Saturday Sayings: Boring Things

Medina's a brain guy, so he's not referring to human nature.  He's talking about how the brain is wired.  When using the pronoun "we" he's not singling out those students of ours who have a difficult time showing any kind of interest.  "We" is referring to all of humankind.  The human brain does not pay attention to boring things.  Take a moment to remember the most dull inservice of your career, and you'll realize that Medina is talking about you and your brain. 

He's also talking about our students.  They can't help themselves. If it's boring, their brains shut down, as do ours.  Considering the weight of this fact is worthy of our attention, and it presents a challenge to those of us who make a living from dealing with brains all day.  The blank stares, distracting behaviors, and general lack of interest need to be considered as possible byproducts of brains that don't pay attention to boring things.  Honestly reflecting on these problems can be the impetus to a higher level of engagement and learning for all our students.  I don't believe teachers are in the entertainment business though.  I'm not about entertaining my students, but I am about engaging them, and I think there are a myriad of ways of reaching their brains.

I'm reminded of a real live example from my pastor, who incorporates many engagement strategies, like humor and storytelling, into his sermons.  A few Sundays ago he began a series of lessons on connecting - connecting to God and to others, and he used Legos to make his point.  He eventually gave everyone in the congregation their own blue Lego and sent them all on a scavenger hunt throughout the sanctuary to find their own hidden red Lego.  I think it's safe to say that every brain in the building, from the youngest to oldest, paid attention to that sermon, understood its significance, applied it to their own life, and won't likely forget it either.

We don't pay attention to boring things.  It's a simple but challenging thought that won't leave me alone, and I know it's because I must continually challenge myself to find ways to ensure that the brains in my room can't help but pay attention, understand the significance of what we do, apply it to their own lives, and never forget it either.

21st Century Approach

This is an example of what my handwritten lesson plans have looked like for 18 years.  Of course the content has changed, but the neatness has never wavered.  When people look at my writing, I fess up that I'm a freak of nature.  My world is naturally symmetrical and just so.  When it comes to writing lesson plans, this is a time consuming way to be, so this summer I've had a goal to do away with the lesson plan book and try a more 21st century approach.  I'm going with the lesson plan binder, and I'm typing my plans.  My little fingers on the keyboard are sure to save me some time.  

This is my binder cover.  (My pastor's been saying that we're highly favored, greatly blessed, and deeply loved.  There will be days when I'll need this little reminder.)

This is page one of my lesson plan template.  I've got a Mac, and I found out after much trial and error and some wise advice that Pages was the best program to use for this project.

This would be page two.  A lot of information is missing.  I'll have to wait until August to know more specifics of my schedule. 

One thing I like about a lesson plan book is the ability to look ahead and schedule things for future months.  I decided I'd have to include monthly calendars for this purpose.  Fun for First inspired me to include a note section with each month, although check out theirs.  They're so much prettier than mine.

I created some first grade at-a-glance common core documents that are perfect for my binder.  It's nice to have all the standards on one or two pages.  This is the math one, which is all yours in one click.  (Click here and here to get copies of the first grade ELA common core in the same format.)

Brian Cambourne is going to hang out in my binder as well.  These are his conditions for learning.  It might be nice to keep handy.  (Click on the picture for your own copy.)

Have you heard of Brain Rules by John Medina?  It's a great book.  Anyway, I want a reminder of what brains need in my binder too.  (Click on the picture to get yours.)

I'm guessing this binder of mine will collect more as time goes on.  Hopefully it will help me to be a more efficient and better teacher.

A Few Tricks Up My Sleeve

As adults, don't we all have those words whose spellings pester us?  I love a good spelling trick.  I only know the difference between "affect" and "effect" because "a" in "affect" is at the opposite end of the alphabet as "v" for "verb" so in my brain they go together.  If not for this little trick up my sleeve, I'd be up a creek.  

Over the years I've collected and invented a few tricks that help my writers spell a few of the first grade words that pester them.  Most of these tricks happen to be kinesthetic, which John Medina, the author of Brain Rules, would be pleased to see.  He believes that movement improves memory, and we all know he's right.  Enjoy.

(Thanks to Garrett's mom for giving me permission to use this video.  He gives a great demo!)

I would love to add the tricks up your sleeve to my collection.  Please do share.

Energizers - 88 of them!

Brain Rules says that exercise boosts brain power.  The brain hungers for energy.  It also says that the brain can only attend to instruction for about ten minutes before it needs a break.  (I can testify to this.  Sometimes it feels more like five minutes, especially in September.) Since I hang around six-year olds, movement is part of my life.  We don't stay in one place for very long, and we take little brain breaks throughout the day.  I even write in my lesson plan book the specific brain breaks I want to use each week throughout the year so that I don't bore the kids with the same ones.  


One evening in September after a day of feeling like I worked a whole lot harder to instruct, than my 27 first graders worked to listen, I felt like I needed some fresh ideas for how to help move them along.  I came across this book by Susan Lattanzi Roser and ordered it on the spot, even without an emergency budget committee meeting.  I was desperate.  (Thanks to Dave Ramsey, there's always a cushion in the budget for emergencies like this.)

I also discovered several of the book's energizer demonstrations on youtube.  The very next day I tried out "Shark Attack."  It was a hit, and I knew we were on to something.  We've been trying them out since, and even though some don't go over as well as others, it's nice to have such a large collection of new creative brain breaks to choose from.  

Anyone who might be interested should check out youtube.  The link for "Shark Attack" is below.  If you like what you see, watch the other clips that are lined up on the right side of the page and imagine your own class finding moments to not only increase movement but to give their brains a break.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmC6Qyjk8cw

Brain Rules

I once heard my cousin David say, "I have no original thoughts of my own."  For those of you who know him well, you'll nod your head when I say, "Baloney."  Even though I completely disagree with wise cousin David, I must admit that when I first entertained the idea of my own blog, my immediate reaction was, you guessed it, "I have no original thoughts of my own."  (Can I admit the thought still lingers?)  It's practically true.  I'm just like every other good teacher.  Simply put, I borrow from others.  Here's proof.


This past summer I enjoyed an enlightening read by John Medina called Brain Rules. He lays out twelve rules of the brain in such a way that even this little first grade teacher can understand.  (This brain stuff can get a bit wordy and complicated at times.)  Ever since, the book has been collecting dust on my living room floor, patiently waiting for me to figure out how it was going to impact my teaching on a daily basis.  Recently I dusted it off, started typing, and ended up with a list of the brain rules that connected with my heart the most, as well as questions to keep me on my teaching toes.  It's currently hanging by my desk at school, reminding me how the 27 unique brains in my room work best.  Maybe it will inspire and enlighten your teaching too, especially if you too feel a lack of original thoughts every so often.

Brain Rules

• Exercise boosts brain power

  Movement improves children.

  Their brains hunger for energy.

   What areas of my instruction can be improved with more movement?

• Every brain is wired differently

  Their brains change when they learn something.

   The brain is like a muscle that grows stronger with use.

   How do I accommodate for different brains?

• We don’t pay attention to boring things

   Too much information in too little time is counterproductive.

   Instead of force feeding, let them digest.

   How can I hold their attention better?

• Repeat to remember

   Use 10-minute segments of instruction.

   Repeat, repeat, repeat   

   When can I incorporate storytelling to improve attention and memory?

• Remember to repeat

   Use real-world examples in instruction to improve memory retrieval.

   Hooks and introductions are everything.

   How can I improve their ability to retrieve information later?

• Stimulate more of the senses

  Use words and pictures at the same time.

  Where are pictures useful in my day?

• Vision trumps all other senses

   Vision is the best tool for learning anything.

   How can I be more visual?

• We are powerful and natural explorers

   Stimulate curiosity.

   Where have I encouraged their curiosity?