Adult Learners, Adolescent Brains: Teaching When the Prefrontal Cortex Is Still Under Construction
Sunday Morning Coffee | Past the Edges Consulting
Let’s start with a truth that makes many correctional educators nod, laugh, or sigh deeply into their coffee:
“They’re adults… but sometimes they don’t act like it.”
If you’ve taught in correctional settings (or workforce programs, reentry classrooms, or adult education more broadly), you’ve seen it:
Big emotions
Impulsivity
Difficulty planning ahead
Trouble sticking with tasks
A tendency to react first and reflect later
And yet, these are adult learners. Some are in their 20s, 30s, even 40s.
So what’s going on?
Short answer: the brain doesn’t care about birthdays.
A Quick Brain Refresher (No Neuroscience Degree Required)
The human brain develops from back to front. The last major region to fully mature is the prefrontal cortex , the part responsible for:
planning
impulse control
decision-making
emotional regulation
weighing consequences
starting tasks and sticking with them
Research consistently shows that this region continues developing into the mid-20s, sometimes later. Add trauma, chronic stress, substance use, interrupted schooling, or long-term survival mode and that development can be delayed or disrupted.
Which means many of the learners we serve are navigating adult expectations with brains that are still wiring themselves for adult-level self-management.
That’s not an excuse.
It’s an explanation.
And explanations help educators teach better.
Why This Matters in Correctional Education
Correctional environments unintentionally do the opposite of what developing brains need.
They are:
loud
unpredictable
hyper-controlled
punishment-oriented
reactive rather than reflective
These conditions activate the amygdala (the brain’s threat detector) and suppress the prefrontal cortex, exactly the part we’re asking students to use when we say things like:
“Just think before you act.”
“You should know better.”
“You’re an adult now.”
From a brain perspective, that’s like asking someone to run on a broken ankle and then writing them up when they limp.
What This Looks Like in the Classroom
When the prefrontal cortex is still under construction, we may see learners:
shut down when tasks feel overwhelming
struggle with time management
forget instructions given five minutes ago
escalate emotionally over small frustrations
resist tasks that require sustained attention
Too often, these behaviors are labeled as:
laziness
disrespect
lack of motivation
“criminal thinking”
But very often, they’re executive function gaps, not character flaws.
Teaching Practices That Support Developing Brains
Here’s the good news: educators are uniquely positioned to strengthen executive functioning, especially in structured, predictable learning environments.
Some powerful shifts:
1. Externalize the Thinking: If the brain can’t yet hold it all internally, put it on the outside.
visual schedules
step-by-step checklists
modeled examples
clear agendas
You’re not “dumbing things down.” You’re scaffolding cognition.
2. Slow It Down: Fast-paced instruction assumes a fully developed prefrontal cortex. Many learners benefit from:
fewer instructions at once
pauses to reflect
repetition without judgment
Slow is not weak. Slow is neurologically respectful.
3. Normalize Skill-Building: Instead of “You should know this by now,” try:
“This is a skill we’re practicing.”
“Your brain is learning how to do this.”
Language matters. It reduces shame, and shame shuts learning down.
4. Teach the ‘Why’ Behind the Skill: When learners understand why planning, pausing, or problem-solving matters, motivation increases. Explain:
how skills connect to jobs
how they reduce stress
how they help with reentry success
Brains like meaning. So do people.
5. Model Regulation: Educators with regulated nervous systems help learners regulate theirs.
Your calm tone, steady routines, and predictable responses are doing brain work whether you realize it or not.
That’s not “soft.” That’s neuroscience.
Why This Is Actually Hopeful
Here’s the part I love most: brains are plastic. That means:
growth is possible
habits can change
skills can strengthen
new pathways can form
Education doesn’t just transfer information; it literally shapes the brain.
Every time a learner practices pausing instead of reacting…
Every time they plan instead of avoid…
Every time they stick with a task a little longer than last time…
That’s neural growth.
That’s rehabilitation.
That’s the quiet, powerful work correctional educators do every day.
A Note for Leaders
If we expect adult behavior, we have to design systems that support adult brain development.
That means:
fewer arbitrary rule changes
clearer communication
consistent expectations
staff training in trauma and brain development
environments that reduce chaos, not amplify it
Policy teaches the brain, too.
Final Sip ☕
Our learners aren’t broken. They’re developing, and often doing so under incredibly difficult conditions. When we teach with the brain in mind, we stop asking, “What’s wrong with them? and start asking, “What do they need to succeed?” That shift changes classrooms. It changes outcomes. And sometimes, it changes lives.
Cheers to you as we move into a festive week. Be good to others, kind to yourself, and mindful of folks who can’t celebrate with family, eat delicious food, or enjoy the day in safety. Love to you all!
