Brain Expert: The REAL Reason Your Teen Is So Emotional

In this episode, Alex dives into the complex world of the teenage brain with guest Rachel Carey. Rachel, an expert in adolescent neurological development and founder of Eliza Education, challenges our common assumptions about teenage behaviour, questioning whether terms like "overreacting" or "irrational" prevent us from truly understanding our students and children. They discuss the science of adolescent brain development, why social acceptance is a biological imperative, how to build wellbeing programs that actually work, and the critical need for better teacher support in navigating the emotional landscape of the modern teenager.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Primitive Brain Rules: The intense teenage need for social acceptance isn't a modern flaw; it's an evolutionary drive designed to ensure survival by finding a new group. Understanding this is key to decoding their behaviour.
• Social Pain is Real Pain: For an adolescent, the brain processes social rejection (like being embarrassed in class) in the same area as physical pain. This makes the classroom a potentially high-threat environment.
• They Aren't "Overreacting": The teenage brain's emotional centre (the limbic system) is highly active and often in control. This emotional intensity is a normal, necessary part of their rapid learning about the world.
• Feelings Must Be Felt: Constant distraction from devices can prevent teens from processing their emotions. This vital process is how they build self-awareness, which is the foundation of self-worth.
• Wellbeing is More Than a Lesson: Effective wellbeing programs must go beyond knowledge transfer and be built on the core pillars of Self-Worth, Happiness, and Resilience.
• Safety is Social, Not Just Physical: A teenager cannot access the learning part of their brain (the prefrontal cortex) if they don't feel socially safe and accepted in their environment.
• Teach the Person, Not Just the Subject: Secondary education often trains teachers to deliver subject content but fails to equip them with a deep understanding of the unique developmental stage of the person they are teaching.
• The "Teenage Tunnel" is Real: Adolescence is a temporary and transformative phase. The support and values instilled in a child will still be there when they emerge from the "tunnel" as a young adult.

BEST MOMENTS

• "They're not overreacting."
• "Social pain in an adolescent is processed by the same part of the brain as physical pain."
• "If I'm shown that it is worth taking time considering my thoughts and feelings, I will start to believe that my thoughts and feelings have worth."
• "I think [secondary teachers] should be taught to teach a person... And we're not, are we?"
• "You've got to really deeply believe you're worth looking after to make the right decisions."
• "I've heard it called the teenage tunnel. And they come out the other end into these wonderful people."

VALUABLE RESOURCESEliza Education Website: https://elizaeducation.com/Connect with Rachel Carey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-carey-462569140/

ABOUT THE GUESTRachel Carey: Rachel is an expert in adolescent neurological development, an educator, and the founder of Eliza Education, a platform dedicated to improving student wellbeing. With a unique background that includes training at the British Army's Sandhurst and a degree in biology, her work bridges the gap between neuroscience and practical application in schools. Rachel is passionate about helping teachers and parents understand the unique challenges and opportunities of the teenage brain, creating wellbeing programs and teaching strategies that foster resilience, self-worth, and genuine connection.

CONNECT & CONTACTInstagram: https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroomLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/Website: https://www.theinternationalclassroom.com/