I recently read an article on edutopia.org , the George Lucas Educational Foundation site, about Brain-Based Learning. What follows over the rest of this month are some of their thoughts and tips with my two cents added in.
Tip #1
It’s important to create a calm, focused environment for learning. Consider beginning your classroom day with a morning meeting. It’s a chance to gather the students and do calendar activities, math logic, discuss special holidays, reveal the day’s activities, etc.
To further enhance a brain-based learning climate, develop students leaders by having meaningful tasks for every member of the class to be responsible for each school day. That investment will demonstrate that you value every student and that all are needed to make the classroom function.
Take time for cardio movement (body exercises), music and poetry, as well as brain games (logic stories, etc.). Explain how they are important for developing their brain’s power of thinking, memory, and risk-taking.