Questions for each chapter
Please answer these questions for EACH chapter (based on the number of chapters depending on your grade level book):
1. Based on the information in this chapter, what should we doing differently in our classrooms and schools? In what ways might your suggest we start making the changes needed if we are to meet the needs of all students?
2. In what ways might your translate the principles presented in the chapter into practical, everyday useful methods?
3. If you were to plan your next steps for making your curriculum more brain compatible what would I be seeing you do differently in your classes?
Question 1: In order for learning to occur and to perform basic tasks, the brain's first task is to maintain survival by making sure physical needs like food, water, sleep, and shelter are taken care of. Otherwise, the reflex response with take over until these basic needs are met. We need to address these basic needs of our students in order for learning to occur. First, we need to address the physical needs making sure our students are fed, have plenty to drink, or even go to the bathroom or that they have a way to meet these needs. Dehydration is linked to increased stress and poor learning levels. It is important to encourage students to drink water during the day. It is also important to make sure that the student's need for food is being met. Find ways to have snacks available in the classroom. Students also must be able to use the washroom when needed, however it is important to list times that are ideal for breaks. In addition to physical needs, psychological needs also have to be met to drive learning which include belonging, fun, freedom, and power.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: To make sure needs are being met in the classroom, here are some practical things to do. Make sure you have a classroom rule that they can get a drink when they need one as long it isn't during instruction or presentations unless they are coughing or choking. You can also of water jugs placed around the classroom with cups or let the students keep a water bottle on their desk. Have a snack cupboard in the classroom with healthy snacks. Create potty passes where two students are allowed to leave at a time to use the washroom or offer bathroom breaks every hour. Make sure students have chances to get to know each other and see what they have in common. Tell a joke a day or have theme dress-up days. Even play some music or do some dancing in the class. Give students a time in the day that they can choose what activity they would like to work on.
Question 3: One thing I will do differently is have a small snack drawer and a water jug in my room. My kids often tell me they are hungry but I usually tell them they have to wait until they get back to their teacher's room. I can easily put a few things in a drawer to tide them over until they get back to class.
1. Educators have always known that we need to take care of student’s needs first. However, we don’t always understand or pay attention close enough to our students who struggle in some way. Even in wealthy communities, there are still children that only get to eat at school, baby sit siblings, cook for siblings, etc…. So if a student is starving or tired, how can they be expected to learn! We must meet students’ Maslow’s needs before any learning can take place. I think we really need to get to know kids and develop strong relationships so we can detect when students are not getting their needs met at home or school. But teachers/schools can also begin to incorporate opportunities for their needs to be met at school as well. Allowing water bottles, healthy snacks, bathroom breaks, music, and downtime can be very effective. The key components that need to be evident in school to meet kids needs are the ability to give kids power, freedom, fun, and the need to belong. However, we also must remember not to have them develop learned helplessness. The last quote of the chapter was very powerful in that regard, “Don’t do for students what then should be doing for themselves.” Even though it may be easier if we do it, we need to make sure they do the things they are capable of.
ReplyDelete2. I think it is very easy for teachers to incorporate some basic things from the chapter. Getting to know your students is just good practice to get your kids to perform. Allow them to eat and drink healthy items. If a kid needs to go to the bathroom, then let them! (As long as it is not an avoidance issue.) I think schools can empower kids with certain decisions and classroom activities as well. Also continuing to build a very strong school community in where kids want to come and learn. I feel we underestimate the power of student and school culture. If the adults and students feel comfortable, safe, and a sense of belonging, school is going to be fun and the results will be seen in student achievement.
3. I am going to begin to really encourage the healthy snack and bottled water. I know a hydrated brain is a learning brain, so I need to emphasize that. I am going to continue to search for more ways to incorporate movement. Being a Spanish teacher, we do a lot of music and singing. I will continue to find ways for movement in all areas of my instruction. I also am going to try to stay away from students (and my own kids) from developing learned helplessness!
1,2,3
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was eye opening to me and made me realize more how important emotion is in our classrooms.
When a student doesn't "get someting" or expresses frustion, the teacher is better off addressing the emotions behind teh frustrations rather than reexplaining the concept.
CLassroom teachers need to spend more time on letting students get to know one another. @ year ago, 1 day a week I did an icebreaking activity. I think this upcomiong school year I am going to do an icebreaker 1 x every 2 weeks.
Regulating students emotions seems to be the key to learning and when students understand each other more, the safer they will feel and more they can learn.
OK ... frustrating...I just completed my answer and accidently closed window. I tried getting what I wrote back to no avail. Live and learn.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3: “Secrets of the Teenage Brain”
ReplyDeleteChapter three started out by explaining the levels of love. It is important for teachers to understand that relationships can be stressful for teens and it can be painful when teachers oversimplify the relationship as “puppy love”. Instead teachers can offer appropriate support or where students can find appropriate support when a break up occurs. A romantic love can be all consuming for some teens. Which can inevitably affect their academic progress. Teachers can help students understand how to “put things aside for while” to help them learn.
One of the most important topics explained in this chapter was the affect emotion has on the brain. When a student has a negative emotion, it can close the learning gate. Teachers need to be aware of student emotions. It can be frustrating as a teacher to have to constantly monitor this, but I feel it pays off. A students disposition to a certain subject or project needs to be taken into consideration. Students can understand that not every activity we engage in is fun, but some actives/tasks need to be done. Math is a popular subject that students can have a negative disposition towards. This can be hard for many math teachers to understand as they have a positive disposition towards math. Understanding and acknowledging this can help the teacher and student. Teachers can maybe find different ways to engage students in math curriculum.
Another aspect of this chapter was about moral development. Teenage students begin to realize there is a global existence around them. I think the teenage years are great years for having students understand different cultures. At WHS, it appears that most students feel the “American” culture is superior. Part of this can be brain development along with lack of exposure to other cultures/perspectives. An area of curriculum development would be to have teachers work with students on understanding topics from different view points. It is important for students to learn to respect diversity. We are in the 21st century; the world is becoming more diverse and more connected. We would be doing a disservice to students if we didn't expose them to different perspectives and cultures. It would be idea if high school students could have one travel experience where they went to a different country. Actually experiencing a different culture and be very memorable for students and give them a frame of reference.
The points of the boy versus girl brain should be looked at but not over analyzed by educators. I know there was been research on same sex classes. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I would need to do further research. This may be a good topic for a collaborative group to investigate. This could be done during inservice time allotted by the school.