Parent Nutshells

Parent Nutshell: Part 1

Parent Nutshell: Part 2

We promote James Nottingham’s Learning Pit. Parents will no doubt identify with the stages as they apply equally well in the adult world. Learning to Drive is a case in point.

Emphasize the influence parents have in supporting school, especially about promoting a ‘can do’ attitude. Learning is not easy all the time but that is not a reason to avoid or give up. 

Parent Nutshell: Part 3

The presenter needs to have some additional knowledge about brain development in order to talk round this slide. See Chapter 9 ‘Great Minds and How to Grow Them’ 

• Babies brains develop rapidly in the first five-six years of life.
• The primary aged child’s brain continues to develop but at a slightly slower rate.
• Around 11 years of age (puberty) the brain undergoes a massive pruning exercise cutting out redundant links and reforming itself – therefore we need adolescents to be having a wide range of learning experiences not dissimilar to their baby and toddler years) to ensure that are building brain structures for a successful adult life.
• The frontal lobe (area controlling emotions, risk-taking, and responsibility is the last to develop in our early twenties!
• Our brains don’t stop making connections until we are into very old age – silver surfers etc.

Peer pressure is something we all need to take seriously, and it is linked to bring development at this time. The wrong experiences will inevitably play a part in the reforming of the brain during the adolescent years.

Finally, this complex and exhausting change explains why they appear so tired and reluctant to speak etc. In many cases they are emotionally shattered, but also have the capacity of youth and physical energy.

The bullet points point out how we behave differently in different contexts. It’s a key human characteristic that we take on different personas at work to that at home or when out with girlfriends or workmates.

The important fact here is our brains are designed to help us do this.  Therefore, the child we see at home may not behave like that at school or with friends in town on a Saturday afternoon. Equally, the opposite is true.

Nutshell: High Performance Learning Engaging with Parents

The video clip tells Clint Pulver’s story. He was a child with a behavioural issue that got him into a lot of trouble resulting in very low self-esteem. One teacher Mr Jenson saw him differently and that went on to affect his whole life.