The Brain in the Palm of your Hand: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model
Season 2 - Episode 1
In this episode, Lauren talks about how to teach your kiddos about the emotional brain and its functions by using a hand signal developed by Dr. Dan Siegel.
We talk about how powerful the upstairs and downstairs brain is in influencing learning and our fight, flight, freeze or fawn reactions. The downstairs brain keeps us safe, so we can think of it as the “barking dog” that warns us when we feel unsafe. The upstairs brain is where our logic and reasoning lives, so we can refer to that part of our brain as the “wise owl”.
To better explain how the barking dog and wise owl work, Dr. Dan Siegel developed a simple hand signal to explain to young children. This easy-to-teach hand model helps kids better understand what’s happening in their brain and why they feel the way they do in a given moment.
Try out the hand signal, teach to a child, then come back and let us know how it went!
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Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode:
What are the best ways to help teachers understand behaviors and PBIS? (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports)
Try-at-home tip: Try using this free app: Insight Timer
Mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Dan Siegel – Hand Model of the Brain
Other related resources from The Behavior Hub:
Blog Post:
Our Online Courses:
From Wild Emotions to Tamed Feelings – How to Self-Regulate (5 Needs Areas)
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Do you have a question? I can answer it in a future episode!
Email questions to podcast@thebehaviorhub.com or send via text to 717-693-7744.Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about the Emotional Brain.
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