Friday October 25th 2013

Circle: What are you going to do differently when you are a parent of a teenager?

Check Homework

Review notes:
What have we learned so far?

Notes-

Reasonable to assume that no one understands them.
Once kid becomes a teenager its almost like they get invaded by another brain and this throws the parents off.
Teenage years are just another phase of child development.  Parents need to remember this.
Dramatic brain growth just before puberty.
Biology of teen behavior is just starting to be explored through things like CAT scans and MRI's.
Frontal Cortex has a growth spurt right before puberty.  Frontal cortex thickens at this time.
Previous thinking was that the brain stopped changing by age three.  That is changing.
Neural pathways are created and strengthened by using them.  If not they are lost.
Use it or loose it.
We are creating those pathways as a teenager.
Prefrontal Cortex...planning behavior...Chief executive.
Prefrontal Cortex regulates emotions as it grows.  Thats why adults don't have the mood swings.

Finish Inside the Teenage Brain


Homework:
Interview an adult or parent about what they thought was the hardest thing about being a teenager  when they were growing up? (First make a prediction) And what is the hardest thing they think teenagers face today? (First make a prediction)  After the interview share with them what you thought they would say.  Were you right?  If not, explain why you came up with different answers.  These responses must be written down.

For next time
I am
Letter to your teenager