What's Going On Up There?: The Teenage Brain and How We Can Work With It (Grades 6-12)

This session translates current neuroscience about the adolescent brain into practical classroom strategies so educators can better engage and support teenagers. After a quick myth‑busting opener and short video visuals of neural wiring, attendees will learn key concepts—neurons and neurotransmission, dendritic growth and pruning, long‑term potentiation, limbic vs. prefrontal development, dopamine’s role, and teen sleep biology—and leave with concrete practices such as retrieval practice, spaced review, explicit scaffolding, emotion‑calming techniques, and sleep‑aware scheduling. Participants will gain confidence explaining accurate brain science to students and caregivers, implement at least two immediately usable strategies to strengthen learning and reduce conflict, and receive a curated list of resources and a one‑week action plan to try in their classrooms.