The world has changed a lot since we - educators and parents - have been in elementary school.  While math remained the same, how it is taught changed a bit.  Among other reasons, much is happening as an outcome of educational neuroscience.  ST Math is based in the neuroscience of learning.  While it may not be intuitive to us - grown ups, at least not at first, its approach is founded in how human brains and kids' learning work.  It is important to withhold our bias and promote a growth mindset.  Any bias has the power to stifle growth and the same is true for any negative attitudes toward learning, school, and math.  Please explore the resources below to help our students now and for years to come.  

"The Compassion Project is a first-of-its-kind national initiative to provide compassion education to elementary school students across the US.

Our Mission is Simple: To ensure that every primary school student in the US understands what compassion is and how to practice it."

We have been growing our understanding of the brain and how we can influence its development and strengths.  This week the focus is on neuroplasticity and how our daily choices shape our brain and therefore our strengths and abilities.  We grew the understanding that new neurons and synapses are built via exposure and practice of new skills.  Given building new neurons and synapses is not an easy task, new skills take practice and perseverance.  But these are rewarded with said new skills becoming increasingly easier - this is how all learning occurs! And this learning involves emotion management skills and academic skills.  

Some TES parents may have heard their students mention the brain and its parts (or so I sincerely hope 🙂🧠).  We've been learning about these three crucial parts in all Kinders to Fifth grade classes.  We put our hand on top of our foreheads for the PFC, on the back of the head for the hippocampus, and point fingers behind ears for the amygdalae.  We speak a lot of the amygdalae, or as we usually refer to it in singular for simplicity - amygdala, as a way of learning to be aware of and practice controlling emotions.  Here is a great place to learn about it more on Very Well Health.  

We have continued our weekly Social-Emotional Lessons at Tierrasanta and all our Roadrunners from Kindergarten to Fifth grade have been growing their awareness of the importance of attending to all aspects of their health - physical and mental.  Last two lessons have begun exploring our brains and the understanding realized by neuroscience of how and why we feel and act and how we can all grow the skills of managing our actions, emotions, interactions, and thoughts through empowering ourselves with the knowledge of how our brains affect us and the power of mindfulness.  Educational neuroscience supports educators with being more effective when teaching, and fundamentals of neuroscience presented in developmentally friendly terms support even young children's capacity for building mindfulness and self-control - skills that will enrich their lives in countless ways.