Lisa Riegel: Brain Science for Better Classrooms | Episode 178Lisa Riegel: Brain Science for Better Classrooms | Episode 178
Brain Shaman
Lisa Riegel talks with Michael Waite about using brain science to reshape classrooms into safer, more effective learning environments. The discussion covers executive function, emotional safety, technology’s impact on young minds, and why these ideas matter for mental health and resilience.
1:00:55•15 Jul 2026
Making Classrooms Brain-Friendly with Lisa Riegel
Episode Overview
- Modern schools often lack a clear, relevant purpose, especially in a post-AI world, making learning feel pointless for many students.
- Executive functions like working memory, time management and emotional regulation can be strengthened through simple routines and games.
- Psychological safety in classrooms starts with emotional and intellectual safety, including tools for pupils to express when they are overloaded.
- Behaviour is rooted in both biology and context, so understanding the brain’s stress systems changes how adults respond to ‘difficult’ students.
- Teachers’ own self-awareness and regulation are crucial, as regulated adults are needed before students can become regulated and ready to learn.
“All behavior… is the intersection of our biology and our context.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with educator and author Lisa Riegel might surprise you, because it’s all about the brain, schools, and why our stressed-out kids could be a warning sign for adults too. Speaking with host Michael Waite, Lisa explains how technology and constant stimulation are eroding the very part of the brain that makes us most human: the prefrontal cortex.
She points out that “all behavior… is the intersection of our biology and our context”, and argues that modern schooling often ignores this, labelling kids as “bad” or “disordered” instead of asking what their brains and bodies are up against. You’ll hear how she helps schools build “NeuroWell” cultures that are safe, supportive and proactive.
That includes playful tools like “fizzy or flat” check-ins so pupils can signal when they’re emotionally overloaded, memory games to strengthen working memory, and short “learning sprints” with built-in brain breaks and positive social interaction. These routines are designed to calm the limbic system and strengthen executive function – skills that matter for staying regulated in classrooms, workplaces, and yes, recovery. Lisa also talks about growing up with more unstructured, outdoor play, compared with today’s highly structured, screen-heavy childhoods.
She links constant social media dopamine hits to rising anxiety and a shrinking sense of what “normal” human emotion looks like. Her message: stress, sadness and discomfort are part of life, and learning to sit with them builds resilience. For anyone interested in addiction, trauma or mental health, this episode offers a brain-based lens on why regulation, belonging, and meaningful challenge matter so much.
It’s a useful listen if you’re supporting kids, working in education, or simply trying to understand your own fizz-level a bit better. How might your life change if you treated your brain like a partner rather than a problem?
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