Friday, October 30, 2026
We spend years teaching students how to solve equations, analyze literature, understand historical events and explore the natural world. While these are all valuable skills, how many understand what happens in their brains when they are stressed, sleep-deprived, distracted, anxious or overwhelmed? How many understand how alcohol, drugs, social media, exercise and relationships can influence their thinking, emotions and decisions?
I believe every high school student should be required to take a course in neuroscience — not because we need more neuroscientists, but because we need young people who better understand themselves.
Adolescence is one of the most remarkable periods of brain development. During these years, the neural networks responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation, attention, motivation and self-control undergo significant changes.
The prefrontal cortex, which plays an important role in planning, judgment and impulse control, continues to develop into young adulthood. At the same time, the brain’s reward and emotional systems are particularly responsive to experiences, relationships and incentives. This developmental process helps explain why adolescents may be especially sensitive to peer approval, emotional experiences and immediate rewards.
Imagine the power of teaching students this information.
Rather than simply telling them to make better decisions, we could help them understand the biological processes that influence those decisions. Rather than telling them to manage their emotions, we could teach them how stress affects the brain and how they can develop emotional regulation skills. Knowledge doesn’t eliminate poor decisions, but it provides a foundation for making better ones.
In a meaningful neuroscience course, students would learn why sleep is essential for memory consolidation, learning, emotional regulation and overall health. They would understand that consistently sacrificing sleep to study, socialize or scroll on their phones can undermine the very cognitive abilities they are trying to strengthen.
Students would explore how attention, reward, habit formation and social comparison interact with digital environments. They would examine why multitasking often diminishes learning, and how excessive technology use may affect well-being. Instead of relying exclusively on warnings about substance use, they would learn how alcohol, nicotine, cannabis and other substances interact with the neural systems involved in memory, judgment, motivation and reward. They would examine why substance use during adolescence raises particular developmental concerns and how dependence can develop.
Students would learn how the brain and body respond to stress, and how chronic stress can interfere with attention, sleep and emotional well-being, while learning evidence-informed strategies for managing stress and seeking support. They would discover how physical activity supports brain health, mood and cognition, and how nutrition contributes to the body’s ability to function effectively. They would begin to see physical health and cognitive health not as separate priorities, but as deeply connected.
Perhaps most important, students would explore neuroplasticity — the brain’s capacity to change through experience and learning. They would understand how practice, feedback and repetition contribute to developing knowledge and skills.
This last concept has extraordinary educational implications. One of the most damaging beliefs a student can develop is that intelligence and ability are fixed. We’ve all heard students say, “I’m just not a math person,” “I can’t write” or “I’m not smart enough.” Neuroscience offers an opportunity to challenge these assumptions.
When students understand that learning involves changes in neural connections and networks, they can begin to appreciate why effort, feedback and practice matter. That doesn’t mean that every student will achieve the same outcome or that effort alone will guarantee success. It does mean, however, that abilities aren’t necessarily static, and that improvement is possible.
For decades, educators have debated what students should know and be able to do before leaving high school. We talk about financial literacy, digital citizenship, health education, career readiness and social-emotional learning. These are all important.
But neuroscience offers something that connects them. Understanding the brain can help students make more informed financial decisions by recognizing impulsivity and delayed gratification. It can strengthen digital citizenship by examining attention and technology habits. It can enhance health education by explaining the biological consequences of lifestyle choices. And it can support social-emotional learning by giving students a scientific foundation for understanding emotions, behavior and relationships.
Neuroscience isn’t simply another subject to add to an already crowded curriculum. It offers concepts and skills that can empower students to become the CEOs of their lives.
Christopher Zublionis, Ed.D., is superintendent of the Plainedge school district.
