Mirror Neurons

The story goes like this: In Parma, Italy, researchers in the 1990s were studying the neurons of monkeys. Devices were attached to the monkeys and brain scans showed when individual neurons in their brains activated. The purpose was to determine what neurons activated as the monkey made reactions. While studying a monkey, a scientist walked into the room eating something (the story varies here) and the neurons of the monkey begin to fire as he sees the scientist eat. The strange thing was that the same neurons fired in the monkey watching someone eat as they did in the human actually eating. Who knows if this is how mirror neurons were actually discovered, but the point is that they actually do exist. People (and we think several other species as well) actually have neurons in our brains that are wired for empathy. We can see someone in distress, happy or in fear and we can instantly feel the emotion that they feel. This probably explains why we watch feel-good movies during the holidays or get that creepy feeling when we see someone else with a spider on them.

Knowing this, just think about the impact this knowledge has on education. As the teacher, you have the power to directly impact student attitudes and emotions based on your own. The key is to controlling ours and not letting the student emotions control our neurons first! In our Grit book study this week, I shard a thought that I have long held about teaching. I strongly feel that great teachers are also great actors. They perform for an audience several times a day. The best teachers change the story or the main character's actions based on how the audience reacts. They can recognize what the audience needs and can ad-lib appropriately. By doing this, science says that they are literally controlling their minds.

So just think about this the next time you start that tough class period or have to deal with that difficult student. Both of you are wired for the power of mind control, but only one of you gets to use it first.