Whole Brain Teaching | Rules and Strategies

Teachers are always looking for new techniques and strategies to engage the students more in classrooms. Many concepts and methods get tested, but neither of them is useful. After so many ideas, a new concept is gaining popularity, known as Whole Brain Teaching. The concept of whole brain teaching firstly developed in 1999. It promotes a high-energy and hyper-focused method. The teachers use inspirational methods, keywords, and challenges to keep the students engaged in the classroom.

Whole Brain Teaching continually engages the student’s mind and keep them attentive. Students are encouraged to draw, act, and visualize the things they are learning.

The whole brain teaching allows students and teachers and students to work in a synchronized way. The classroom which uses the concept is engaging and collaborative. The idea of whole brain teaching can reach challenging students as well as those who are already active. Whole Brain Teaching is based on the neurological concepts regarding the brain.

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Whole Brain Teaching Strategies

Whole Brain Teaching strategies are getting into the way the brain works best. It is uniquely using the same traditional strategies. There are the following significant strategies, or we can say that techniques for whole brain teaching:

Attention-Getting

Before beginning every lesson, the teacher must draw the attention of the students. The teachers must say “class” in a different tone, and students have to mimic it by saying “yes.” For example, the teacher can say “Class, Class,” and students would respond, “Yes, Yes.” The teacher can say the word once or twice.

Rules in the Classroom

Every day, the teachers should practice the classroom rules with some gestures. The purpose of discussing rules is that the students should actively follow the rules. By doing this, the rules are no longer a piece of paper in the classroom.

Giving Instructions

The teacher uses direct instruction and taught the students some topics and concepts. After teaching, the teacher asks students to Teach. The students will say Okay and teach the neighboring student what they just learned. The idea incorporates the understanding of the students into their minds.

Unifying the Class

The teacher uses a strategy called a mirror to get the class involved in the lessons. At the mid of the lesson, the teacher will say the word “mirror” and the students have to imitate the actions of the teacher. The concepts maximize the engagement of the students.

Motivation: The Scoreboard

The teacher will maintain a scoreboard of the students to keep them motivated. The students will earn positive points for doing stuff right and negative points if they do it wrong. The students who have higher scores will get a prize. This technique will help the students to motivate themselves and actively improve their weak areas.

Focusing

If the teacher has to teach some important topics to the students, the teacher will say “Hands and Eyes.” The students will say yes and attentively listen to the teacher.

Rules for Whole Brain Teaching

Don’t make the class rules boring for the students. Rehearse the regulations with some hand gestures and make the whole classroom engaged with it. Here are some essential rules for whole brain teaching:

Follow the Directions

The students of every age take time to get out their notebooks and books. We never teach students to follow directions quickly. The first rule of whole brain teaching is to teach the students to follow the instructions rapidly. Use some code language to engage the students and motivate them to work faster.

Raise your hands for permission to speak

Teach the students to ask for permission before speaking anything. Don’t shout on them; try to take some time for rehearsing class rules. Use the Wrong Way-Right Way approach. Practice the wrong way first and after that practice the right way. By doing this, the student will quickly recognise the second rule.

Ask for permission before leaving your seat

Whenever the student leaves their seat without seeking permission, don’t argue with them. Politely teach the students to ask for permission. Ask them to raise the hand for permission to leave the seat. Revise the rule five times a day with some fun activity.

Make Smart Choices

The students must know the value of smart choices in their life. Give some real-life situations to the students with two options. Ask the students to make the most appropriate choice. Teach students to make smart choices. This will help them in many aspects of life.

Pros and Cons of Whole Brain Teaching

Every coin has two sides, and it also applies to whole brain teaching. The whole brain teaching has both positive and negative aspects. Below are some pros and cons of whole brain teaching:

Pros of Whole Brain Teaching

The strategy helps with student’s engagement. Students are treated as active learners and learn new things in every class.
The assessments are the more effective and progressive way of analyzing the progress of the students.
The learning is based on the development of the student’s unique skills and hobbies.
The whole brain teaching uses new teaching methods and techniques.

Cons of Whole Brain Teaching

There are very few experts who want to develop whole brain teaching.
There is not any substantial evidence that proves that whole brain teaching is an effective way of learning.
A lot of teaching concepts are complicated and difficult to understand.
Every student is different in their way, and their learning style is also different. The whole bran teaching method restricts the way of learning.

Parents always want to know about the effective way of learning for their children. The students also want to learn in a new way and ditch the traditional learning techniques. The whole brain teaching is an energetic and entertaining way of learning, which motivates the students to do something unique.

Whole Brain Teaching: Rules and Strategies