Brain

At each year level we learn a little more about what our brain needs.

We study Learning Environment at the start of each year. We are switched-on learners. We know that we need to drink lots of water, eat brain food, exercise at least twenty minutes per day, and avoid switch-offs like the wrong lighting, wrong food, and stress. We have our John Joseph posters in every classroom: Learning in the Emotional Rooms & The Learning Brain. We bring water bottles and brain food into class. We work on understanding how stress affects us, and how to deal with it.

Remember the acronym for FAIL and adopt a growth mindset to be a motivated learner who thrives on overcoming obstacles and embraces challenges.

First

Attempt

In

Learning

Developing a Growth Mindset

We learn the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset using research by Dr. Carol Dweck which explores brain plasticity and shows how you can actually ‘grow your brain’ by improving connections in the neuron network of your brain through every learning experience.  We learn that the brain is like a muscle and it can grow through effort.  It is so important to realise that you are not born with a fixed intelligence, but that with a resilient attitude towards learning, real growth can happen.