Mind, Brain, and Education: Classroom Strategies for Brain-Based Learning That Works

1. Mind, Brain, and Education: Classroom Strategies for Brain-Based Learning That Works Megan Shulman, M.L.I.S. Humboldt City Schools

3. Who Am I? • Megan Shulman • Librarian at Humboldt High School and Humboldt Middle School • Previous English/reading teacher at high school level • Experience in all levels of K-12 education, from PreK-12th grades • Master of Library and Information Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh

4. How I came to explore Brain-Based Learning: • Serious boyfriend sustained traumatic brain injury after accident • Re-teaching of life skills and how the brain functions to process information • New literature at the time exploring the possible connection between neurosciences, education, information processing, and psychology • Was in the beginning of my graduate program at Pitt where we were learning how people think about, access, and utilize information

5. “Learning, just like life, is not a sprint. Learning and applying what you learn to life is a constant, ongoing process.” ~Eric Jensen~Turnaround Tools for the Teenage Brain

6. The Apple Can Fall Far From the Tree • Intelligence is not fixed • Brains change daily • No student is stuck where she or he is • There is always hope “Turnaround Tools for the Teenage Brain” by Eric Jensen

7. What I hope you will take away with you Today: • Understanding of how an at-risk brain functions • Building healthy relationships in your classroom • Creating a safe environment

8. Take away cont. • “Productive failure” and changing our student’s thinking about thinking • Information processing concerning testing strategies • Importance of physical movement and education • How we can provide novelty in the classroom

9. Take Away Cont. • Teaching mindfulness to all students • Importance of goal-setting and resiliency • Higher order thinking strategies and the brain • Teaching explicitly about the brain

10. First Thing’s First: Where does brain-based learning theory come from? • Brain-based learning is a relatively new field formed by connecting the fields of neurosciences, education, and psychology • Doctoral programs in brain-based learning at top universities such as Harvard and Johns Hopkins • Graduate-level course offered at Union University in brain-based learning

11. Chart from Hopkins Journal

13. The “at-Risk” Brain: The Amygdala • Found in the temporal lobe of the brain • Plays a significant role in emotion and types of memory • Amygdala is responsible for synaptic connections and olfactory processing • Some theorists believe that trauma can cause amygdala growth to be smaller and “shrink”

14. The amygdala Cont.

15. The amygdala cont. • The amygdala stores the memories of emotions • Reacts aggressively to stress • When reacting to stress, it will physically prevent information from reaching the centers of the brain necessary for absorbing new information

16. The amygdala cont. • Feelings of embarrassment, boredom, or frustration can cause the “flight or fight” response and go into overdrive, thereby getting in the way the of how the prefrontal cortex stores memories and information.

17. Results of the Effects on the “At Risk” Brain • Tend to see things as absolute: Ex. “All fat people are lazy” or “All teachers are either nice or mean” • Form negative ideas about others based on stereotypes • Encourage peers to adopt their negative viewpoints about others • Have a tendency to attack others who threaten their own insecurities ~Dr. Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

18. We can institute neuroplasticity in our students: • The brain changes from experience, but also alters its own allocation of tissue based on what you actually do on a daily basis • Examples of neuroplasticity include: • Learning a new language • Building listening, thinking, or memory skills • Trying out for a sport • Learning to play an instrument • Gaining problem-solving skills • Making, building, or designing projects

19. Neuroplasticity increases and changes the connections between the neurons that fire together. These connections are made stronger by students engaging in “Executive Functioning” or higher-order thinking skills.

20. How do I begin to combat negative impacts on the amygdala and build executive function in my “at-risk” students? Begin with a two-fold ongoing process: • Build healthy relationships with students • Create a safe classroom environment

21. Building healthy relationships • Our brain is designed to promote relationships • “At-Risk” students tend to have issues with attachment • Attachment is the capacity to form and maintain healthy emotional relationships • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MikBRguJq0g

22. Building healthy relationships • Human brains are hard-wired for social interaction and feelings of inclusion • Morning meetings • Providing emotional language to identify and respond to feelings • Model using “I” statements when responding to problem situations or behavior • Avoid using “why” questions when confronting student about behavior

23. Predictable Environments • Be consistent!

24. Predictable teacher behavior • Be consistent! • Praise effort, not intelligence: “You worked really hard today to solve the problem.” NOT “You are so smart.” • Avoid labels • Treat all students as important to foster healthy attachment skills

25. Affirmations and class mission statement • Each student should find and have a motivational affirmation that is visible and posted somewhere that it is easily accessible to the student • For primary and elementary students, start simple, “I am smart” OR “My brain can change” • Secondary students should have more autonomy over their affirmation or motivational statement • Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you shall go.”

26. Give them emotional language • Wheel of choice

27. Fist to five relationship building strategy • Each student gets a post-it note upon entering the classroom • Students must do four things with the post-it: • Write their name at the top • Identify and assess their current level of engagement BEFORE the lesson begins 1: Least motivated/least interested/not feeling well emotionally 3: Medium amount of motivation/regular engagement/feeling okay emotionally 5: Most motivated/very engaged/feeling well emotionally • Identify a feeling word that describes them using a feeling word chart • Share two things about their day and/or themselves: One item must always be POSITIVE in nature

28. Feelings chart

29. Fist to Five feedback • https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/getting-instant-student-feedback

30. Morning Meeting Video https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/classroom-morning-meeting

31. Make room visually appealing with bright colors and patterns • Visual patterns of color appeal to the brain • Mardel.com recommended website for classroom décor that utilizes patterns

32. Create “Mini spaces” in classroom

33. “Go to Alaska!” • Make a safe corner or “chill out” corner for students to access

34. Music • Jazz music and music without patterns are best for calm down and concentration times

35. Creating a safe environment • Strongest sense is sense of smell, carefully consider using citrus or peppermint essential oils to create familiar positive scent, doTERRA essential oils and diffuser

36. Essential oils and the olfactory bulb

37. Teaching Mindfulness • Quiet and focus should be built into day • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scqFHGI_nZE&list=PL10g2YT_ln2gmPbtzIWIPXKsNR2_-BrWn&index=4 • What’s in it for them? • Spider man exercise (primary and elementary) • Deep breathing and listening skills • Apps for secondary students: Insight Meditation Timer, Stop Breathe and Think, Smiling Mind, Take a Break

38. Creating a “productive failure” or “Fail safe” environment • In order to be successful, everyone must struggle and fail with something in their lives. • No person is born an expert. • How do we create this with our students?

39. Creating a “Failure-Safe” Environment: Changing our thinking and our students’ Mindsets • What should I say instead anchor chart • Admit mistakes • Praise effort, not the student • Avoid labeling students

43. Model, model, model • Model situations of failure and how your mindset is open to failure • Show that perseverance pays off: Pictures of your graduation, hang up your degrees, have college-related items displayed in your classroom • If students are having difficulty with generating big dreams, model via usage of biographies that they can relate to

44. Suggested biographies • Molly, by Golly! The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter (elementarty) • Harlem’s Little Blackbird (elementary) • Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman (elementary) • Fly High: The Story of Bessie Coleman (elementary) • Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker (elementary) • Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina (middle/high school)

45. My favorite no video • https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/class-warm-up-routine

46. Information processing theory • Information processing theory has developed over time as more is known about the brain and how we learn • Three key ideas today: • The Pre-test: How and Why • Chunking Material • Bob and Weave Lecture • Carrying Around a Topic

47. The pre-test: how and why • Pretesting helps our brain focus on what we will need to know • Pre-test and immediately follow up with answers • Best to chunk pre-testing (pre-test per week) • Need the common factor of language to build on

48. Chunking material • Material broken down into five minute segments is important • Do not overwhelm your student • Clear beginning and closure to each chunk of material • It is okay to revisit and review chunked material throughout the day

49. Bob and Weave Lecture • Chunking material and coming back • Like a dance • Allow to students to trade positions with you as they guide their learning

50. Importance of “carrying around” a topic • To really learn a topic, we must grapple with it • If you use Essential Questions, have your students reflect on them each day • There is worth in having students explore details of a topic of their choosing • Allows students to be able to take material and work with it on a higher level