Last month I had the opportunity to join Jenny Ventura at a leadership conference hosted by Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, where we presented a workshop about All-In and Unconditional Education. Several of the workshops focused on leadership and neuroscience, and one pointed me in the direction of Dr. Daniel J Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine. After going down the Google rabbit hole, I found several links, and one TED Talk that gave me a good introduction to his work. After an interesting early career path (including almost becoming a Salmon fisherman), Dr. Siegel began studying neuroscience, and through his research coined the phrase “interpersonal neurobiology”, rooted in the belief that the brain is a social organ and humans’ capacity to be mindful as a critical component of overall health and well-being.
Dr. Siegel uses the phrase “mindsight”, which are skills related to reflection, relationships and resilience. He goes on to argue that mindsight is a skill that can be developed, just like other academic skills, with the overall goal of developing an integrated brain. Dr. Siegel’s research focuses on the middle prefrontal cortex functions, which include:
Dr. Siegel uses the phrase “mindsight”, which are skills related to reflection, relationships and resilience. He goes on to argue that mindsight is a skill that can be developed, just like other academic skills, with the overall goal of developing an integrated brain. Dr. Siegel’s research focuses on the middle prefrontal cortex functions, which include:
Siegel comments that “research shows empathetic relationships and reflective skill training promote these functions”. In this specific TED Talk, Dr. Siegel makes the connection between his research on interpersonal neurobiology and the positive impact it can have on children when exposed to early interventions, advocating for social-emotional supports in schools, much like the work we do at All-In.
The neuroscience side of this is a new area for me, considering it has been many years since I last studied child and human development in grad school, but I am interested in learning more. If you are too, I encourage you to explore this school of thought and consider how it connects to our work supporting youth and helping to create positive school cultures.
The neuroscience side of this is a new area for me, considering it has been many years since I last studied child and human development in grad school, but I am interested in learning more. If you are too, I encourage you to explore this school of thought and consider how it connects to our work supporting youth and helping to create positive school cultures.
Blog post written by:
Lilly Green, Director of School Partnerships
Lilly Green, Director of School Partnerships
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