2nd grade lesson 9...........Executive Functioning

Executive Functioning is your brains ability to think and organize information or ideas.

3 Levels of thinking in our brains :

Level 1. Impulse Inhibition ~ Stop and Think

Level 2.  Working Memory ~ having more than one idea in my brain

Level 3.  Mental (Cognitive) Flexibility 

~ creating or having new ideas

We reviewed the following video from last year and talked about ways to grow our brain:

https://youtu.be/two4uoi69zw?list=PLwvOQW7LFN3nrfCw6VilTV5f1yqFW4W8d

We also talked about perspective taking and people having different ideas than us...... 

We need to practice being REFLECTIVE … stopping and thinking about a situation, paying attention, staying calm and being mindful.

When we practice this, we can help to direct our thoughts to our PREFRONTAL CORTEX instead of to our possibly reactive AMYGDALA.

When we RESPECT differences of opinion and we DISAGREE respectfully, all students PERCEIVE the classroom as a safe and risk-free place; they feel comfortable around each other and will share their ideas.

This also allows the AMYGDALA to ‘stand down’ and the puts the PREFRONTAL CORTEX be the boss!