Brain-based learning – teaching to the student brain

With more about the brain being discovered all of the time, it is critical that teachers create the best conditions for new synapses – connections between nerves in the brain – to grow. No new synapses, no new learning. Indeed, teaching anyone without even a rudimentary understanding of how learning occurs biologically in the brain is akin to trying to navigate without understanding how a map works.

Here are some key tips and pointers to integrate into teaching practice that address learning with the brain in mind:

1. Attention is the key to all learning. But attention is a very limited resource:

• The brain does not like paying singular attention to anything for any real length of time, unless you are in ‘flow‘ (a reasonably rare state in a classroom). Allow for shifts in attention to occur – from teacher to peer discussion to reading to video to experience – several times in a lesson. When I am presenting to a group of adults, 15 minutes is all I can get of decent focused attention before I will shift participant attention to each other and discussion, for example.
• The brain will not hold a lot of variables in its working memory. Popular science will tell you that the brain can hold on average seven items of information. What ever the number, it is small. Once you fill the available working memory, any new information or variables subtracts from clarity and connection-forming. Try looking at the image below, looking only at the cross in the middle. Note how you can still easily count the bars on the right hand side in your peripheral vision, but not so the left hand side?
  

  brain peripheral attention test

2. Two ‘systems’ or mind-states are competition in the brain – one of engagement and enabling (the Blue Zone) and one of disengagement and disabling (the Red Zone). Key behaviours and attitudes of the teacher drive the interplay between these two mind states. A teacher that is present with students, listens to them and unconditionally respects and believes in them will trigger strong Blue Zone states in their classroom. Equally, a teacher under pressure, anxious, focused more on delivering content and quick to anger will drive a Red Zone environment in their classroom.
3. Hydration, oxygenation and a decent supply of glucose are necessary pre-conditions to good learning. Thirsty, tired, hungry kids do not make good learners. Attention to the biological states (fatigue, hunger, thirst, oxygenation) of students, and adjusting to student needs pays off big time. Water bottles and healthy snacks in a classroom, perhaps traditionally frowned upon, facilitate synapse connection in the brain. Further, crunchy foods (eg apples) have been shown to increase alertness.

4. Safety (physical, social and emotional), Clarity (predictability & consistency), Autonomy (students are free to make, and learn from their own choices), Relatedness (connectedness with peers, teacher & school) and Fairness (transparency, consistency) are all requirements to release attention fully to learning.

5. The brain takes more notice of novel (new) and emotionally laden learning experiences. Varying forms of engagement facilitates these ‘channels’ in the brain.

Teaching students about their brains, the competing Blue and Red Zones and the conditions needed for optimal learning builds their capacity to learn and manage their learning.

A new set of lesson plans and classroom resources will very shortly be available on this site to teach students about their brain and its needs.

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