Creating a safe space for exploring past math experiences is crucial for healing from math trauma.
Brain-based learning emphasizes neuroplasticity and adapting teaching methods to align with brain science, offering hope for student growth.
Deep dives
Healing from Math Trauma through Safe Exploration
Creating a safe space for individuals to explore past math experiences and infusing them with new joyful ones is key to healing from math trauma. The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of addressing isolated traumatic experiences or a series of repeated traumas that impact one's relationship with math. Understanding how trauma is stored in the brain differently from other experiences highlights the need for compassionate exploration and healing.
Brain-based learning prioritizes understanding how the brain naturally learns and operates to make informed decisions that maximize student learning. By exploring how neuroplasticity allows for brain changes and adapting teaching methods to align with brain science, educators can create student-centered classrooms that foster growth and learning. Embracing brain-based learning offers a message of hope for students, emphasizing that abilities can evolve over time.
The Impact of States and Moods on Learning
States and moods play a crucial role in learning, with states lasting for short durations and directly influencing a learner's ability to process information. Understanding how different emotional states like curiosity, anxiety, or confidence affect neurochemistry and brain function can help educators support students in optimal learning environments. Recognizing the significance of states and moods in the learning process can guide educators in promoting positive emotional experiences for effective learning outcomes.
Addressing Math Trauma and Neuroplasticity for Learning Success
Math trauma is distinct from math anxiety and requires careful attention to trauma's impact on brain function and memory storage. Traumatic math experiences can trigger emotional responses that hinder learning and cognitive processes. By recognizing the role of neuroplasticity in brain changes and the need for a safe learning environment, educators can support students in overcoming math trauma and promoting positive growth mindsets for successful learning outcomes.
Last week's episode featured a deep dive with Vanessa into math trauma: what it is and how to avoid it. Today, brain expert Liesl McConchie joins her to explain the neurological science of trauma, debunk the myth of the "math gene", and discuss the hopeful promise of neuroplasticity. And not to be all clickbaity, but Vanessa ends up sharing some pretty intense math trauma of her own...
About Liesl: (Twitter, Website) Liesl McConchie is an international expert on how the brain learns, and co-author of best-selling book Brain-Based Learning with Dr. Eric Jensen. With over 20 years of experience in education, Liesl bridges her knowledge of how the brain best learns with her experience of teaching math to create tangible strategies to support teachers and schools across the globe.