Ms. Carter noticed that Jordan, a normally bright, cheerful and curious student, had been disengaged in class lately. During a group activity, she walked over to him to check-in.

“Hey Jordan, I’ve noticed you’ve been a little quiet in class. What’s on your mind?”

Jordan sighed. “I don’t know… this unit just feels boring. It’s hard to focus, and I keep zoning out.”

Ms. Carter began to scan her mind going through the common analysis of a caring educator. What could be going on with Jordan? Is he getting enough sleep? Is he hungry? Has something concerning happened at home? Is he in conflict with his friends? Is this unit too hard or too easy for him?

Any or multiple of these things could be true. Another (and important) question Ms. Carter should consider, “Are Jordan’s dopamine levels low right now? If so, why? And, how can I help boost them?”

Have YOU ever felt mentally apathetic or drained, had difficulty concentrating or completing tasks, found yourself craving sugar or caffeine? These are all signs of low dopamine in the brain.

As an educator, have you ever noticed your students struggling with procrastination, forgetfulness, avoidance, frustration, or disinterest in school? These are also signs of low dopamine in the brain.

Of course we love when our students are curious, connected and feel accomplished at school. Of course we want to help our students to fully engage in their learning process, persevering through difficulty. But, if we want to be effective facilitators of student success it is essential that we understand dopamine’s influence on student mood and motivation. Most educators report that maintaining student engagement, motivation and persistence are a constant struggle. The good news is that by incorporating teaching and learning practices that naturally regulate and balance dopamine levels, we can create classrooms where our students are eager to participate and succeed.

Dopamine Explained

Dopamine is a powerful element within our brain chemistry, helping our brain cells to process and store information, communicate with each other, make decisions etc. As a neurotransmitter, dopamine influences motivation, focus, mood and learning— all key factors in students’ experiences of success and belonging at school. Dopamine is often thought of as the “feel-good” brain chemical because it is a major player in the brain’s reward system. Yes, dopamine reinforces human behaviors that elicit feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. But it is so much more than that!  Dopamine’s role extends far beyond pleasure— it also fuels feelings such as curiosity, perseverance, and the ability to engage with new challenges. Dopamine supports the brain’s essential functions such as working memory, impulse control, cognitive flexibility, curiosity, organization, prioritization, persistence, even hunger and sleep.

Why Dopamine Matters in Teaching and Learning

Dopamine plays a crucial role in several brain functions, including:

• Attention and Focus: Optimal dopamine levels help students concentrate, process information, and stay engaged in learning.

• Executive Functioning: Learner skills like problem-solving, self-regulation, self-monitoring, decision-making, and time management all rely on dopamine.

• Emotional Regulation: Dopamine influences mood and resilience, helping students stay positive and persistent in the face of challenges.

• Motivation and Reward: It drives students to set and achieve goals by creating feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Think of dopamine like a currency, and the brain like a bank account—you need enough deposits before you can make a withdrawal. Examples of healthy dopamine deposits include: laughter, sunshine, friendly competition, and loving relationships. Examples of dopamine withdrawals include: stress, poor sleep, isolation, tasks that feel impossible or overwhelming. Any given school day is not all sunshine and laughter, there will be times our students are struggling to learn something or are being chased by a deadline. Our role as educators is to balance the dopamine deposits with the dopamine withdrawals throughout our student’s school day. When dopamine levels are balanced, students are more likely to engage in learning, push through difficulties, and take pride in their achievements.

Dopamine’s Daily Cycle

Dopamine levels naturally peak in the morning, helping with alertness, focus, and motivation at the start of the day. Throughout the day, dopamine levels rise and fall in response to different stimuli. For example, successfully solving problems, engaging in meaningful social interactions, or experiencing new and exciting challenges can all boost dopamine. Mundane or inapplicable information, rote/repetitive activities, passive learning (lectures etc.), challenges without achievable solutions, and social isolation can all deplete dopamine. Understanding this cycle and the dopamine boosters and depleters allows educators to structure the classroom environment, learning day and lessons in ways that maximize motivation and sustain engagement. Students may need a dopamine boost at midday as they get fatigued. They may need a dopamine boost mid-lecture or mid-test to help them push through.

Back to Ms. Carter and Jordan

Ms. Carter returned her focus to the conversation with Jordan, thought for a moment and then smiled. “Alright, let’s shake things up! What if we turn this into a challenge? Instead of just reading about the concept, you and your group can create a mini-trivia game to teach the class. You get to be the expert!”

Jordan perked up. “Wait… so we can design the game however we want?”

“Absolutely! As long as it’s safe and no one will get hurt.” Ms. Carter said. “And, I’ll even have a prize for the most creative game idea.”

The next day, Jordan was fully engaged, collaborating with his group, brainstorming game ideas, deep diving into the content and even laughing as they worked. By incorporating play, choice, and social interaction, Ms. Carter had activated Jordan’s dopamine system—bringing motivation and excitement back into his learning.

Teaching Strategies that Boost Dopamine Levels

As educators we can design a dopamine balancing environment by incorporating strategies that naturally stimulate dopamine production. These include playful learning, relational learning, real life connections, inquiry based and creative learning, and many other considerations and strategies.

Playful Learning:

Playfulness and joy stimulate dopamine, making learning more engaging and memorable. Activities/additions like:

• Humor

• Movement and dance

• Friendly competition

• Rewards and celebrations

• Gamification 

• Storytelling

• Role-playing and imagination

Relational Learning:

Social connection plays a huge role in dopamine production. Classrooms that emphasize collaboration and positive interactions can boost motivation. Consider:

• Group projects and classroom discussions

• Peer recognition and appreciation 

• Peer-teaching 

• Frequent positive feedback

• A classroom culture of support and collaboration 

• Connections to community outside the classroom, real-world relevance and social justice

Inquiry and Creative Learning:

Curiosity and creativity naturally engage the brain’s reward system. Encouraging students to explore and problem-solve can lead to deep, meaningful learning. Try:

• Hands-on experimentation

• Hypothesis and observation activities

• Artistic expression and model building

• Learning through questions and curiosity

• New challenges that require critical thinking

A few additional ideas for a dopamine-boosting classroom:

• Ensure that you make immediate and direct connections between learning content and student’s lives or interests 

• Adjust Classroom lighting throughout the day  (brighten or dim classroom lighting strategically to balance dopamine)

• Provide access to healthy foods (push for healthy lunches, keep healthy snacks available to students, include snack breaks)

• Consistently include connections to nature and outdoor learning (Get outside! Bring nature into the classroom -- plants, fish tanks, etc. Sunshine, nature, water and greenery have all been proven to boost dopamine)

• Build learning objects/Create visuals (e.g., models, Legos, blocks, posters, virtual information sites)

• Incorporate grounding techniques like earthing, yoga, deep breathing (encourage students to touch the earth barehanded/barefooted—at least 15 minutes per day, or bring earthing mats into the classroom, take meditation breaks) 

• Prioritize positive feedback (display student work, celebrate together often, build in appreciation routines) 

• Make time for movement throughout the day (stretch or wiggle breaks, dance breaks, learning activities that include movement)

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, learning isn’t just about absorbing facts or demonstrating skills—it’s about curiosity, connection, meaning, appreciation and accomplishment. Dopamine is the brain’s built-in motivation engine, and when we tap into it, we’re not just helping students stay focused; we’re making learning exciting, rewarding, and meaningful.

So, let’s rethink the way we structure our classrooms. Let’s infuse more movement, more collaboration, more creativity in our learning plans and learning spaces—because when students feel engaged and empowered, they don’t just show up, they light up. And that’s where the real magic happens.

More to Explore

Would you like to write or read more? Here are some ideas for follow-up blogs!

• Cell phones, video games and maintaining student’s dopamine balance in the classroom. 

• Effective dopamine balancing classroom strategies--grade level specific ideas. 

• Dopamine balance for us all! Teachers have to attend to our dopamine balance too. 

• Helping students to understand and balance their own dopamine

Check out the accompanying resource for this blog post.

"From Disengaged to Driven" Toolkit: This collection of tools supports educators and students in building motivation and engagement through dopamine-friendly strategies. It includes:

• Reflection guides for teachers to better understand student engagement and adjust their methods.

• Self-assessment activities that help students discover how they learn best, manage focus, and maintain motivation.

• A fun Dopamine Bingo activity designed to celebrate curiosity, small wins, and joyful learning moments.

Perfect for use alongside the blog post, this resource helps bring excitement and connection back into the classroom.