Wow … the week that was Year 10 camp! Approximately three days of sun, sand and swotting.
Some say timing is everything and if that is true, then this camp has truly been a timely event to prepare our Year 10 girls for their upcoming senior journey.
Judi Newman, one of Australia’s experts in the field of Neuroleadership and the neuroscience of learning presented two highly valuable sessions, providing the girls with information on how they learn, including the pitfalls, accelerators, memory techniques and how to get ‘back on track’.
As a supervising staff member, I was inspired by the information and would have relished the opportunity that was provided to our Year 10 girls when I was younger.
Some of the biggest ‘takeaways’ for me were:
Intelligence is not fixed at birth – your IQ is not determined by your genes.
The brain requires down time to encode and embed learning
Learning reshapes the brain. Neuron connections start to develop within 15 minutes of exposure to new learning. Weak neural pathways are ‘pruned’ while we sleep.
When you enter an emotional state repeatedly, you create strong neuron connections that tend to keep you in that state. Emotions for brain growth include joy, serenity, gratitude, curiosity, love, hope, stillness and approval.
If we think too hard for too long we can deplete our neurotransmitters and enter cognitive overload. This can be resolved with a 10 minute ‘brain break’. A brain break is anything enjoyable that provides a reprieve from the intense concentration.
Judi provided each girl with a copy of her book Turbocharge Your Learning – a Neuroscience and Psychological Perspective which is a fascinating read not only for students but for parents and teachers as well.
I always consider it a privilege to attend these events with our girls and from my observations (and the many photos) I think they also enjoyed it. In Maya’s words … Ms Kelly, this is the boujee-est camp ever.
Nadine Kelly
Deputy Principal - Students
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