Why are teenagers so hard to understand? This lively and interactive workshop explores current adolescent brain research to help you understand the cognitive and emotional developments in middle and high school students. Through the field of neuroscience, you will explore the development of neural networks and myelination to better understand teenage thinking and feeling. Using psychology, you will consider the importance of working memory, self-control, attention, and motivation - and their key differences in teenagers. In every case, these scientific explorations will inform your teaching practice and offer practical strategies that best align with your students' brain development. Andrew Watson will discuss research into sleep, the unique sleep needs and schedules of adolescents, and their implications for current school schedules. You will also consider the surprising and often contradictory research into technology usage and video games that keep adolescents busy and (dis-)connected. You will leave with a deeper understanding of adolescent brains and minds, and ways to better serve them in school.