How do you make a decision? This is one of the many reasons I love learning with middle school students every day. There is something in that prefrontal cortex! We brainstormed all of the decisions we make from sunrise to sunset. Next, I asked them to think about how a decision is made. Really break it down. What goes on in your head? Here are some of the highlights:

*I make decisions based on how I feel
*Decisions eventually come down to your moral compass
*I go with my gut
*I look at my choices, think of the outcome, what chance is it going to be a good outcome? set mind to the decision I choose
*I think of how it benefits me and others
*If I don’t study Spanish, my mom will kill me so that decision is made
*For tough decisions, I talk with other people and do pros and cons

Students get to decide what they read, where to work in the room, and what resources they need to engage in a task.

How do you make decisions in your life?