The Amygdala Hijack- Are Students In the Correct Brain to do STEM?

 Rethinking Math Instruction: Addressing the Amygdala Hijack in Underserved Students

After reading chapters 4-6 of Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, I began questioning whether my struggles with underperforming, traditionally underserved student populations stemmed not from a lack of effort, but from brain chemistry. Partnering with Central Washington University and my student teacher, we have explored what research says about effective mathematics instruction. The principles from Peter Liljedahl's Building Thinking Classrooms are a significant focus in my College in the High School program. These strategies emphasize student-driven learning through real-world, relevant problems. Additionally, our NSF grant this year highlights project-based learning (PBL) with a similar focus.

While I have found some success, particularly with financial literacy projects, challenges persist. One memorable project, "The Good/The Bad/The Ugly/And Holiday Spending," allowed juniors and seniors to explore credit cards and holiday expenses. Students worked in pairs, scaffolding rigor using tools like AI for computation, minimizing the anxiety often triggered by STEM tasks. However, working with younger students—particularly 9th and 10th graders—has revealed significant barriers due to what Hammond calls the "amygdala hijack."

Recognizing the Amygdala Hijack in My Classroom

In my two decades of teaching, I've witnessed countless instances where students freeze, shut down, or act out when faced with challenging math tasks. These responses often stem from what neuroscientists call the "amygdala hijack." When students perceive a situation as threatening—whether it's solving a problem in front of the class or answering a cold-call question—their amygdala, the brain's fear center, takes over. Logical reasoning shuts down, and the fight, flight, or freeze response kicks in. This physiological reaction explains why even confident students sometimes crumble under pressure.

Take Juan, for instance. A bright and capable student, he often excelled in small group work but would visibly panic during whole-class discussions. His body language—averted eyes, fidgeting hands—spoke volumes. It wasn’t that he didn’t know the answer; it was the fear of public failure. Recognizing these signs of amygdala hijack in my students has become crucial to creating a safe and effective learning environment.


On the first day back from break, I had my students watch videos about the "Thinking Brain vs. Survival Brain" and how to manage an amygdala hijack. Afterward, I asked them to reflect on when they felt this response in school. Their sticky-note responses revealed recurring stressors:

  1. Testing

  2. Challenging content

  3. Teacher attitudes

  4. Public speaking

I was unsurprised by test anxiety but was struck by how many students mentioned "pop quizzes" as a major trigger. This raised questions: What purpose do these quizzes serve? Are they punitive? If 40% of my students reported test anxiety and many tied it to pop quizzes, how accurate is the data from these assessments? Hammond’s research states that cortisol released during an amygdala hijack inhibits advanced brain processing for 20 minutes and can take two hours to fully reset. This insight made me reconsider whether these short pop quizzes truly measure learning.

Reducing the Amygdala Hijack Response

Understanding how to reduce the amygdala hijack response is vital for creating a classroom where all students can thrive. Here are some effective strategies:

  1. Normalize Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Reframing errors as part of the learning process helps students feel safe to take risks. I often share stories of famous mathematicians who made significant breakthroughs after multiple failures.

  2. Incorporate Mindfulness Practices: Short mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing or grounding techniques, can help students regulate their emotions. Before high-stakes activities like tests, I lead the class in a two-minute breathing exercise to calm their nervous systems.

  3. Provide Predictable Routines: Predictability reduces anxiety. I post daily objectives and an agenda, so students know what to expect. Structured routines create a sense of stability, helping students feel secure.

  4. Offer Multiple Response Options: Giving students different ways to respond—whether verbally, through writing, or using technology like polls—allows them to engage without fear. For example, using platforms like Mentimeter or Padlet enables students to share ideas anonymously.

  5. Use Positive Reinforcement: Celebrating effort and progress rather than just correct answers helps shift the focus from performance to growth. I often highlight students’ perseverance during challenging tasks, reinforcing a growth mindset.

Beyond Test Anxiety: The Impact of Teacher Attitude and Public Speaking

Another revelation was that teacher attitudes and public reprimands triggered as much stress as rigorous content. Students feared being called on and looking "dumb" in front of peers, particularly my heritage Spanish-speaking students. Even those fluent in English felt immense pressure when asked to speak in front of the class.

Educational research supports this: public cold-calling can induce fear and anxiety, particularly in students with low academic confidence or negative past experiences in school. According to a study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, students experiencing social-evaluative threats show reduced cognitive performance, as their brain’s focus shifts from problem-solving to self-protection.

This insight forced me to reevaluate common practices like "popsicle stick calling." While mathematical discourse is essential, my students’ data shows that public, high-stakes questioning hinders learning. Instead, I now focus on creating "safe talking" spaces, especially for my underserved populations. I’ve realized that fostering mathematical discourse requires intentional strategies tailored to each student’s comfort level.

Creating Safe Spaces for Mathematical Growth

One strategy involves reevaluating assessments. Students, even high-achievers, need time to decompress during stress responses. Allowing extended time or breaks can help them demonstrate their true understanding.

For example, my 4th-period class struggled with parallel lines and equations before break. Despite succeeding with trigonometry, they froze on simple problems like “3x = 12.” These students, carrying math trauma from middle school, weren’t resisting the content—their brains weren’t in a state to process it.

This week, I shifted my approach. I introduced triangle proofs visually, using color-coded notes and encouraging students to label diagrams without pressure. I also informed them of a consistent end-of-week assessment plan. By scaffolding in a non-threatening way, students engaged and showed remarkable growth on a Quizizz assessment. This method aligned better with their needs than the university’s "ideal" strategies.

Furthermore, to address the fear of public speaking, I introduced a system where students first discuss in pairs or small groups before sharing. This "think-pair-share" model is diffent in my class because I can use technology like open responses in quizizz or writing to allow student to share their ideas in a safe space where they do not have to do public speaking. This allows for the mathematical discourse students need in a safer context. Desmos also allows for students groups to have reponses that are shared by the teacher, without their names for peers. In bigger project I have made special accomidations to allow students to present to a small group during my prep.

Balancing Research with Student Needs

The mismatch between research-based strategies and the realities of my classroom has been professionally challenging. My students come to me with 2nd-4th grade math competency levels. While I aim to implement best practices, I’ve found success lies in building relationships and creating a safe environment for learning.

For students with low STEM identity or trauma, even minor stressors can trigger an outsized amygdala response. In a high-poverty, majority-minority school like mine, this is compounded. Students in constant stress don’t have typical amygdala responses, which means they need more support to feel safe and capable of learning.

Moving Forward: Safe Classrooms and Mathematical Mindsets

Understanding how brain chemistry impacts learning has profoundly shifted my teaching. I will continue refining my approach, ensuring that students feel safe to think, make mistakes, and learn without fear. Intentional relationships, clear communication, and supportive scaffolding are crucial for these learners.

While research provides valuable guidance, it is ultimately the teacher’s ability to connect with students and create a safe learning environment that drives success. I challenge my fellow educators to consider how their practices impact students’ stress responses and to prioritize strategies that nurture a thinking brain over a survival brain.

Together, we can help all students develop a stronger mathematical mindset and build the STEM identities they need to succeed.




Location: Moses Lake, WA 98837, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Biggest Problem in Mathematics Education Today!

Image
  The Hidden Barrier to Math Success: Confronting Learned Helplessness in Our Classrooms As a math educator with over 20 years of experience and more than 2,500 students passing through my classroom, I’ve seen the education system from many angles. I’ve taught in affluent and underserved schools, engaged with parents, collaborated with educators, and debated with college professors about what works and what doesn’t in education. One common thread runs through all these interactions: the urgent need to address why so many students struggle with math and, more importantly, what can be done about it. Lately, I’ve had more meetings with parents frustrated that their child is struggling with math, convinced the issue lies with my teaching. But as someone who has worked to refine my curriculum, instruction, and scaffolding strategies, I have to ask: What’s really going on here? The truth is sobering. It’s not just the curriculum, standards, or even the instruction. It’s learned helplessn...
Read more

Unpacking the Debate: Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Math Classrooms with a Differentiated Model

Image
  Unpacking the Debate: Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Math Classrooms at My High School Education is a deeply personal profession, and for those of us at Warden High School, it’s more than just teaching equations—it’s about reshaping futures. Over the years, I've had many conversations with colleagues and experts who challenge our approach to ability-tracking students into specific math classes. Some advocate for the progressive move toward heterogeneous grouping , where students of all skill levels learn together in the same classroom. While this idea is rooted in equity and inclusivity, I remain a staunch defender of our current system of targeted placement. Here's why—and why I welcome the ongoing debate. The Core Argument for Ability Tracking In our district, 74% of incoming 9th graders score at the lowest level on their 8th-grade Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), indicating they lack foundational pre-algebra skills. These students come from a middle school that employs a...
Read more

Changing the Game: How Equity in Grading and Teaching Transformed My Classroom

Image
How Growth-Based Grading Transformed My Classroom My Journey to Growth-Based Grading Over more than two decades of teaching, I’ve come to understand that true education is about fostering each student’s growth—not by focusing on where they start, but on how far they progress relative to their starting point. As society evolves, so too must our instructional methods to meet the changing needs of students. My most profound professional transformation began when I transitioned from teaching at an affluent, majority-Anglo high school in western Washington to a high-poverty, majority-minority school in eastern Washington. This experience fundamentally reshaped my perspective on equitable teaching and grading, especially in addressing growth and achievement gaps. When I arrived at my current school, the student learning challenges I observed were immense. Many students, predominantly heritage Spanish speakers, faced multiple barriers both within and beyond the school system. Are Spanish-spea...
Read more