Teenagers brain functions

Nicola Morgan is a multi-award-winning author and international expert on teenage brains and mental health, and the science of reading for pleasure. A former teacher and dyslexia specialist, Nicola was a prize-winning novelist whose career changed after the success of her best-selling examination of the teenage brain, Blame My Brain. In the first of four posts by teenage brain, wellbeing and learning expert Nicola Morgan, she looks at changes that affect the teenage brain, enabling us to be more aware and help teenagers through these changes.

All teenagers are individuals. They are also going through shared significant brain and body changes. Their individual cultures, environments, genes and personalities affect how this stage feels for them but the developmental changes must happen, to turn them from protected, dependent child to unprotected, independent adult.  Details and references are in my book, Blame My Brain, and teaching materials, Brain Sticks, but here I’ve picked five main changes that directly affect the learning brains in your classrooms.

1. The three natural stages

Adolescent brain changes start around 11, first with major increases in numbers of neural connections, and girls typically reaching each stage before boys. The second stage follows, with major loss or “pruning” of connections, leaving stronger networks. The third stage, usually starting around age 15/16, is “myelination”, when fatty myelin coats neural pathways, helping messages pass efficiently.

In the classroom, teenagers may:

• Not have reached the same stage as peers. We can help the process by good teaching, curriculum and practice but we cannot make it happen before individuals are ready.
• Be less likely to have reached each stage if they are young for the class, especially if male. Such students aged 14/15 may struggle to make deep connections between ideas, see inner meanings, have a truly empathetic response to literature or history, or use complex linguistic reasoning, but may be advanced in mathematical subjects. It’s demoralising when classmates can do something you can’t, and some may give up.
• Lose a physical skill, often over the long holiday. This may happen more often to boys, possibly because the cerebellum typically changes more in boys and this is crucial for physical coordination. A natural loss of connections could affect a skill. Reassurance that connections can be rebuilt simply by practice means self-esteem and success can return.

2. Undeveloped prefrontal cortex

The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) doesn’t finish developing until mid to late 20s. This “control centre” is necessary for activities such as:

• Managing emotions
• Controlling focus – e.g. when distracted or preoccupied
• Making decisions based on predicting consequences
• Empathy – including ability to read facial expression

In the classroom, teenagers may:

• Be less able to control behaviour as emotions take over
• Focus on now, more than consequences
• Find it harder than adults to concentrate when distracted, including by negative thoughts

3. Risk-taking increases

Many teenagers are not risk-takers, but statistically this is the largest risk-taking age group. Imaging shows greater brain activity in teenage reward-systems compared to adults when risk-taking is contemplated, especially when peer presence is factored in. With the PFC. less in control, students may make poor decisions, relying on impulse rather than reason.

In the classroom, teenagers may:

• Be tempted to misbehave to gain group status
• Not take risks you wish they’d take – e.g. answering questions, volunteering to present to the class or audition – because of the next point

4. Social embarrassment is heightened

Teenagers seem to over-react to embarrassing social situations and brain-scanning shows greater (and different) activity compared to average adults. So, maybe they really do feel it acutely.

In the classroom, teenagers may:

• Find it harder to answer questions or perform in public
• Find it harder to ignore people laughing at them
• Find it harder to concentrate if they think people are looking or laughing at them

5. Sleep deprivation matters

Teenagers need around 9¼ hours’ sleep but the sleep hormone, melatonin, doesn’t switch on till late at night, as for adults, so they won’t be sleepy earlier. Worse, melatonin levels don’t fall as early in the morning as for adults, so teenagers are still sleepy at school. Add the fact that many extend their day with use of screens and social media, and you have sleep-deprived, borderline jetlagged brains in front of you.

In the classroom, teenagers may:

• Suffer stress, loss of concentration, mood swings and inability to self-regulate
• Be poorly nourished, as sleep loss leads to eating too much sugar and junk food
• Have poor immunity to illnesses

Remember: teenagers are individuals and many sail through adolescence. In many cultures, teenagers have to “grow up” more quickly and become independent. But there are physical changes they must still go through, quickly or slowly, and these help explain the difficulties many have in conforming to rules and learning environments. If we can properly understand what’s happening inside, we can be supportive and nurturing, with expectations which are ambitious but empathetic and fair.

In the next article from this series, Nicola looks at how we can promote wellbeing in the teenage classroom, for example, how we can help teenagers manage stress. You can also listen to Nicola discussing the topic further in our YouTube