Adolescence is a turbulent time of changes, searching for identity. Learn what brain science, gender research, and educational psychology has to say about raising connected and resilient kids primed to learn and be successful in school. What are some practical tips to help kids maintain healthy developing brains? How do you maintain connections with your kids, even as they draw away from adults? This session will help you empathize with your teens and with yourself, as well as inform how you approach your teens in healthy and productive ways.

1. Mount Vernon Presbyterian School
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
Parenting with
Adolescent Brains in Mind
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

2. About Seattle Girls’ School
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3. Disclaimers and
Other Food for Thought
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4. Adolescence
“Teenagers [are like] people
constantly on LSD. People on
acid are intense, changeable,
internal, often cryptic and
uncommunicative, and, of course,
dealing with a different reality.”
Mary Pipher, Reviving Ophelia
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5. Changes
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6. Developmental Characteristics of
Adolescence
• Identity Formation
• Tenuous Sense of Self
• Self-Regulation
• Imaginary Audience
• Development of Self-Esteem
• Adolescent Egocentricism
• Importance of Peer Relationships
• Formation of Groups, Crowds and Cliques
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7. Teen Behaviors:
Through the Lens of Autonomy
• Risk Taking
• Lies
• Boredom
• Influence of Peers
• Adolescent Decision
Making
• Arguing with
Authority
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8. At My House…
How do you see your
children’s adolescence
manifest itself in their
interactions and behavior?
How do you support them?
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9. Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Brain Science Crash Course

10. Stuff We Kinda Knew Already…
With a Twist
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Nutrition
• Stress
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11. Exercise
• 30 minutes of aerobic activity
• 2-3 times a week
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

12. Sleep
• Effects of sleep much more pronounced
in children and adolescents
• Chronotypes (morning/night
people)
• The Nap Zone
• Dangers of Sleep
Deprivation
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13. Nutrition
• Goldilocks Food Habits
• Good Food = Well
Fueled Brains
• Bad Food = Poor
Learning
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14. • 30 Second Stress
• Chronic Stress = Bad
Learning
• Happy Home =
Academic Success
Stress
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15. Adolescent Brain Research
• Brain keeps growing and developing to age 25!
• Teen brain is a “late childhood brain”
– Capacity to learn things quickly
– Connections between different sections of the
brain aren’t fully developed yet.
– Brain is pruning and re-wiring neurons during
this time
– Amygdala is getting hyper triggered by
hormones
– Prefrontal Cortex (frontal lobe) is last place for
connections to develop.
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16. The Two Brains
• Rational Brain and
Emotional Brain
• Both Valuable,
Both Able to
Mislead
• Emotional
System’s
Evolutionary
Origin
Epstein. Stanford Social Innovation Review. Spring 2006.
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17. The Emotional Brain
• Pattern Recognition
Without Conscious
Awareness
• Motivates Behavior
Change Through
Feelings, autonomic
Responses
• First Impression
• Thin Slice of
Information
Gladwell. Blink. NY: Little, Brown & Co. 2005.
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18. Pre-Frontal Cortex: PFC
• High level reasoning
• Decision-making
• Impulse control
• Assessment of consequences
• Planning, strategizing, organizing
• Inhibiting inappropriate behavior
• Adjusting behavior when the
situation changes
• Setting priorities
• Estimating and understanding
probabilities
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19. The Problem
• Cognitive abilities 
performance
• Analysis  primary
mode of decision-
making
• Competence  use
of that competence
Kluczynski. Child Development 2001; 72:844
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20. PFC vs Amygdala
PFC:
Situation 
Assess 
Plan
Amygdala:
Situation 
Emotion/Feeling 
React
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21. Peer Pressure
• Computerized risk-taking
tests done alone and while
watched by friends:
– Adults: peers have no effect
– Adolescents: peers doubles
the number of risks taken
• Brain scans at the same
time suggest presence of
friends activates a different
part of the brain
Laurence Steinberg
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22. Implications
• They ARE capable
• Circumstances matter
• Social + Emotional +
Intellectual = Decision
• Amygdala first, PFC
last
• Gut response first,
reason second
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23. Taking it All In
What information was
new, interesting,
surprising,
informative, etc.? Are
you seeing some
adolescent behaviors
in your children in a
new light?
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24. Supporting Our Kids
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25. Living Out Loud
• Talk about your day and
show interest in theirs
• Talk positively and
realistically about yourself
• Make mistakes out loud
• Tell your stories
• Emote out loud
• Reason out loud
• Make your values clear
• Walk your talk
• Listen, listen, listen
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

26. Respecting Them
• Involve them in decision-making
• Explain the “why”
• Recognize their developing
capacity
• Recognize that, even at 17, their
decision-making may be different
than “mature” decision-making
• Recognize situations that
influence rational decision-making
• Limits are necessary
• Some autonomy is necessary
• Help them reason through
decisions
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27. Questions and Answers
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28. Presenter Information
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
6th Faculty and
Professional Outreach
Seattle Girls’ School
2706 S Jackson Street
Seattle WA 98144
(206) 805-6562
rlee@seattlegirlsschool.org
http://tiny.cc/rosettalee
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

29. Resources
• Carlos H. Arce, “A Reconsideration of Chicano Culture
and Identity”
• Atkinson, Morten, & Sue, “Racial/Cultural Identity
Development Model (R/CID)”
• Mindy Bingham and Sandy Stryker, “Socioemotional
Development for Girls”
• Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, Nurture Shock.
• Vivienne Cass, “Homosexual identity formation: Testing a
theoretical model”
• William Cross, Shades of Black: Diversity in African
American Identity”
• Anthony D’Augelli, “ Identity development and sexual
orientation: Toward a model of lesbian, gay, and
bisexual development”
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

30. Resources
• Erik Erikson, “Eight Stages of Man”
• J. E. Helms, Various Publications on Racial and Ethnic
Identity Development
• Allan G. Johnson, Privilege, Power, and Difference
• Jean Kim, “Processes of Asian American Identity
Development”
• James Maricia, “Four Ego and Identity Statuses”
• John Medina, Brain Rules for Baby
• Suzanne Kobasa Ouellette, “The Three C’s of Hardiness”
• Michael J Nakkula and Eric Toshalis, Understanding Youth.
• Jean S. Phinney, “Ethnic Identity in Adolescents and Adults:
Review of the Research”
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

31. Resources
• Ponterotto & Pederso, Preventing Prejudice
• Maria P. P. Root, Various Works on Multiracial Identity
• Patricia Romney, Karlene Ferron, and Jennifer Hill,
“Measuring the Success of Diversity Directors in
Independent Schools”
• Pedro Ruiz, “Latino/a Identity Development Model”
• Chalmer E. Thompson and Robert T. Carter, Racial
Identity Theory
• Alex Wilson, “How We Find Ourselves: Identity
Development and Two Spirit People”
• Christine J. Yeh, “The Collectivistic Nature of Identity
Development Among Asian-American College
Students”
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

32. Gender Specific Resources
• American Association of University Women. (1991).
Shortchanging girls, shortchanging America.
Washington, DC: AAUW.
• Borysenko, J. (1997). A woman's book of life : The
biology, psychology, and spirituality of the feminine
life cycle. New York: Putnam Publishing Group.
• Covey, S., Merrill, A. R., & Merrill, R. (1994). First Things
First: To live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy. New
York: Simon & Schuster.
• Dale, M. (1995). Body and self : An exploration of early
female development. New York: Jason Aronson.
• Huitt, W. (1997). Recommended books related to the
growth, development, and socialization of girls and
women. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

33. Gender Specific Resources
• JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., Girls Will Be Girls: Raising
Confident and Courageous Daughters
• Pooja Makhijani, Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience
Race in America.
• Mary Pipher, Ph.D., Reviving Ophelia: Saving the
Selves of Adolescent Girls
• Rachel Simmons, Odd Girl Out, Odd Girl Speaks Out,
and Curse of the Good Girl
• Rosalind Wiseman, Queen Bees and Wannabes:
Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip,
Boyfriends & Other Realities of Adolescence
• Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth.
• Naomi Wolf, Promiscuities.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

34. Brain and Learning Resources
• Joshua M. Aronson, Ph.D. “Improving Achievement &
Narrowing the Gap.” Learning and the Brain Conference.
Cambridge, MA. November 2003.
• Roy Baumeister and John Tierney, Willpower
• Carol Dweck. Various Works on Praise and Fixed/Malleable
Intelligence.
• Lise Eliot. Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow
Into Troublesome Gaps - And What We Can Do About It.
• Alfie Kohn. Various Works on Achievement, Effort,
Homework, and Grades.
• John Medina. Brain Rules, Brain Rules for Babies
• Robin Nixon. “Brain Food: How to Eat Smart.” Live Science.
http://www.livescience.com/health/090107-brain-food.html
• Harriet R. Tenenbaum, “Gender Achievement Motivation,”
Learning and the Brain Conference, Cambridge, MA,
November 2003.
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