Top Tweets for #brainfunction

Chemist here. 👋 Let me show you how fear is manufactured using a real example. Step 1: Take a real scientific fact. Step 2: Remove the context. Step 3: Exaggerate the danger. Step 4: Make people believe they’re being poisoned. Step 5: Tell them the government is hiding it. Step 6: Invent a conspiracy to explain everything. Congratulations. You’ve turned a legitimate scientific question into a terrifying story. No exposure data. No dose-response. No proper risk assessment. No evidence of a conspiracy. Just fear. And here’s the clever part. If you question the story, you’re accused of defending the conspiracy. That’s not science communication. That’s fear marketing. Science asks: What’s the evidence? Fear asks: What if they’re trying to kill you? Learn to recognise the difference.

Part of teaching is learning to detect nonsense. - I have students who suddenly have a Chromebook issue the moment independent work starts and need to visit the tech office. - I have students who ask to use the restroom so they can wander campus, disrupt another class, or smoke in the bathroom. - I have students confidently tell me they didn’t use AI when they clearly did. - I have students texting under the desk while insisting they were “just checking the time.” - I have students give elaborate explanations for why they were late to class. The skill and intuition to detect nonsense is essential for managing a classroom effectively.

MASLOW BEFORE BLOOM: YOU CAN’T TEACH A BRAIN THAT DOESN’T FEEL SAFE. We ask kids to focus, learn, behave, problem-solve, and achieve. But sometimes we forget what has to come first. A student who is scared, hungry, overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, or disconnected may not be ready for Bloom’s Taxonomy. They may need Maslow first. Maslow Before Bloom means helping students feel safe, seen, connected, supported, and capable — so their brains are more available for learning. And this applies to STAFF, too. So what can we do? • Greet people by name. • Connect before you correct. • Create calm/reset spaces. • Ask what’s behind the behavior. • Notice effort, not just outcomes. • Check on staff as people, not just employees. • Make it safe to struggle, ask for help, and try again. This isn’t about lowering expectations. It’s about creating the conditions that help people reach them. Sometimes the most powerful intervention is simply: “I see you. I’m glad you’re here. We’ll figure this out together.” That’s Maslow Before Bloom. What’s ONE thing your school does to help students or staff feel safe, connected, and valued? Share it below, someone may bring your idea to their school tomorrow. Join the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: https://t.co/015cLKjJ1m #MaslowBeforeBloom #Teachers #Education #MentalHealth #SchoolCulture