A workshop for parents to help them discover why their teens act the way they do, with an emphasis on the prefrontal cortex of the brain and executive functioning skills. Ideas to help organize teens are given.

1. The Teenage Brain
Lori Boll

2. Is There a Cure for the
Teenage Brain?
Lori Boll

3. Today’s Take-aways
• An understanding of
how the teenage brain
works
• Learn about executive
functioning skills
• Figure out how to
support our teenagers
at home

4. Diigo Bookmarks
https://goo.gl/E5dSOO

5. You can find this
presentation here:
http://goo.gl/5NohAk

6. Executive Functioning

7. "The Teen Brain Is A Work In Progress | Inside The Teenage Brain | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web.
30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/>.
Teenage Brain

8. "The Teen Brain Is A Work In Progress | Inside The Teenage Brain | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr.
2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/>.
What emotion is this
woman feeling?

9. you are your child’s frontal lobes
you tell them when to eat, get
dressed, how to organize their
lives.
exploring
figuring out the world
they don’t know what will happen
but you can help them understand

10. put their head in the bucket
to be funny
no thought about what could be in
there
impulsive

11. scattered?
disorganized?
impulsive?
frustrating!?
How could such a smart kid
be so
what are some other words you would
use to describe teenagers?

12. Hello... where is your
common sense?

15. “Talk amongst yourselves…”

16. Executive Skills: The brain-based skills
that are required for humans to execute, or
perform tasks.
Taylor, A. (2013). Executive dysfunction after brain injury. Retrieved from https://www.headway.org.uk/
executive-dysfunction-after-brain-injury.aspx
The Brain’s CEO
Still maturing
Doesn’t fully develop until age 25
You are your child’s frontal lobes
frontal lobes
As they mature you expect them
to as well

17. "The Teen Brain Is A Work In Progress | Inside The Teenage Brain | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/>.

18. Executive Skills: The brain-based skills
that are required for humans to execute, or
perform tasks.
Taylor, A. (2013). Executive dysfunction after brain injury. Retrieved from https://www.headway.org.uk/
executive-dysfunction-after-brain-injury.aspx
The “CEO”

19. "The Teen Brain Is A Work In Progress | Inside The Teenage Brain | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr.
2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/>.
What emotion do you
think teens believe she
is showing?

20. "The Teen Brain Is A Work In Progress | Inside The Teenage Brain | FRONTLINE | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting
Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/>.

21. Executive Skills
• Response Inhibition
• Emotional Control
• Sustained Attention
• Task Initiation
• Goal-directed
Persistence
• Organization
• Time Management
• Planning/Prioritizing
• Working Memory
• Metacognition

22. Executive Skills Involving
Doing (behavior)
• Response Inhibition
• Emotional Control
• Sustained Attention
• Task Initiation
• Goal-directed
Persistence
• Organization
• Time Management
• Planning/Prioritizing
• Working Memory
• Metacognition

23. Executive Skills Involving
Thinking (Cognition)
• Response Inhibition
• Emotional Control
• Sustained Attention
• Task Initiation
• Goal-directed
Persistence
• Organization
• Time Management
• Planning/Prioritizing
• Working Memory
• Metacognition

24. “At birth executive skills only exists as potential.
The newborn has no actual executive skills.”

25. “…Frontal lobes, and therefore
executive skills will require 18 to 20
years, or even longer to develop fully.”

26. “Given these factors, children cannot rely
soley on their own frontal lobes to regulate
behavior? What’s the solution?”

27. We lend them ours.

28. Otherwise, the
consequences can be
dire…
“InsideYour Teenager’s Scary Brain”
http://goo.gl/OPo2uA

29. https://goo.gl/npyVT8

30. Supporting your teen
• Teach Organization skills
• Help with time
management
• Help them plan out long
term assignments
• Allow them to make
mistakes

31. Sources

32. Why does
disorganization rear
it’s ugly head in
Middle School?

33. Elementary vs. Middle
• Organized
• One classroom
• Everything you need is
inside the room
• Transition as a class
• Teacher manages your
world
• More unstructured
• Multiple classes
• Locker
• Go places individually
• You manage your world

34. Symptoms of
Disorganization
• Frequently Loses Papers
• Doesn’t hand in assignments on time
• Has a backpack full of crumpled paper and random objects
• Can’t break down long-term projects and misses dead-lines
• Leaves everything for the last minute
• Disrupts home life with frantic searches, urgent requests for late-
night help and anxiety-ridden meltdowns

35. “Don’t agonize.
Organize.”-
Florynce Kennedy

36. Missing Homework

37. Excuses, excuses
Oh sure...
blame it on
me.

38. 3 Most Common at
ISB
• “I lost the paper”
• “I forgot that I had it”
• “I didn’t have time”

39. “I lost the paper”
• Get a collection box
or folder of some
sort.
• Keep all papers in a
file at home to use
for future studying.
• Keep current papers
in notebook or
binder REMEMBER:
Paper is the enemy.
File it or get rid of it

40. “I lost the paper”
Lockers are the culprit! Systems are the key!

41. “I forgot I had it”
• Check Haiku
• Can’t count on
memory
• Encourage your child
to use a written
planner

42. “I didn’t have time”

43. Time Management
Suggestions for Parents

44. LoriBoll.me | @LoriBoll
• List out assignments
• Make sure you have all materials
• Decide who will provide help if needed
• Estimate time needed
• Prioritize assignments
• Build in breaks
Make a Homework Plan

45. Introduce the concept of
work-sprints

50. Homework Plan
Humanities Modern Lang. Math Science
Check Haiku Check Haiku Check Haiku Check Haiku
Read 20 minutes Define 10 vocab words
7.3 problems
1-30 odds
Review for test on
Friday
Finish lab report
due Wed.

52. Setting up the
learning
environment

53. Soft or Natural
Lighting

54. Temperature
68-72 degrees F
20-22 degrees C

55. Where does your
child study?
Take a moment to
discuss.

56. Here?

57. Here?

58. Here?

59. Here?...Yes!
Soft Lighting
Comfortable
Seating
Desk with
all materials
Free of
Distractions

60. Aren’t they too old for all this help?

61. “A good system
shortens the road
to a goal”-
Orison Swett Marden, writer

62. “As a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could
hardly stand to have the old man around. But when
I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he
had learned in seven years.”
Mark Twain