Rules you brain works by

Hat tip to Eric Barker from the intriguing Barking up the wrong tree for refreshing my memory about John Medina's excellent book Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School.















We workshopped the book at Muriel Brand School about a year ago and staff found it very useful. All educators can learn much from John Medina. Here is a link to a Pdf summarising the Brain Rules. The Pdf gives enough information to be usable.

Here are his points as summarised for a presentation:

Exercise: Exercise boosts brain power

Survival: The human brain evolved

Wiring: Every brain is wired differently

Attention: We don’t pay attention to boring things

Short-term memory: Repeat to remember

Long term memory: Remember to repeat

Sleep: Sleep well, think well

Stress: Stressed brains don’t learn the same way

Sensory integration: Stimulate more of the senses

Vision: Vision trumps all other senses

Gender: Male and female brains are different

Exploration: We are powerful and natural explorers

Medina lays much emphasis on the importance of movement and exercise for learning. Note that these are not the specific movements alleged to activate specific areas of the brain that are often suggested by expensive educational consultants. Do not waste your money on stuff that has no scientific validity and no scientific evidence for effectiveness.

Discipline in class, according to Dereck Jackson

Dereck Jackson is a phenomenon in South African education. He is an excellent speaker, whose talks actually has practical relevance.


Here is the summary of a talk Jackson did back in 1999 (but still a classic) on disciplining learners with special education needs in the classroom:

Selected quotes from his talk:

"No child has the right to disrupt the classroom."

"It is the duty of the teacher to protect the right of the other children to learn."

"In the absence of power in a classroom, a leader will arise - and it will not be the model pupil."

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS OF DISCIPLINE:

Why are you teaching disabled children? If you expect gratitude from your pupils, you are bound to be disappointed. "In spite of children not wanting to learn, you must teach in such a way that they want to be taught".

Project a positive attitude, a good self image, also in your appearance and clothing.

Plan your lessons very well. Teach intensively for about 10 minutes, have the pupils work for 20 minutes under your direct supervision - not from your desk.

Be passionate about your subject - you have unbelievable power to influence your pupils. Re-kindle your passion for teaching.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF DISCIPLINE:

Phase I - Establish Rules in Your Classroom: You must have order, structure and routine.

One non-negotiable rule: "I am the boss!" (teacher)

Get pupils well organized, organize school bag, regular case inspections.

Negotiate other rules with pupils, essential rules are:

Only one person speaks at a time, except when doing group work.

Class must be on time (also the teacher).

Assignments must be done on time (also the marking done by the teacher).

Only leave the desk with permission.

Do not borrow anyone's property without permission.

Do not destroy any property, including your own.

Respect everyone.

Pupils who can, should stand when directly addressed by an adult visitor to the class.

When the teacher speaks to an adult visitor to the class, there should be silence and order in the class.

Phase II - Take Command: How to give instruction/reprimand.

Speak in a commanding voice, be assertive.

Even when dealing with whole class, target, name and make eye contact with the trouble maker.

Maintain your dignity, do not lose your temper or scream.

Communication must be clear and direct.

Come forward (assertively) when you reprimand.

[Name a trouble maker] [Place command in a time frame] [Be polite]

Example: "Karabo, come up to my desk now, please!"
[Commanding tone of voice, forward body position]

Phase III - Disciplinary Actions

General: Work according to a "zero tolerance" regime, do not threaten - act!
Command - Action! Command - Action! Command - Action!

Offer to help.

Have learner learn something useful off by heart (but keep memory problems in mind).

Community service.

Use a time-out desk outside the classroom for short periods (5 min), pupil must still be able to see lesson, but not to take part socially in classroom activities.

Use peer pressure.

Involve the parents.

Dereck Jackson's closing words for teachers:

"The woods are lovely and dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep."

From a poem by Robert Frost

It goes without saying that any teacher who wants good discipline in the classroom first has to heed President Zuma's words (slightly adapted):

"Teachers should be in school, in class, on time, teaching enthusiastically, with no neglect of duty."

Tips for teachers on the neurobiology of learning

The term "brain based education" seems to be redundant, a no-brainer, what else could education be based on, the liver? Yet it is one of the the biggest sources of quackery in education, also in South Africa. I list the advice by Prof. Michael Friedlander with some trepidation therefore, lest some quack latch onto something he or she does not fully understand and build a new mythology on it.


Prof. Friedlander offered advice based on the neurobiology of learning for medical educators. I briefly list his ideas of factors important for learning below, summarised from Brain Scientists Offer Medical Educators Tips on the Neurobiology of Learning. Read the article itself for more information.

Repeating works if it is appropriately spaced

Reward and reinforcement helps learning

Visualization of material aids recall

Active engagement with work helps, teacher must motivate learners

Stress (moderate) is good for learning

Sleeping is important to consolidate learning

Multitasking is bad for learning, except where tasks are related

Individual learning styles

Here I would differ, there is ample evidence that teaching to individual learning styles is ineffective.

Active involvement: Doing is learning

Revisiting information and concepts using multiple senses

Note that brain profiling, whole brain learning, left brain right brain, brain blockages, etc., do not appear in the list. That's because such ideas are not based on good science and have no scientific evidence to support their use! Click on Mind Myths under Labels on the blog, Occam's Donkey.