#MTBoS30: I Love My Brain

I try to stay very thankful about the things, opportunities, experiences and people I have. One of the things I honestly am thankful for is my brain.

I mean, I really do love my brain.

It surprises me with its consistency. I can look for something or label something or find something on my computer by thinking down the same path I did the first time. Sometimes I'll think of something I want to create and I will look and see that I've already created that exact thing. So I guess it's a little forgetful but still- consistency is key.

In every area, my brain looks for the most efficient way to get things done. I'm kind of a backseat driver because I will tell people a more efficient way to get there if I feel they are wasting time. When I was a teenager working at Hardee's, I made my own system of how and when to clean and stock things so I could be done early and do as little work as possible. Even when I am doing something crafty or planning my route to do errands or teaching or traveling, I'm always looking to combine steps, multi-task, and do things in a logical flow. I guess I really don't like wasting time.

This is why I am so organized, why I like plans and routines, why I love patterns, and why I love math.

But I also know my brain is not the best or the fastest. It doesn't know as much math as it should. It procrastinates, It impulse shops. But the thing is, I spend a lot of time thinking about how I think.

It just made me wonder about my students...how many of them love their brains? How many of them even recognize how their brain works differently than others? Do they recognize patterns in the way they think? Do they understand how they process things, how they learn, how they remember?

Or do they just compare themselves to other's that they feel are smarter or better and just give up even thinking about their brain because it isn't 'good enough'?

Well the only way to find out is to ask them!

How can we get students to think about and appreciate their brain, their thinking, their selves?