Amy Cotton
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Why emotions shape learning more than we think
For a long time, education has treated learning as something mainly intellectual — as though thinking and feeling exist separately. But learning has always been emotional. Before we absorb information, solve problems or take risks, our brains are constantly asking… Continue reading
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Retraining the Brain: Growth, Kindness and Change (part 2)
Retraining the brain is possible because, at any age, the brain can form new neural pathways. The question is not can we change — but how. How We Retrain the Brain Gently Change works best when it is slow and… Continue reading
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Your brain is not fixed – How to retrain the mind (part 1)
But how do we actually rewrite the stories we’ve carried for so long — and is real change possible once we reach adulthood?The answer comes from neuroscience and the brain’s remarkable ability to rewire itself. Many people hear the idea… Continue reading
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From Fixed to Growth Mindset – Changing the story
Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I’m just not good at that”?Or felt a surge of panic at the idea of trying something new — not because it’s impossible, but because you’re afraid of what it might say about you… Continue reading
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When pressure arrives too soon
If the early years are where confidence, curiosity and identity begin, then the question becomes: What happens when pressure enters too early? In many educational settings, expectations are introduced at an increasingly young age. Children are asked to sit still,… Continue reading
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Play is not “just play”
Albert Einstein once said that “play is the highest form of research”, and the more I reflect on early childhood, the more this feels true. Through play, children are not simply passing time. They are rehearsing the world. Long before… Continue reading
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Where it begins – why early years shape us for life
Long before children sit at desks, hold pencils or begin formal lessons, something much deeper is already taking place. They are learning who they are. In the earliest years of life, children are not focused on outcomes or achievement. They… Continue reading
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The Lessons We Still Carry from School
Have you ever noticed how much of school still lives inside your head? Not the dates, formulas, or French verbs we memorised — most of those are long gone. I’m talking about the messages we absorbed without even realising it.… Continue reading
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What Is a Learner? (And When Did We Stop Being One?)
At some point, many of us stopped calling ourselves learners. Not because we stopped learning — life makes sure of that. We learn how to navigate relationships, jobs, loss, technology, parenthood, responsibility. We adapt constantly. And yet, somewhere between childhood… Continue reading
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How Society Shapes the Role of a Teacher
If you ask people in different countries what a teacher is, you’ll get very different answers. In some places, a teacher is an authority figure. In others, a guide. A mentor. A facilitator. A moral role model. A civil servant.… Continue reading
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