Week 7 Email: March/2

Dear Students,

We are pleased to share that the recorded lecture on Emotional Intelligence with Prof. Charisse is now available in your Canvas course. If you missed the class or would simply like to revisit it with fresh insight, please log in to Canvas and click on Week 6 to access the recording. Emotional intelligence is a skill that deepens with reflection, and each review offers an opportunity to gain new perspective and strengthen your understanding.

Steps to Sign in to Canvas

1. Open your web browser and go to SDCCD.EDU (or search for San Diego Community College District).

2. On the homepage, click the Canvas tab on the top menu bar.

3. Log in using your student email as your ID and your Portal password (the same password you use for registration).

4. If prompted, complete multi-factor authentication (like online banking) to keep your account secure. You can receive the verification code via text message or personal email.

5. Once verified, you will be taken to your Canvas dashboard. 🎉 Congratulations — you’ve made it!

How to Access Your Courses

• On the left side under the SDCCD logo, you’ll see Dashboard or Courses.

• Click either one to view your Canvas courses.

• Feel free to click on all buttons and hyperlinks to get familiar with Canvas.

  • Explore the different tools, such as:

    • Quizzes – for self assessment and practice questions

    • Discussions – to post and reply to classmates and instructors

Need help connecting to Canvas? Contact Student Support:

• Email: support@student.sdccd.edu

• Phone: 619-388-1140

Last Week: Emotional Intelligence & the Brain

 Last week, we discussed emotional intelligence (EI), the ability to recognize, understand, and respond to emotions in ways that support personal goals, healthy relationships, and overall brain health. Emotional intelligence strengthens the connection between the brain’s emotional and cognitive systems, enhancing executive functioning, resilience, and social connection. We emphasized that EI helps the brain manage emotionally and socially significant situations rather than improving abstract cognitive tasks in isolation. Practicing emotion regulation, adaptive coping, and relationship skills is a low-risk, high-value strategy for maintaining brain fitness. EI protects the brain from the harmful effects of chronic stress, improves the integration of emotion and cognition, and supports mental flexibility and healthy social functioning. Over time, emotionally intelligent habits promote clearer thinking, better decision-making, and a more resilient brain. The bottom line is that while you cannot control every emotional trigger, you can train how your brain responds—building long-term brain health one thoughtful response at a time.

This Week:  Family Relationships & Birth Order:

This week, we will explore how family relationships profoundly shape emotional regulation, stress physiology, and long-term brain health. As the brain’s first social environment, the family teaches us how to interpret safety, conflict, love, and belonging—patterns that continue to influence personality, coping styles, and neural functioning throughout life. For older adults, understanding these dynamics can strengthen emotional well-being and cognitive resilience. Research in social neuroscience shows that close family connections support physical health, regulate stress systems, and slow cognitive decline. Strong support networks are associated with lower mortality, reduced depression, and healthier brain aging, highlighting that family relationships function not only as social experiences but also as biological regulators of lifelong brain health.

Below is the Zoom link for all classes:

• Monday, 9:30 - 11:30 AM (Erika Peralta, Instructor)

• Tuesday, 10-12 PM (Minoo Pakgohar, Instructor)

• Tuesday, 1:00 – 3:00 PM (Minoo Pakgohar, Instructor)

• Wednesday 9:30 - 11:30 AM (Minoo Pakgohar, Instructor)

• Wednesday 6:30 – 8:30 PM (Charisse Winston, Instructor)

• Thursday 10 - 12:00 PM (Charisse Winston, Instructor)

• Thursday 1:00 - 3:00 PM (Sharon Gregory, Instructor)

• Friday 9:30 - 11:30 AM (Erika Peralta, Instructor)

Remember: as a Brain Fitness Topics student, you are welcome to attend any of the Brain Fitness Topics classes listed above, even more than one per week.

 Special topics (separate registration)

• Brain Fitness Lab: Cognitive Wellness Through Hands-On Exercises and Living Stories, Monday 10:00 – 12:00 PM (Yael Lorberfeld & Desiree Harguess)

• Diverse Approaches to Brain Health, (Mindy  Sloan, Instructor)

  • Monday 3:00 – 5: 00 PM

  • Tuesday 6:00 - 8:00 PM 

·   Brain HQ: Cognitive Training and Navigation, Thursday 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Sharon Gregory, Instructor)

Quick Links   

• Course website:  bfclass.com

• BrainHQ site:  https://v4.brainhq.com/

• Student site with schedule and more:  sdcestudent55.com

• Site to enroll in classes:  myportal.sdccd.edu

• Official SDCCE site:  sdcce.edu

Enjoy a brain-healthy week!  We are looking forward to another great week of learning together.

Sharon, Erica, Charisse & Minoo

Sharon Gregory 

sgregory001@sdccd.edu 

Erica Peralta, MS

eperalta@sdccd.edu

Charisse Winston, Ph.D.

cwinston@sdccd.edu

Minoo Pakgohar, Ph.D. 

mpakgohar@sdccd.edu