Teacher, if you’re not shaking your students’ hands, your lesson ends up in the sewers. Literally.

Teacher, if you’re not shaking your students’ hands, your lesson ends up in the sewers. Literally.

This week I was chatting with my Australian friend Gavin McCormack — educator, author, and one of the most practical minds in child-centred education I know.

He just co-wrote a book — backed by neuroscience research, including insights from Mark Williams among others — and what they’ve scientifically confirmed is something Gavin has been saying for years.

🧠 Here’s the core insight:

The brain will only transfer knowledge into long-term memory from people who have proven they care.
This is called the Theory of Mattering.
It explains why a child can sit in your classroom, eyes on you, nodding along — but their brain never hits ‘save’.

The science?

Every night, the brain makes decisions.
What do I keep? What do I forget?

  → If the brain didn't feel safe, it won’t store the learning.
  → If a child doesn’t feel they matter to you, the brain hits delete during synaptic pruning.
  (That’s the brain’s natural overnight clean-up: “Keep what matters. Ditch the rest.”)
  → That brilliant lesson on trees?
  The brain clears out weak connections overnight — and the parts the body can’t use elsewhere? Down the drain — flushed out with the morning pee.

But here’s what changes everything:

🤝 Skin on skin = oxytocin in the bloodstream

      Their hart rate goes down. Blood pressure down. Within two seconds.
       The child’s brain says: “I’m safe. I’m seen. I can trust you.”

 💬  Say their name. Mention their guinea pig. Remember their story.
 

That 3-second connection before the curriculum starts?
That’s the real beginning of the lesson.

Otherwise, you’re not teaching. You’re broadcasting.
And the brain? It’s not tuned in.

So from today on: be a car salesman!

👋 Shake their hand. Say something personal. Before you say anything else.
It’s not a warm-up. It’s the work.
It’s time well spent.

This conversation with Gavin gave us an idea.
Not just because of the science — but because of how practical it is.
So we thought: why keep our chats to ourselves?

📹 We’re thinking of recording them — an open series where you can listen in, ask questions, and think along with us.

🎙️ Would you tune in?
Drop a 👋 if you’d like to be there for the first episodes.