Читать книгу The Courageous Classroom - Jed Dearybury - Страница 21

There's no escaping the scope of the problem students and educators face. Fear is a real part of daily life for the people who learn and teach in our nation's classrooms. It's wired into our brain as part of our evolutionary journey. However, as insurmountable as the problem might seem, we also are wired for the solution – we just have to work together to learn how to access it ourselves, so that we can, in turn, offer it to our students. We can speak to you with such confidence about the power of courage, because we have seen it in action, in ourselves, and in our students.

Your brain is an amazing piece of machinery. Among its incredible abilities is neuroplasticity, the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neurons making new connections, to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping. In layman's terms, the brain's ability to rewire itself. This super-power enables people who have experienced trauma as kids to overcome it – and get a shot at adulthood.

As miraculous as this rewiring sounds, it cannot be achieved without significant support, including from trauma-informed educators. Without this support, countless students fall through the cracks and become adults who inflict more trauma. We educators are in a unique place. For 180 days we have the opportunity to help “our kids,” as many call them, to discover that their trauma is overcome-able. But how? Keep reading.