behavior & Needs Detective), they’re all inside The Neurodivergent Toolkit. Get it [HERE].