--- title: Teachers Change Students’ Brains – How Amazing, says Dr Martha Burns description: "\"You change brains,\" Dr Martha Burns told a conference of 400 teachers. Neuroscience helps teachers do our jobs more effectively & more efficiently." image: https://www.learnfasthq.com/hubfs/brain-g1fd753610_1920.jpg --- - [Blog](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog) - [Newsletter](https://www.learningbrainnews.com) - [Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/6bLMNOdd8r3x9Onx9gSubb) - [Free Resources](https://www.learnfasthq.com/free-learning-resources) - [Shop](https://learnfast-products.myshopify.com/) [![LearnFast](https://www.learnfasthq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/LearnFast_logo.png?width=150&height=77&name=LearnFast_logo.png "LearnFast")](https://www.learnfasthq.com) - [Programs](https://www.learnfasthq.com/programs) - Results - [The Science](https://www.learnfasthq.com/science) - [The Research](https://www.learnfasthq.com/research) - [Success Stories](https://www.learnfasthq.com/success-stories) - Who we help - [Teacher](https://www.learnfasthq.com/teacher) - [Parent](https://www.learnfasthq.com/parent) - [Business](https://www.learnfasthq.com/business) - [How we help](https://www.learnfasthq.com/how-we-help) - [Connect](https://www.learnfasthq.com/connect) - [Blog](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog) - [Newsletter](https://www.learningbrainnews.com) - [Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/6bLMNOdd8r3x9Onx9gSubb) - [Free Resources](https://www.learnfasthq.com/free-learning-resources) - [Shop](https://learnfast-products.myshopify.com/) # Teachers Change Students’ Brains – How Amazing, says Dr Martha Burns [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/teachers-change-students-brains-how-amazing-says-dr-martha-burns) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/teachers-change-students-brains-how-amazing-says-dr-martha-burns) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/teachers-change-students-brains-how-amazing-says-dr-martha-burns) ![Picture of Peter Barnes](https://www.learnfasthq.com/hs-fs/hub/363641/file-691639901.jpg) [Peter Barnes](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/author/peter-barnes) [Brain Science](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/brain-science), [Learning Capacity](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/learning-capacity) ![Dr Martha Burns](https://www.learnfasthq.com/hubfs/Burns.png "Dr Martha Burns")"You change brains," [Dr Burns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEuAJwPghlc), adjunct professor at Northwestern University, Chicago told a conference of 400 teachers in Louisiana, USA this week. Dr Burns was the guest speaker at day two of the Summer Institute, a four-day professional development conference for educators. She focused on the [science of learning](http://www.learnfasthome.com.au/neuroscience_programs/) and brain research, a topic she knows well. She has authored more than 100 journal articles on the neuroscience of language and communication. "[Neuroscience](http://www.learnfastforschools.com.au/science-behind-fast-forword/) can help all educators. As teachers, an understanding of this science helps us to do our jobs more effectively and more efficiently," she said. Dr Burns explained that teachers are changing their students' brains "every single day of the week" because parts of their brains develop and grow with use. So each time students work a maths problem or learn vocabulary words, their myelin — material that covers fibre tracts in the brain — increases. "Every time you ask a student to do a practice problem, you are building myelin," Burns said. "You are making these fibre tracts more and more efficient. Teachers also create new connections in the brain”. “That’s an amazing and wonderful thing that teachers do, and all teachers should be proud that they actually change their students’ brains”, said Dr Burns. Every time a student learns something new, a new connection is formed and becomes permanent after use over a few days. Mature connections of nodes in the brain are required for students to learn to read, Dr Burns said. "You don't teach quadratic equations because someone is going to solve quadratic equations for the next 20 years," she said. "You teach quadratic equations to teach the joy in solving problems." She emphasised the importance of educators in student success and described how teachers’ daily classroom activities drive the production of neurochemicals in their students’ brains that are essential for effective learning. ## Related Posts [![](https://www.learnfasthq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/banner%20man-g4abd869a0_1920.jpeg?height=200&name=banner%20man-g4abd869a0_1920.jpeg)](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/the-new-science-of-learning.-teachers-build-brains-with-neuroscience) [Learning Difficulties](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/learning-difficulties), [Brain Science](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/brain-science), [Fast ForWord](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/fast-forword), [Learning Capacity](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/learning-capacity), [Maths](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/maths), [Podcasts](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/podcasts) ### [The New Science of Learning. Teachers Build Brains with Neuroscience](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/the-new-science-of-learning.-teachers-build-brains-with-neuroscience) Teachers do much more than just teach - they build student brains.  This is the message from Dr Martha Burns, professor of communication sciences and disorders at Northwestern University, in a podcast episode on The Learning [Read More](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/the-new-science-of-learning.-teachers-build-brains-with-neuroscience) [![](https://www.learnfasthq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images_13.jpg?height=200&name=images_13.jpg)](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/is-educational-neuroscience-for-real-dr-martha-burns-explains) [Brain Science](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/brain-science), [Learning Capacity](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/learning-capacity), [Podcasts](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/podcasts), [Educational Neuroscience](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/topic/educational-neuroscience) ### [Is Educational Neuroscience for Real? Dr Martha Burns explains](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/is-educational-neuroscience-for-real-dr-martha-burns-explains) What is educational neuroscience? Is it a specialist area of knowledge or just a general title for intellectual sounding conversation? Can it help teachers get better learning outcomes for their students? Maybe it's [Read More](https://www.learnfasthq.com/blog/is-educational-neuroscience-for-real-dr-martha-burns-explains) [![LearnFast](https://www.learnfasthq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/LearnFast_logo.png?width=150&height=77&name=LearnFast_logo.png "LearnFast")](https://www.learnfasthq.com/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/LearnFastGroup/) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://au.linkedin.com/company/learnfastgroup) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.youtube.com/user/learnfasteducation) Connect with Us: **Phone:** 02 8467 4888 Email: info@learnfastgroup.com.au --- Copyright © 2026, LearnFast A & NZ [Privacy Policy](https://www.learnfasthq.com/privacy-policy)