What is Whole Brain Teaching?
Educators in today’s fast and changing world are presented with the challenge of reaching students inside the classroom each and every day. I dare state that reaching students was easier to achieve before advancements in technology and the creation of interactive multimedia, but now teachers must compete with those developments to ensure students are accomplishing academic success at the same rate and beyond. One way that educators can combat these ongoing difficulties is to implement various strategies that are proven to capture student attention and bring enhanced engagement into the classroom. Whole brain teaching is an instructional method that aims to do just that by activating multiple parts of the brain at once.
What does whole brain teaching look like? It’s actually quite simple to picture this type of classroom. Imagine students actively participating in a fast-paced learning environment where their attention is constantly being called upon. For instance, teachers employing this teaching method may ask students to respond verbally at numerous points in a lesson, earn points as a class via game-like activities and simulations, perform various body movements, and move quickly from activity to activity. Students in this type of classroom are stimulated from multiple sources in a high-paced manner to ensure their engagement and attention.
How Do You Implement Whole Brain Teaching?
Whole Brain Teaching Strategies
According to the official whole brain teaching website, there are five key patterns to model lessons after to begin its implementation in the classroom:
Attention Getter
First, teachers must establish how to capture student attention quickly and efficiently. Through this method, an attention getter is recommended. This requires students to copy a particular phrase/word or join in a call-and-response type ritual when the teacher speaks it to the class. For example: If the teacher says “class, class,” the students respond in unison with “yes, yes.”
Manners
One of the special elements of whole brain teaching is the utilization of manners. Much like the attention-getter described previously, this method also employs the use of call-and-response phrases. To make use of this element within the classroom, teachers engage with students by saying “thank you” while students respond with “you’re welcome.” This process is accompanied by hand/body movements to further catch student attention.
Brain Engager
This portion of the pattern requires teachers to identify how they will present the topic or content. Teachers may ask students to mirror their words with accompanying body movements. Teachers may also have students engage in content with gestures (large or small), use different voices, talk in slow motion, and many other ideas deemed appropriate.
Direct Instruction
Teachers have to teach in chunks to introduce or build on content using the whole brain teaching method. This means that during direct instruction, teachers must only focus on one new piece of information. This allows students time to digest the current learning at hand before adding to it. During this portion, teachers should employ the use of gestures through body movement to further solidify the new knowledge and create a more memorable learning experience.
Collaborative Learning
Students must be presented with an opportunity to work with their peers to ensure they have thoroughly understood the new topic introduced during direct instruction. Students should pair and share with others to demonstrate the gestures for the newly acquired topic. This moment in the lesson also allows the teacher to visually assess how students are progressing with the content.
The more students are exposed to the whole brain teaching strategies and patterns, the easier it will be to effectively implement the method and enjoy its benefits; thus, teachers must use repetition and consistency in each lesson to establish the necessary structure for whole brain teaching success.
Does Whole Brain Teaching Have Rules?
Classrooms who prescribe to the whole brain teaching method practice a particular set of classroom rules that the creators of the method established.
Whole Brain Teaching Rules:
- Follow directions quickly.
- Raise your hand for permission to speak.
- Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
- Make smart choices.
- Make our team stronger.
These five rules help to ensure student and teacher success. Teachers must first introduce the rules to students to begin the process of implementation. For each rule, teachers must use gestures for students to follow along with. The goal is for students to have enough exposure to the rules to memorize the rules and gestures and be able to recite them without teacher assistance. When and if a student displays behavior that is contradictory to the classroom rules, the teacher may say the rule number to the class that is being broken, and the students will recite the rule in unison. As with the whole brain teaching pattern identified above, the rule process is also completed through consistent repetition.
What are the Benefits?
There are many advantages and benefits to students when this is utilized. Teachers find that students are much more engaged in their learning. It is also extremely common that students retain more knowledge due to the addition of gestures, repetition, and fast-paced activities.
Another advantage of implementing this method is the built-in support for student behavior and classroom management. Although the methods and patterns are unique and unlike traditional teaching strategies, whole brain teaching serves as an excellent instructional approach for increasing student engagement and overall student achievement in the classroom.
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