Fiona Mauchline: Alpha to Z: eight key ingredients for teaching our teens

 IATEFL Themes 2024

Fiona Mauchline

Alpha to Z: eight key ingredients for teaching our teens

Current teens are the so-called Gen Alpha (up to the age of 12, coming into secondary education now) and Gen Z (13+). Both of these generations had their socialisation and education affected by the pandemic at key stages of development.

Fiona started off with some brainstorming (she calls it ‘Brainergy’) – what words do you think of when you think of teens?

Here are some of her answers….

Some (brief) definitions:

Reward – not necessarily a prize, sometimes just be acknowledgement of achievement can be enough to provide that dopamine hit, making you want to come back for more.

The pre-frontal cortex is very important for teens as it deals with impulse control (fight or flight response).

Caudate nuclei governs simple decisions – e.g. which language is most appropriate in this context. Can be trained by giving problem solving activities, translanguaging or translation activities. The size of the caudate nuclei has been linked to language size.

Next, Fiona took us through some of the key concepts in the functioning of the teen brain. For example Myelination – is the covering (and protection) of the ‘wiring’ in synaptic connections. Brain training creates more of these myelin sheaths which cover and protect the synapses, making the connections stronger and aiding memory. Teens reach a key point in their development at around 15-16, when there is the most grey matter. Effective training at this stage can help to turn grey into white (myelin).

Another key concept is (social) contagion: the need that we all – but especially teens – have to gravitate towards peers, and ‘fit in’.

Fiona pointed out, there is no silver bullet. What works for some doesn’t work for everybody! But we can make educated and informed choices based on research.

Here are some practices which can work…

Safe, rich learning environment. – Students are sensitive, but none more so than teens. If they are anxious, there is an increase in cortisol, which interferes with the limbic system and memory (this is why brain blanks out traumatic memories). Be careful who you nominate, and topics – e.g. avoid family until you know the family background. Choose non-exposing topics and remember to own your own mistakes as well.

By ‘rich’, Fiona was talking about content that teens can see the point in learning. For example, have a look at this ‘Find the difference’ activity.

Show the first picture for 30 seconds. Then show new picture and ask students to write as many differences as they can remember.

It’s worth borrowing materials from other subjects, in this case history. Reinforcing knowledge is validating for teens – they feel clever and see the point!

This example naturally generates lots of useful language, e.g. vocabulary and the present perfect to talk about changes.

It can also be extended, e.g. What caused those changes? to bring in further content knowledge

Students as teachers

Show students the partial slide and ask them what the different teaching methodologies might be, and what they think the percentage of retention is.

Answer…

Teaching others is one of the most effective ways to learn.

Ideas for Students as Teachers (student-led classroom)

-          10 minutes, 3 truths, 1 lie: Give students 10 mins to find as much information as possible about a subject then write 4 statements 3 true and one lie, that others have to identify.

-          Specialists – teach students or get students to research an area of grammar that they can teach their peers. They then explain their specialist area.

-          Tour guides – explain information about 6-7 places in their town.

-          TikTok time –Form at least four groups and randomise according to colour. Each group has to perform a ‘mission’:

Act it like a TikTok. One person is the narrator, the others act. Teacher can control the input, e.g. by giving students videos to watch to prepare. In this case, using QR Monkey to make coloured QR codes, each group had different input (videos from OU) on the history of the English Language.