![]() It’s also important to know weekends can be challenging times for tweens and teens. This far more positive message, lifts the student up, instead of pushing them down.Ĭonsider ways to support students as they grow and learn from a positive perspective, including how they can foster their own brain development by making healthy choices. This Natural High Storyteller video is a perfect content piece to share with your students during Red Ribbon Week. We think your students are going to like learning about how drugs affect brain development and how teens can use this knowledge to make healthy choices. In this video, Matt Bellace Ph.D., talks about t he science and how finding a natural high can promote healthy choice-making. Here is a video from National Institute on Drug Abuse you can show to your students to help explain the teen brain.Īnd then watch Natural High’s video: The Science Of A Natural High. And we can work with teens, instead of against them, to help them understand what’s going on inside their brain. What’s going on in the adolescent brain is actually really cool. Researchers have found that the brain is going through a variety of changes through the age of 25. It can be informative and supportive however to teach them about their brain development, “The adolescent brain is fascinating in how it develops and allows you to try new things.” Secondly, that message can also be heard as “your brain is inferior” or “your brain doesn’t work right” both of which play directly into the insecurities that tweens and teens are facing, making them feel even less connected. Thus telling them that their brains aren’t fully functional won’t resonate with them as true. It’s important to honor their development in a respectful way and help them to appreciate where they are in life.įor example, it can be ineffective and even hurtful to tell a student, “well your brain isn’t fully developed.”įirst of all, unlike height or other markers of development, there is no visual evidence that their brains are changing, and to them, their feelings are reasonable and rational. Help Your Students Understand Their Development In A Positive Way Below we have 7 ideas and activities to help you make the most of this time. Red Ribbon Week is a great time to educate your students about the dangers of experimenting with substances. They desperately want to be accepted by their peers, and that need for connection and belonging can easily trump good decision-making. ![]() Kids are also often caught in the middle of pushing boundaries and staying on the straight and narrow path of acceptance. ![]() Because of this state of their social existence, peer pressure can be particularly effective at blurring lines and making the clearest logic rather fuzzy. We know that tweens and teens have the perplexing challenge of trying to fit in and stand out all at the same time. The logic of following a path towards a natural high is clear, but logic is rarely the key to keeping kids off the path towards drug and alcohol use. In this post, you will find 7 Red Ribbon Week ideas and activities for your students.Īs educators, we have a vested interest in helping students avoid the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol. Red Ribbon Week is celebrated each year from October 23 – 31 (read more about what is Red Ribbon Week and its history). ![]()
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