Teaching Renewal Week 2023 - Keynote Presentation

Keynote Presentation — Harnessing the Resilience Within: the Science of Biological and Behavioral Resilience through Plasticity, Sociality, and Meaning

In The Book of Joy, the Dalai Lama invites us to develop our “Mental Immunity,” the skills we need, individually and collectively, to help ourselves and our communities guard against chronic stress so we may continue to learn and thrive. A key to developing such pivotal skills is understanding how our brains perceive and react to stressors and what enables us to self- and co-regulate.

Our understanding of the human brain — its development evolution — has inspired cognitive psychologists and behavioral neuroscientists to describe the brain as a social organ. Indeed, our reliance on social connection with others is a matter of survival not preference. Meaningful social connections inform our sense of safety and serve as the underlying basis for our thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.

In this session, we will examine polyvagal theory, which describes the nervous system as having a hierarchical organization. At the top of that hierarchy is our social engagement system which helps us connect and navigate relationships. In addition, we will consider the science of biological and behavioral resilience and the three factors that give rise to resilience: plasticity, sociality, and meaning. In addition to examining the science, we will examine practical implications for how we can empower ourselves and our students to “befriend” our social engagement nervous system so we can continue to engage, learn, and thrive.

Projected Outcomes:

By the end of this session, participants will:

Define polyvagal theory and its application in the context of teaching, learning, and higher education.
Examine the scientific basis of emotional regulation and resilience.
Consider practical examples of polyvagal-informed teaching and learning practices.