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NERVOUS SYSTEM WORK in REAL CLASSROOMS

Showcasing the work of real teachers around the globe using Applied Educational Neuroscience inside the classroom!

We invite you to share your AEN teaching experiences, writings, artwork, lessons, poetry, photos, excerpts from your days, humor, concerns and celebrations of your teaching and learning experiences!  It is our hope that this page will be a writing and sharing tool for all of us to learn and grow with our students.  Share your brain work with us, and we will highlight it!

SHARE YOUR WORK
the language of the nervous system
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Lori Desautels with students in classroom
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Dr Lori Kansas Public shcools
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Dr Lori in New Zealand
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Dr Lori Desautels inside Lawrence township schools
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TEACHER SHOWCASE

Building the Nest /Katie Thompson

4th Grade Teacher, Newby Elementary --- Butler University College of Education

Follow @Ms_KThompson

Birds gather materials with intention and purpose, constructing a shelter for their young and themselves. These nests provide safety and connection - two ingredients every living creature needs. What if we borrowed this idea and thought purposefully about the environments we create in our places of being (e.g., homes, schools, churches, workplaces, etc.)? What things do you need to feel safe and connected? What resources, relationships, activities, emotions, sensations, or things make up your nest?

________

In my 4th grade classroom, using resources inspired by Dr. Lori, we made our own “nests” to hone in on what makes us feel safe and connected and supported. I used these slides for more explanation. Open Google Slides 

 
We did two “rounds” of nests. The first round, students got a colored piece of paper. They drew a large circle to symbolize their nest. In their nest, they wrote things that are serving them well such as: people, rituals, places, values, places, things, beliefs, hobbies, ancestors, colors, etc. On the outside of their nest, they wrote what they’d like to take out of their nest or what they wanted less of… what isn’t serving them well. 
 
On the second round, I encouraged students to build their own nest using materials that symbolize those words in their nest. These nests are now on display in our classroom to remind students of this activity. It reminds us that our “nests” are where we live, play, relate in safe, connected ways. 
 
Below are some photos of the experience.  

Personal Profile Map /Katie Thompson

4th Grade Teacher, Newby Elementary --- Butler University College of Education

Personal Profile Map Activity

  • Begin with a Blank Personal Profile Map and Colored Markers
  • Invite Your Client to Choose the Color That Represents the Polyvagal State
  • Move from the sympathetic to dorsal to ventral sympathetic to dorsal is familiar dorsal back to ventral can be more difficult and requires sympathetic mobilization
  • Guide your client to use breath to begin a return of energy, if needed offer cues of Social Engagement
  • Name the Sequence of Moving out of Dorsal Vagal, through Sympathetic, into Ventral Vagal

 

For each state, fill in the section by writing… what it feels like, looks like, sounds like

  • What happens in your body?
  • What do you do?
  • What do you feel? What do you sense?
  • What do you think and say?
 
Below are some completed student examples

Hands: Creating & Releasing /Katie Thompson

4th Grade Teacher, Newby Elementary --- Butler University College of Education

Hands: Creating & Releasing

Skills:

    • Build capacity for resilience
    • Meaning-making
    • Imagining a new narrative
    • Identifying strengths


*cue music for art process (optional) slow, peaceful melodies are recommended

Materials: paper, colored pens/crayons/pencils, writing pen

    1. Use a paper big enough to trace your hands on the paper.
    2. Listen to music as you trace two hand prints onto the paper (optional).
    3. Identify one hand print as representing what you wish to “release in your life”.
    4. Identify the other hand for things you wish to “create in your life”
    5. Take a moment to reflect on each prompt and write a sentence or words/both in and around the hand that answers the prompt.
    6. Color the hands and any of the space between.
    7. Try using more expressive materials like chalk, watercolor, and paint —if available.
    8. Use the Reflective Questions to review the process with the “client”

 

Some Examples of refective questions are:

    • What was that like?
    • How was that for you?
    • As you were doing that exercise, was there anything that you particularly noticed?
    • How are you feeling right now?
    • What do you feel like you are learning from the exercise?

Nervous System Response /Crystal Williams

Educator at MSD of Lawrence Township - Middle School

Physical Education /Heather Grow

Dean of Students & Physical Educator, Oneida City School District

Dec 2024, I have implemented regulation strategies into my teaching. I talk to my students about what it means to be regulated vs dysregulated and I talk about the brain. When you are regulated you can take in information because the learning part of your brain or your prefrontal cortex is online. So if students are dysregulated they cannot learn. I also discuss how when someone is triggered or dysregulated that prefrontal cortex also impacts decision making so when someone is dysregulated then you are unable to make the best decisions. I teach my students how to recognize when they are feeling deregulated and then I teach them ways that they can regulate or co-regulate.

I made my students a visual of this called safe in my space. On it, there are 8 different visuals/ways students can regulate their bodies. We practice each one. Then with me being PE teacher and knowing that learning through play requires less reps for the knowledge to stick I created a game called regulation tag. I pick 1-2 taggers to start then on the “go” signal the taggers are trying to tag as many people as they can. If a student gets tagged they must stop and perform one of the regulating strategies that I taught them. In order to get back in another student has to come over and co-regulate with them by mirroring whatever regulation strategy they chose. Once both students are performing the same strategy or are co-regulated then that student is back in. I started this in my PE classes last year and it has been a game changer for a lot of my students.

Since creating this I have been a guest on the Trauma Informed Educators podcast with Mathew Portell and I have presented on the topic of trauma informed education in PE called Safe in My Space: Teaching Through the Lens of Trauma where I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge on trauma, the brain and strategies to bring into teaching that supports all students especially those with adverse childhood experiences. All of my work on trauma informed education has been inspired by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah’s book “What Happened to You?” And the work of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, “The Deepest Well.” 

BODY SENSATIONS /Samantha Wagner

Lead Strong Beginnings Teacher - Kalkaska Public Schools

Dec, 2024: With our young three year old students, we began to explore different terms for our bodily sensations. We generated a list, used actual student vocabulary (like oozy doozy), and do body check ins. These three year olds are now beginning to independently identify the sensations of their own body!

Talks and check-ins of our brain state /Ashlee Kimmel

One of Dr. Lori’s former grad students, Ashlee Kimmel shared her work from her own classroom.  These students are not only learning about their nervous systems through art, but they are leading AEN morning meetings and so much more! We brought the students and Ashlee to the Butler University Educational Neuroscience symposium in 2022!

Ashlee’s words…
“Starting last year, former 5th grade members applied to my mentorship program called Artistic Neuroscience Mentors where they co-lead neuroanatomy lessons at club meetings. We even received a grant through the Avon Education Foundation this month to fund brain and neuron models so students can have hands-on experience with neuroanatomy! Further, our students and mentors will also be leading morning meeting lessons school-wide starting in the spring to teach every classroom regulation tools!”

“As a bit of calm during the chaos, I wanted to share that I’ve been virtually leading morning meetings with my students while continuing our discussions on brain states. I attached the video for tomorrow’s M.M. in case you wanted to see. 🙂 My students crave talks and check-ins on our brain state, so I’m hoping this is reaching them well at home.”
WATCH VIDEO 

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Dream House Project for Secondary Math /Tom Hakim

"On Friday, September17, 2010, I took my students to visit a real "dream home" as a reward for their hard work on their Dream House project in my math class.  Indianapolis Monthly Magazine donated the tickets for us to visit the 2010 Dream Home in Zionsville, Indiana and Dr. Silverman paid for us to go to dinner at a great pizzeria afterward.  While visiting the home, the students were complimented numerous times for their behavior and their interest in the beautiful design, architecture, and decoration of the home.  The students really appreciated the trip because it brought to life the project that they worked so hard in in math class just a few months prior.

The project required them to design their own "Dream House" floor plan using geometric shapes and measurements.  They had to calculate floor space and wall space in order to figure out the cost of flooring and paint for each room in the house.  They also were given an imaginary $25,000 budget for furnishings.  They shopped for their furnishings on the internet and then kept a running budget to ensure they did not run out of money.  Finally, 100% of the class completed the entire project, which included a full binder, a poster, and a presentation.  As a reward for their hard work, the students were promised the great field trip that took place last Friday.

Attached are some pictures of their posters from the project, the information packet describing the project, and some pictures from Friday's field trip.  This project was a great example of the students having the opportunity to make real-world connections with mathematics and have it come to life with an outstanding field trip."

Mr. Hakim

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Resources from Educator Jennifer Norton /Shared by Ebone Crowe

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