Editorial Review
Formerly a publication of The Brain Store
Let’s face it-the weather is more predictable than the average teen. Suddenly, even the brightest and most cooperative students become argumentative and distracted. The good news is there are ways you can navigate these abrupt shifts and still be an effective teacher.
Recent neuroscientific findings have revealed that the teenage brain is actually undergoing developmental changes that can cause extremely erratic behavior. Although you can’t change these behaviors, this new resource demonstrates ways you can adapt your teaching style to effectively reach and teach teens. In the first chapter of this lighthearted but informative book, you will explore the biology of the teenager’s brain. Then, chapters two through six answer questions about specific characteristics of the teenage brain that seem most puzzling to teachers and parents-changes in cognition, the need to socialize, difficulty communicating ideas and feelings, building a self-identity, and why some teens engage in risky behavior.
You’ll be entertained by the accounts of real-life experiences and enlightened by the research-based teaching strategies for managing students' everyday difficulties, conflicts, and crises. With the proper tools, teaching teens has never been more rewarding!
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Customer Reviews
Great book 
2008-10-05
Dr Feinstein is one of my professors. I have taken two courses from her. I walked away from each course feeling better equipped as I prepare to teach my first class of students.
Excellent Source for Middle & High School Teachers 
2007-07-23
I am a continuation high school teacher. My students come from situations of illness, abuse, preganacy,trouble with the law and different styles of learning. They are in my classes because they didn't make it in a regular school setting. This book has given me such insight to the brain development of my students. "Secrets," has provided an understanding of the "neurological and biological changes that teenagers experience." The most useful aspect, included in each chapter, of "Secrets" are the sections on "Instructional Strategies," and "Things to Try." I will definitly use these suggestions in my classroom next term. This is a great tool to add to my teacher's bag-of-tricks!
A Fast and Enlightening Read - Excellent for Teachers and Parents 2007-05-17
I borrowed this book from the library and read it over the course of three days. I found it very "readable" and with plenty of big words about the brain in which I have only a passing interest.
If you are in a rush get this from the library, otherwise wait and buy one or more of her upcoming books titled:
"Parenting the Teenage Brain: Understanding a Work in Progress" (due in July 2007, 162 pages),
"Learning and the Brain: A Comprehensive Guide for Educators, Parents, and Teachers" (due in August, 2007, 576 pages),and
"Teaching the At-Risk Teenage Brain" (due in October 2007, 136 pages), [I believe this may be an update of "Secrets of the Teenage Brain" but am not sure.]
The chapters in "Secrets of the Teenage Brain" are:
1 - Teen Brain: Under Construction - talks about how the brain is like the framing of a house that still needs walls, wiring and a roof.
2 - Teen Cognition and Learning - keys to understanding how the teen learns and how teachers and parents can help in the process.
3 - The Social Brain - a great way to see life from your teen's point of view.
4 - Communication and the Unfinished Brain - yes it is possible to have meaningful communication with a teen.
5 - Self-Concept Under Attack - advice on how to improve the teen's (and your own) self view.
6 - The Risk-taking Brain - why they do it and how to help them not make such bad judgments that may have a lifelong impact.
7 - Reaching and Teaching Today's Adolescents - Tomorrow - Make a school that ....
And finally she wraps it all up with a four page summary of the entire book.
There is a lot of meat in this book for teachers and parents. I plan to purchase all three of her upcoming books as I am a volunteer working with pre K - 14 at risk students but I suggest you star with the one that is most appropriate to your needs.
For those interested a description of the upcoming books follows:
PARENTING THE TEENAGE BRAIN
Teenagers are perplexing, intriguing, and spirited creatures. In an attempt to discover the secrets to their thoughts and actions, parents have tried talking, cajoling, and begging them for answers. The result has usually been just more confusion. But new and exciting light is being shed on these mysterious young adults.
What was once thought to be hormones run amuck can now be explained with modern medical technology. MRI and PET scans view the human brain while it is alive and functioning. To no one's surprise, the teenage brain is under heavy construction! These discoveries are helping parents understand the (until now) unexplainable teenager. Neuroscience can help parents adjust to the highs and lows of teenage behavior. Typically, this transformation is a prickly proposition for both teens and their families, but the trials and tribulations of adolescence give teenagers a second chance to develop and create the brain they will take into adulthood.
LEARNING AND THE BRAIN
Nearly 100 entries describe current brain research as it relates to education, as well as the relationship between the brain and learning and instructional strategies. Over 100 expert authors contributed to this work, covering the cognitive, social/emotional, and physical aspects of learning as the brain develops. Topics include: brain development, learning, curriculum, at-risk, classroom management, culture, emotion, foods, intelligence, learning environments, learning challenges, learning theories, and physical movement. Focus is on K-12 education, but the books also offer information on the pre-school and adult learner. Cross-references and recommended readings conclude each entry. Supplemental reference sources include a glossary devoted to the brain and an extensive bibliography.
Ideal for educators, parents and teachers, this encyclopedia provides a wealth of knowledge about why educational experiences are structured the way they are and how this helps students learn more. Cognitive neuroscience and its practical use in education provides much of the research for this book, however, the entries are written at a level appropriate for a general reader.
TEACHING THE AT-RISK TEENAGE BRAIN
While all teenage behavior and character traits can be challenging, the issues facing the at-risk teenager are particularly thorny and deserve special attention. Anger, aggression, and a total lack of good decision-making happen on a minute-to-minute basis, as teachers patiently try to guide these young adults. Unlocking the key to keeping them in school and facilitating proficiency in reading, writing, and math is not for the weak of heart. A strong constitution, compassionate spirit, and solid knowledge base make the difference in this meaningful work. Neuroscientists now have the technology to make amazing and startling discoveries about this unexplored territory. Combining their work with the work of psychologists and educationists is creating a new and exciting landscape for educators.
In Teaching the At-Risk Teenage Brain Sheryl Feinstein provides research in a reader-friendly way to help teachers and administrators better understand the at-risk student. Feinstein also includes numerous brain-compatible instructional strategies and classroom management techniques, all intended to teach, support, and guide at-risk teenage students
