Mind the Map…

We all have mind maps in our brain. These maps were created from our past core memories, experiences, interests, and passions. Positive and negative core memories create these maps that make up our personality or sense of self. Our brains form maps of personality because of our interests, relationships, experiences, and how others in our lives have affirmed, supported, or possibly weakened our thoughts about who we are and our ever-developing life purposes. Educators must assist in building, repairing, and strengthening our students' maps. We have to take a few minutes to authentically share and reflect with our students to cultivate a connection that sustains us through the learning path. Validation is an effective brain-aligned strategy. Validating student’s feelings helps them to "feel felt," which is integral to every student's emotional, social, and cognitive development. As educators, we could ask students to identify and share their maps. We begin to model this activity by explaining to students that our maps are always changing based on our interests, passions, affirmations, experiences, relationships, and perceptions. Change is life and our maps can grow healthier or diminish and weaken. We could also create and display maps of self at the beginning of the year, explaining that these could change based on our experiences. This is a fabulous strategy for gathering perceptual data. The more students know about themselves, the stronger learners they are. Self-reflection and self-observation are the building blocks for cognitive and academic growth. Creating maps of self is an activity for all ages and grade levels. Encouraging students to imagine, innovate, and begin planning what social and emotional topography will be a part of these maps. We know that the brain never stops working unless until we die. Students love to learn about their own neurobiology and when they understand it, they can implement strategies to help them pay more attention and focus. We know that paying attention and being focused are prerequisites to sustainable learning. We also know that emotions drive attention, and that many of our students walk into our classrooms in a hyper-vigilant brain state, constantly scanning the environment for feelings of safety and familiarity. Brain architecture is intimately affected when an individual is experiencing chronic levels of stress. In a stress response state, the neural circuitry is forming synapses in the limbic system, leaving the frontal lobes with very little oxygenated and glucose-rich blood. In many cases, what looks like inattentiveness or lack of focus is quite the opposite. They are paying close attention to the perceived threats in their environments. Teaching students how to calm their minds through breath and movement will help them focus attention and become better learners.