Research shows how much stress affects a student's brain in the learning process.
Bad stress can affect a brain, negatively, long after it is initially felt. Sustained stress can damage the hippocampus, the part of the brain we use for learning and memory.
Good stress promotes learning by increasing the ability of the brain to absorb new information so challenges and deadlines excite neurotransmitters in the brain to create new memories, it also activates and strengthens the immune system.
Classroom practice can minimize stress and reduce the production of cortisol in the brain. One way is a practice of focused learning interrupted by 2-5 minute breaks to process the learning. For young children, the focused activity should last no more than 10 minutes, for older students no more than 15 minutes and adults no more than 20-25 minutes. Processing the learning can include small group sharing of what students remember from the focused learning activity, or a small group using markers and paper to chart only images or pictures of what the students understand about the learning. Another way a teacher can reduce bad stress is by connecting new learning to what a student already knows.
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How to reach every student brain?
