Opening Traditions
One of the
many important tools we covered is called Opening Traditions. One powerful tradition that focuses students and puts them into a positive learning
state is a morning affirmation. The one we modeled begins with the drum
beat and then the questions: Why are we
here? What works? What will we give? Some teachers begin with a review of
the 8 Keys of Excellence and their motions.
Opening class with positive music as students arrive serves as an anchor into a
positive learning state. You can strengthen Home Court Advantage with your encouraging
words, actions, body language, and acknowledgements for effort.
The Path of Learning
The Path of
Learning and Memory in the brain showed how information enters the student’s
brain through the three educational learning channels: Visual, Auditory and
Kinesthetic. One of the most important things you learned was how
the amygdala impacts learning. If a
student comes to school upset from a family fight, or from hunger, or from a
disagreement with a friend or boyfriend, the amygdala emotional center is in
control and prevents the student from being present and focused in class. The
atmosphere of your classroom, the feeling of Home Court Advantage, and your support of that student can make all
the difference in getting the amygdala to back off, helping the student get
focused in class. Understanding the brain and how students learn can help you
dramatically boost student achievement!
Prime Directive: Entering Their World
Prime
Directive is an important concept to understand. One example of how Prime
Directive can be used is in Big Brain Idea #2: Students Make Meaning by Connecting to
Existing Schema. When you recognize what schema students utilize, you are
more effective in teaching new content. Also, when you understand where
students are emotionally, you can establish a more optimal learning state.
Using state facilitation helps
you keep students open to learning.
Learning Diagrams
As students
draw colorful diagrams of important content information
and review by saying it aloud, they learn and retain the content more readily.
You can strengthen the learning by ending with a positive statement such as
“Got it!" while using a kinesthetic motion such as snapping at the same
time. Remember Big Brain Idea #3? Neurons
that Fire Together Wire Together! The use of VAK with learning diagrams,
the verbal review, and the kinesthetic motions wire and rewire that content
over those same neural pathways. Learning diagrams promote learning AND memory.
Ownership
Many
teachers get excited about the Key of Ownership and the concept of living above the line! The line, a
powerful visual icon, is an easy way for students to remember what is
responsible behavior and attitude and what is not. Using the line in your classroom is a strong visual reminder of the class
agreements you established as part of your Foundation.
The line reinforces the Key of Ownership
and respond-ability.
QL Lesson Design Frame - EELDRC
Spend
focused thought and time planning how you will teach your content using the QL
Lesson Design Frame: EELDRC. This research-based method for designing lessons
has been proven in thousands of classrooms over the
past 27 years. It promotes greater student engagement, learning, classroom
participation and retention than any lesson design tool we have ever seen!
Practice and use this frame. You will find students are more engaged in
learning and better understand the content. You are about to experience
the power of EELDRC! (Please see separate article for ideas on the enroll step of EELDRC).