Understanding the Teen Brain

[David P]

Understanding the Teen Brain

It doesn?t matter how smart teens are or how well they scored on the SAT or ACT. Good judgment isn?t something they can excel in, at least not yet.

The rational part of a teen?s brain isn?t fully developed and won?t be until age 25 or so.

In fact, recent research has found that adult and teen brains work differently. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain?s rational part. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Teens process information with the amygdala. This is the emotional part.

In teen?s brains, the connections between the emotional part of the brain and the decision-making center are still developing?and not always at the same rate. That?s why when teens have overwhelming emotional input, they can?t explain later what they were thinking. They weren?t thinking as much as they were feeling. [...]

[Jeff Layman]

I may be wrong, and my knowledge of numbers has waned with age, but I seem to remember that teenagers stop being teenagers when they reach 20...

[Brian Gaff]

Its a variable feast, however many females reach maturity earlier and from recent observations people who become politicians never do develop these connections completely.. grin. Brian

[Broadback]

It is like the onset of autumn, it varies from view to view.

[Brian Reay]

Over my time in teaching, I met some teenagers who were remarkably sensible.

If I say so myself, our three daughters were - they had their moments but nothing to worry about, just the kind of thing we laugh at now and I mentioned (or will do) at their weddings.

Much of it comes down to parents. I recall a particular pupil who wasn?t sensible by any stretch of the imagination. He?d got into a particularly serious/silly matter and a more senior teacher had contacted his parents. The senior teacher spoke to me later as his form tutor ?You can see where he gets it from.? summed up the situation perfectly.

[Brian Gaff]

Well judging by Boris' personal life, his sap rises at the wrong time. Brian

[Cursitor Doom]

Makes them ideal fodder for indoctrination by AGW propagandists, then.

[Cursitor Doom]

It's good of you to publicly own up you were once a teacher. Must have taken some courage. I'll try to bear that in mind when reading your posts in future.

[ARW]

Several posters here used to be teachers.

Of course that was back in the days when we had proper exams and no such thing as spending an afternoon in isolation.

[Brian Reay]

There is no shortage of people who haven?t grown up. With time maybe you will.

[ARW]

Please Sir can you define grown up?

I have to be grown up at work but I f****ng hate it.

[Cursitor Doom]

Pre-1960 you mean? They must be getting on a bit by now.

[ARW]

A bit later I believe. I was born in 1970 and still did O levels. I still from time to time bump into an old school teachers (usually in the pub for the English and metal/woodwork teachers). I cannot remember getting slippered after about 1982.

[Brian Reay]

Oh, a youngster.

and still did O levels. I

and you misbehaved at school.

[Spike]

When Reay boasts "Over my time in teaching...." keep in mind he was a teacher for only a few years before retiring early, having come to it later in life.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Those that can't eventually end up teaching?

[ARW]

Sometimes.

I was sent home from the school trip to Austria.

[tabbypurr]

lemme guess, nazi impressions?

[Bob Eager]

Shagging a new teacher probably!

[Brian Reay]

Quite serious then.

Why am I not surprised?

No doubt you believe you still think you were unfairly treated.