How can we use the brain’s function of prediction to inform how we teach?

It’s pretty crazy to understand our brains function as more of a predictor for how we are supposed to respond to the world or moment around us. It’s hard to grasp because sometimes we feel emotions so heavily that we couldn’t possibly imagine we were building those feelings on our own due to sensors of prediction and what our brain is guessing for us to feel. This is a really cool concept to bring into a classroom because it can help students try to overcome and conquer those feelings of stress and anxiety when it comes to certain assignments. Like discussed in the TED talk, we could teach our students to understand that maybe that racing heartbeat and sweaty hands doesn’t have to mean anxiety about passing a test but could mean instead, readiness to take it on and beat the test. Students need motivation, they need self-confidence, and allowing them the opportunity to better predict triggering feelings and change them to motivation has potential to show incredible improvement. Students who thought they hated things like English or thought math was too hard could be shown that maybe their brain isn’t predicting a feeling of anger or confusion, but rather a feeling of competition and wanting to win against the equations, wanting to tackle the problems. Letting students potentially alter their own point of views about learning sounds like one of the greatest beneficial tools we could offer them because it will change the way they try to process and think about new tasks and education beyond just their time in our classroom.