- Motivating connections increase drive.
According to brain research, positive interactions lead to positive relationships. These interactions all have a significant impact on the brain. Dopamine is released in a student’s brain when you genuinely compliment them or connect with them positively.
It starts a cycle. You offer flattering remarks. Brain dopamine is released by the student. The pupil is motivated to feel that way again since they are feeling wonderful. Students work on a skill for longer and more intently with this enhanced desire. They develop those abilities. More praise from you causes the release of more dopamine. Then the cycle repeats again.
On the other hand, pupils are less likely to start the beneficial cycle of motivation and learning when they don’t receive favorable feedback.
How to: Having more pleasant interactions than negative ones will help you develop positive relationships. Researchers advise having five positive interactions for every bad interaction, to be more precise. Positive interactions could be addressing students by name as they enter the classroom, praising them for their diligence, or inquiring about their pets.
Differently minded students frequently engage in more unpleasant exchanges than favorable ones. For instance, professors may frequently urge students with ADHD to be on time and complete their assignments.
This is not to say that you should never give pupils advice for improvement and reminders. But make sure your interactions are more positive than unfavorable. As you get to know your students better, you’ll be able to spot when they face difficulties in their academics
- Strong bonds generate environments that are conducive to learning.
The body releases the hormone oxytocin in response to social activities like laughing and conversing. This promotes interpersonal ties. These connections produce a sensation known as “psychological safety.” Students are more likely to participate in class discussions, ask questions, try their hardest to complete a task, or speak in an appropriate tone of voice when they feel psychologically comfortable.
Consider how this relates to your own situation. You could be more willing to push yourself and try new things in the classroom if you have a supportive principal who has created a psychologically safe environment in your school. However, if school officials constantly provide constructive criticism, you might feel ok.
The amygdala causes the release of epinephrine and the stress hormone cortisol (also called adrenaline).
The body receives increased energy as a result. As the body gets ready to fight or run, the muscles tense up and the heartbeat quickens. Learning is impossible when the threat detection mechanism in the brain is hyperactive. The opposite of psychological safety is this.
These symptoms in students could include:
evading obligations
lowering their head
yelling or making unfavorable remarks
either abandoning a live video lesson or a classroom
physical or aggressive behavior
Even while creating psychological safety for these students may be more challenging, it is crucial for them. This is because oxytocin also contributes to the suppression of the amygdala’s threat detecting system. Students are better able to learn over time when they are surrounded by people they trust because their threat detection system is less likely to go off.How to do it: Praise the effort rather than the result to help students feel more psychologically safe. Reminding kids that some talents are really tough is also beneficial. You can reassure them that making mistakes or failing occasionally is acceptable. Another potent lesson is to learn from the way you respond to your own failures.
Your strategy will need to change a little bit for pupils who are susceptible to a fight-or-flight response. Use techniques like when-then phrases to provide students the freedom of choice while letting them know exactly what positive outcome to expect when they accomplish a task. Recognize that occasionally they may overreact, and give them the room and time they need to cool off. Maintaining your composure will help you remember to take their actions as a kind of communication and react properly. Additionally, you’re fostering psychological security and trust.Your strategy will need to change a little bit for pupils who are susceptible to a fight-or-flight response. Use techniques like when-then phrases to provide students the freedom of choice while letting them know exactly what positive outcome to expect when they accomplish a task. Recognize that occasionally they may overreact, and give them the room and time they need to cool off. Maintaining your composure will help you remember to take their actions as a kind of communication and react properly. Additionally, you’re fostering psychological security and trust.
- Good interactions create new learning avenues.
The brain research confirms what you’ve heard: By stimulating new neural pathways in students’ brains, drawing on their prior knowledge will aid in their acquisition of new material. Making a new neural route is similar to cutting a new path through the woods. The creation of the new trail requires a lot of effort, time, and repetition. Starting where another trail already exists makes sense.
New neural connections are formed between the old and new material as you teach it. Students will struggle to understand the lesson if they don’t comprehend the context or can’t connect the new material to anything they already know.
How to accomplish it: Find out your pupils’ interests and pastimes so you may use their prior knowledge as necessary. By relating that expertise to the brand-new content you’re presenting, it can assist you in personalizing training.
New neural connections are formed between the old and new material as you teach it. Students will struggle to understand the lesson if they don’t comprehend the context or can’t connect the new material to anything they already know.
How to accomplish it: Find out your pupils’ interests and pastimes so you may use their prior knowledge as necessary. By relating that expertise to the brand-new content you’re presenting, it can assist you in personalizing training.Invite pupils to share their knowledge about a subject. Each student comes to class with a unique set of prior knowledge. For instance, if you are aware that a student is a gifted artist, you can use their familiarity with various paintbrushes to illustrate friction. The relationship between the characters in a student’s favorite novel and the domestic unrest during the Civil War can also be compared.
- Good interpersonal relations influence students’ behavior.
The brain sciences: Studies have shown that early relationships and interactions, particularly those with teachers, have a significant impact on how children behave and develop their social skills. Your students are probably imitating your behaviors, whether or not you are aware of it. Your words and deeds have an impact.
