Whole Brain Teaching

I have fallen in love with Whole Brain Teaching methods.  If you are not familiar with style of teaching, please click watch the video clips at the end of this post for a peek into classroom teachers using the whole brain teaching methods.  It is amazing to see the level of student engagement!  Here are the basics for starting out.


Whole Brain Teaching has 5 classroom rules: 

These super cute posters are from 3rd Grade Thoughts
She has amazing printables and great information on WBT as well.

Display the rules where students can clearly see them. The class rehearses these rules daily: first thing in the morning, after lunch, and after recess/specials.  This is upbeat and entertaining as the kids make fun gestures with each rule, and reciting them in a variety of voices and tempos, sometimes with a student leading the review.  You can see an example of a classroom doing this in the video at the end of the post.  The brain learns in five ways, by seeing, saying, hearing, doing and feeling.  The students' brains see the signs, hear the rules, say the rules and make the gestures.  And being upbeat and entertaining in presentation, students will also have the lovely feeling of having fun.  Thus...whole brain teaching begins :)

Whole Brain Teaching Core Techniques:

1. Bring the class together ("Class-Yes" and "Hands & Eyes")
2. Keep them motivated (Scoreboard)
3. Get them active (Mirror)
4. Build community and be accountable for their learning (Teach-Okay)

1. "Class- Yes" and "Hands & Eyes"

When you need full student engagement, use a classic call and response management technique.  Call out "Class" to which the students call back, "Yes".  The fun part is that they mimic the way the teacher says "class".  For instance, if I said "class" in a high sing song voice, then they repeat "yes" in that same manner.  If I whisper it, they whisper back.  Use variety and humor with this.  The students love this technique, plus it is simple and very effective! 

Now, if it is a super important fact of information that you really need them to pay attention to,  follow the "Class-Yes" with saying "Hands and Eyes".  The students then fold their hands together, and all eyes are looking intently at the teacher.  Only when you have their full attention do you proceed with the information.

2. Scoreboard

The scoreboard reinforces whole class positive behavior in a fun, upbeat, positive environment.  The class gets a tally mark on the smiley face side of the scoreboard if they are following directions quickly, doing well on a task, or any other positive behavior you want to encourage.  However, if the class needs to do better at something, the frowny face side of the scoreboard gets a point.  The good news is that the students get a chance to do the poorly executed procedure over again to earn the point for the smiley side.  The key to this motivator is to keep the tallies within three points. This will ensure that kids stay motivated to get win the prize at the end of the day.  Prizes include a variety of things such as extra minutes of recess, fun brain breaks, packing up early to have a 3 minute dance party, and other fun things.  

 

Clipchart (this one is not from whole brain teaching)

The scoreboard method works to motivate the whole group, but to manage individual behavior you can use a clip chart.  The clip chart is divided into 7 colored sections and each day the student's clip starts out on green. Good choices enable them to move up on the clip chart and poor choices will cause them to move down.  If they make it to the top pink section, they get to add a jewel to their clip.  If they move to the yellow level on our clip chart, they lose 5 minutes of recess to practice saying and making the gestures of the rule they broke.  Moving to orange is 10 minutes of practice.  Moving to red, the Parent Contact section, means they will miss the whole recess to fill out a behavior reflection to take home for mom and dad to see and sign. All students on green, blue, purple, or pink at the end of the day earn a reward.

3.  Mirror

 As you introduce a new concept to the students, hold up both hands palms facing out and say "Mirror".  Students become mirrors and mimic all the gestures you make as you teach them.  Mirrors don't talk, so the focus is on their motor and visual cortex's, linking the movement to their learning.  If you do want them to repeat your words, then say "Mirror with Words" holding both palms out then bring your hands to your mouth and students will repeat "Mirror with Words" and not only echo the words you say but also mimic the gestures you make.  This adds the engagement of their Broca and Wernicke Areas of the brain.  Not only are they listening, but they are active and moving.

4.  Teach-Okay!

Divide the students into pairs at the beginning of the year and assign them as #1s and #2s.  Once you have introduced a new concept, to see if students have grasped what they need to know, clap and say "Teach"  The students will clap and reply, "Okay!"  The #1's will turn to their #2 partner and teach the concept using gestures while #2 mirrors the gestures, then at some point you may call out "Switch" and then the 2's will teach and gesture while #1's mirror the gestures, and this will continue until you call them back with Class-Yes.  As they teach each other the teacher walks around and listen to see if students have grasped the concept, and what you may need to clarify as we come back together. 




For more information, PLEASE visit the WBT website, or google whole brain teaching or power teaching.  The results really are amazing.


Here is a look into a classroom following these classroom management techniques.

Here is another video of a whole brain teaching classroom reviewing the rules: