Why Teens Should Understand Their Own Brains (And Why Their Teachers Should, Too!) [npr.org]

A teenage brain is a fascinating, still-changing place. There's a lot going on: social awareness, risk-taking, peer pressure; all are heightened during this period.

Until relatively recently, it was thought that the brain was only actively developing during childhood, but in the last two decades, researchers have confirmed that the brain continues to develop during adolescence — a period of time that can stretch from the middle school years into early adulthood.

"We were always under the assumption that the brain doesn't change very much after childhood," explains Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London.

[For more on this story by ELISSA NADWORNY, go to https://www.npr.org/sections/e...ir-teachers-should-t]