The Room With A Hue

So I’ve been reading Zaretta Hammond’s Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain , and it’s incredible. I mean, I’ve known for a while that CRT is critical to helping my students of color out of the achievement gap. But learning HOW the brain forms neural pathways and connections to make learning possible is something I’ve NOT been exposed to before. And I’ve had a realization I need to share with you. It is a fact that the human brain is wired above all else to avoid threats and to keep us safe at all costs. A brain cannot learn if its systems cannot meet the criteria for optimal performance. Basic needs such as food, shelter, social interaction and relationships (which have physical as well as emotional components), and a general sense of well-being are a few of the conditions that affect the brain and how well it functions. Events that cause stress or anxiety trigger a response in the brain that essentially shuts down neural pathways, making it near impossible to learn. That is