Applying brain-friendly instructional practices: one principal's advice: start with a group of motivated teachers to plant the seeds of climate change.

Many teachers working in our classrooms were trained at universities when the coursework focused exclusively on how to teach rather than on how students learn. Certainly many of their teaching strategies are highly successful, though they've been based on tradition, trial and error or intuition alone.

During the last two decades, advances in medical technology have allowed scientists and physicians to better understand how the brain functions when performing tasks. Although there is undoubtedly much more to learn, educators are becoming privy to physiological learning data in students' brains. Consequently, we can discover why particular instructional strategies have always worked well and also what new teaching and learning practices will yield even more successful results.

In a nutshell, we have the potential of teaching in ways that consistently will be best for our students' brains.

Principal Influence

How do we effectively lead schools and individual teachers toward brain-compatible instruction, keeping in mind that meaningful, long-lasting change does not occur overnight but takes years of steadfast work, support and celebration?

Some good news is that no schools or teachers are starting from scratch--they all use at least some effective strategies upon which to build. On the other hand, our most skeptical teachers reverently believe change is unnecessary because their "tried and true" strategies have always worked fine for their students.

Findings from school improvement studies tell us that the principal has the most influence over a school's overall climate while the teacher has the greatest effect on each student's learning. Therefore, to effectively institute change in a school system, we must work through principals and teachers.

To lead an entire district toward the use of brain-compatible instruction, I'd begin with a group of motivated teachers from each level (primary and secondary) and ideally from each school building. You might hand-pick the initial group based on your knowledge of their teaching, enthusiasm and positive leadership potential. Let them know you are aware they all have something in common--they care about their students' learning, they are interested in best-practice research, they are leaders in their schools, they strive for continuous growth or whatever else is applicable. Tell these teachers you want to support their focus in this area by sending them to a terrific workshop. (Several presenters on brain-compatible learning will ignite their enthusiasm to learn more.)

When these teachers return from the workshop full of motivation, offer an allowance to buy some related books and support them in starting a study/discussion group. This also is the time to bring school principals systemwide on board to expand their knowledge base of brain-compatible learning practices.

These actions will plant the seeds for a widespread, grassroots movement toward improved instruction.

Staff Differentiation

In one Midwestern school district, this zealous group calls itself the "Brain Gang." As the initial team of teachers tries new practices in their classrooms and jointly reflects upon the successes and pitfalls, the participants should be encouraged to share their experience informally and formally with colleagues. Through their contagious enthusiasm, these staff may spark many additional teachers to become interested in learning more.

I believe individual students and their learning matter the most in schools. To effect change in students, we must work through each teacher. Since principals will have been learning about brain-compatible instructional strategies alongside some teachers, they have a wonderful opportunity to share advice. The principal should be in the best position to determine the most effective way to accomplish this sharing among faculty.

In one school the teachers already could be overwhelmed with new initiatives for the year. In this case, organized, time-consuming training on yet another topic will doom it to failure. This principal may want to simply add a different, one-line "learning tidbit" to each weekly staff memo for a year or two. When read by teachers, these brief, research-based tips may cause them to reflect upon their daily practices.

A second school's faculty might be more than ready for formal training in new instructional practices. The principal of this school may want to plan large-group book clubs or arrange for guest speakers.

Likely, principals can promote the most substantive change through their supervision discussions with each teacher. To promote risk-taking, new ideas should be shared in a positive, helpful manner, not in a punitive fashion. And just as we expect teachers to differentiate for students' differing needs related to abilities and learning styles, principals should accommodate for the differing needs of each teacher as it relates to learning new instructional practices.

For instance, one teacher may view the principal as an instructional leader with a wealth of knowledge to share and may frequently ask for advice. With this teacher, the principal may readily give suggestions based on ideas learned from her or his own reading.

However, another teacher may feel threatened by that same treatment from the principal. She or he may view this as the boss mandating new practices. As such, it might be wise for the principal to share ideas in terms of what has been learned and tried by colleagues who participate in the district's study/discussion group. In this way, the principal is not judging the teacher but simply passing along an idea heard from another. In either case, the principal should watch for the teacher to attempt a new strategy and then recognize and support the effort.

Valuable Endeavor

Whether you are looking to lead improved instruction in a school district or in just one teacher, be the positive cheerleader on the side. Help the teachers to understand that brain-compatible strategies work because they are based on research, steeped in common sense and involve teaching in the way students truly learn.

Realize that reaching the point where teachers consistently apply brain-compatible instructional practices does not happen overnight nor result from a one-shot training session. It involves progressing through a change process led by enthusiastic, knowledgeable and visionary leaders.

Brain-compatible learning is not just another educational fad that will come and go as so many do. Rather, our knowledge of these practices means if a new teaching strategy does not match how we know the brain learns, we will not waste our students' precious learning time on it.

RELATED ARTICLE: Promoting practices among school staff.

During the last 10 years as I've studied brain-compatible learning, I have found it useful to categorize the related instructional applications into seven topics. These include: emotionally safe environment; the body, movement and the brain; relevant content and student choices; time for learning; enriched environment; assessment and feedback; and collaboration.

I keep all of these topics in mind as I work with teachers to improve their instruction, trying to develop well-rounded, strong educators.

To offer a brief snapshot of how a school administrator can promote brain-compatible practices within a school, I offer the following specific examples that address just two of the topics above--one that works extremely well and one that has been more of a struggle.

* Emotionally safe environment

At my school, which enrolls 495 students in grades K-5, we believe that to fully inspire students' minds to learn the academics, we must first capture their hearts. Every day begins for each student with a warm smile and a handshake from staff members in the hallways. Staff members are not tucked away in their offices or behind their desks.

We enforce just five common rules throughout the school so students feel secure in the behavioral expectations regardless of where they happen to be working or playing. Each classroom meets with a buddy classroom of a different grade level regularly to promote respect and collaboration amongst all ages of students. I require that each homeroom teacher guide his or her class to craft a social contract in which students decide and commit to how they will treat each other during the school year.

As the principal, I deliver a birthday card to all students while they're in class to make them feel special. Staff members dole out coupons with compliments when we catch students working especially well. At the end of each quarter, we hold a schoolwide celebration assembly where we have fun recognizing students' learning and behavioral successes.

The staff is fully on board with consistently pursuing these initiatives because it makes their work environment pleasurable and, most importantly, they see the positive impact on our students.

* The body, movement and the brain

Several years ago, I worked with a teacher who needed to add more movement during instruction because she liked to simply teach from her desk while the students remained in their seats all of the time. I shared bits of research with her, such as the discovery that more blood flows to the brain when we stand or move, thus increasing the oxygen level in the brain and improving the person's focus and energy level.

However, simply being aware of this research finding was not enough to convince her to alter her practices. Only after I detailed and even modeled specific strategies to her did she begin implementing a few new routines. I suggested having the kids stand up periodically as an alternative to raising their hands. We bought an area rug and some beanbag chairs for the classroom so that students could read where they were comfortable instead of sitting at their desks.

Another idea I asked her to try was to write one question on each of six note cards and disperse them around the room rather than having the students answer a six-question quiz at their seats. The students then would walk around the room, from card to card, noting their answers on a clipboard. I told the teacher that she too needed to be up moving around to ensure the eyes were on their own clipboards and not that of other classmates' answers. While I don't think she was ever completely convinced of the learning benefits for the students (or ever liked being up out of her own desk), she did admit the students seemed more engaged with the activities.

From that point on, whenever I saw the teacher moving and/or the students actively engaged, I positively reinforced those behaviors. Success breeds success. Sometimes it takes baby steps to finally get there!

--Laura Erlauer-Myrah

Laura Erlauer-Myrah is the principal of Brookfield Elementary School, 2530 N. Brookfield Road, Brookfield, WI 53045. E-mail: lerlauer@ hotmail.com. She is the author of The BrainC-ompatible Classroom: Using What We Know About Learning to Improve Teaching (ASCD).