Brain Tips for the Classroom! Educational Neuroscience

Brain Tips for the classroom!
Educational Nueroscience
THE NOTEBOOK
By Yanina Jimenez
Brain
tips
.
for your classroom!

Brain Tips for
Neuroscience in Education
the classroom!
Why?
As teachers,
we need to make sure that teaching and learning happens in
a brain-friendly way! Enjoy the following brain tips as a
reminder of best practices!!! Make sure you use them all
frequently! You can share them, print them, and use them in
your lesson planning, your classroom, office, and teachers’
lounge!
Yanina Jimenez
Brain Tips for
the classroom!
music
Music is medicine for the mind!
Benefits: improves mood, mental alertness,
and memory. Reduces stress and anxiety.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine
Brain Tips for
the classroom!
movement
• Better Mood
• Increase in Energy
• Better Attention
• Improved Memory, short AND long term
• Increase in brain mass
• IMMEDIATE EFFECT ON THE BRAIN
“Rather than trying to get children to sit still and stop fidgeting, we must design
learning spaces that embrace children’s movement and action as NECESSARY
prerequisites for developing attention.” The Curiosity Classroom, pg. 132
Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuky at TED Talks 2017

(& tons of other books and scholar articles)
Brain Tips for
the classroom!
Emotional
links
Put yourself and your students in the shoes of those who fought for good
causes, in those who discovered and invented amazing things that have
changed our lives, in those who had to pay for their beliefs. Help them think
about the emotions that scientists, heroes, children, people form different
countries and cultures, presidents, persecuted people, etc. might have felt
during the moments they were making history without knowing.
Emotional charged situations can lead us to
create longer lasting memories of the event.
From the Psychologist World, Emotions and Memory
Cognitive Neuroscience in Education
foster
Imagination
Ask unusual questions. Ask “Why,” “How”, and “What if?”
Imagine a different ending. Promote entrepreneurship.
Invite to make predictions. Use analogies and metaphors. Anticipate
difficulties and solutions. If you lived in this book… what would you…? If
you lived in Ancient Egypt… If you were a… Promote curiosity! Allow
pretend play and alternative possibilities. Imagination is a cognitive need!
Imagination is the capacity to produce images, ideas and sensations in the mind
without any immediate input of the senses (such as seeing or knowledge applicable in
solving problems and is fundamental to integrating experience
hearing). Imagination helps make and the learning process.
The Brain at School, The Responsive Classroom, & The Washington Post.
Brain Tips for
the classroom!
Mnemonics
Mnemonic devices are
memory techniques that help
students’ brain better encode
and recall important information.
It’s a simple shortcut that helps them
associate the information we want to
remember with an image, a sentence,
or a word. Mnemonic devices started in Greek and
now we many types! Mnemonics use: music, names, expression/word,
model, ode/rhyme, note organization, image, connection, and spelling.
The brain needs ASSOCIATIONS!
From The Brain at School & Brain Matters.
Brain Tips for
the classroom!
Story
telling
Stories activate multiple senses in the brain;
motor, auditory, olfactory, somatosensory and visual.
Stories use words that spark the senses making it easier
for the brain to imagine, elaborate and recall. Each person develops
their own unique experience from these experiences. Stories are
easier to recall due to the power of their sensory associations. Stories create
characters we can identify with. Stories invoke emotion which is a neural activator.
Stories come in recognizable sequence – introduction, rising action, climax, falling
action. Stories provide motivation for action. Storytelling is one of the most powerful
techniques we have as humans to communicate and motivate. Cognitive science has
long recognized narrative as a basic organizing principle of memory.
By JGR Communications & Paul J. Zak, Neuroscientist.
Relevance
Invite guest speakers, practice
“real world” research, use primary-source
documents, observe the world around you,
ask older students to “be the expert,” revamp word
problems, use the news, make assignments look
“real world,” show a documentary, simulate a real-world experiences,
bring professionals to the classroom,” “publish” student work for the
larger community, etc. Find more at TeacherHub.com
It turns out, the old drill-and-kill method is not only boring, but -
neurologically speaking - pretty useless. Relevant, meaningful activities
that both engage students emotionally and connect with what they
already know are what help build neural connections and long-term
memory storage, not to mention compelling classrooms.
By Sara Bernard for Edutopia.
Feeling
LOVED
“One of the most powerful
relationships we can experience
as human beings is the one
between student and teacher.”
“When they operate with LOVE,
TEACHERS CAN SHAPE THE MINDS & HEARTS of their students.
A micro-moment of love, literally changes your MIND”
(Fredrickson, 2013).
De-Clutter
…because it contributes to distraction,
stress & anxiety in students and teachers.
• Hide necessary materials in bins, cabinets
or behind curtains.
• If an item doesn’t directly impact student learning,
store it or get rid of it!
• First organize books. Then supplies. Finally, furniture!
• Less is more. Leave empty spaces on walls.
• Have an organized space for student materials.
• Bring plants, lamps, natural, incandescent, or soft lightning.
• Put posters at students’ eye level.
• Limit glaring, laminated and bright posters.
• Have less students’ desks. Provide more space to move.
From A Brain-friendly Classroom by EdSurge, Edutopia & Scholastic.
smile
When the teacher smiles,
students feel safe, liked and loved.
Smiles are contagious.
Smiling makes you seem courteous, likable,
less stressed, and competent.
Smiles promotes creativity & productivity.
Don’t smile before Christmas.
Edutopia.com & Teachertoolkit.com
Change
Change the classroom setting.
Change into a costume!
Change the place from where you teach.
Change the route you go to work!
Change something in your teaching style.
Change something in your classroom.
CHANGE is beneficial to our cognitive health!
Healthy Brain, Happy Life by Wendy Suzuki
nature
Let’s bring our students
out to nature,
& NATURE into our classrooms!
“Direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood
development and for the physical and emotional health of
children and adults” (Louv, 2008).
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.
Frequent
breaks
Frequent breaks improve students’ capabilities to
comprehend, imagine, be creative, stay motivated
and come up with new ideas! It also reduces stress
and cerebral congestion!
Tips: frequent breaks outside of the classroom,
mental breaks, makers’ space, etc.!
Edutopia & Brain Blogger
Review
Without review, most information
will be lost from memory. After teaching
a lesson, students remember 54% the next day
and 21% after two weeks! REVIEW is as important as
teaching the lesson for the first time!
Review tips: games, flash cards, escape rooms, student-
generated questions, review organizers, collaborative
review, visualizations, etc.!
Bucks.edu & TeachHub.com
reset
New beginnings, resolutions, and
goals require a great deal of physical and
mental strength. To start new and with renewed strength,
we REALLY NEED TO RESET!
Here are some ways for little and big humans to reset!
Less screen time, more time in nature, meditation, play
music, de-clutter your mind and physical spaces, reduce
stress and artificial stimulant food, exercise, good sleep,
reflection, focus on “being” before “doing.”
read
Reading rewires the brain, reading about
an experience is like you're living it yourself, different reading
styles create different brain patterns, reading makes us more
empathetic. We make images in our mind while reading. Reading
relaxes and it boosts vocabulary. Reading in a foreign language
can make our brain grow. e-books lack in spatial navigability.
Paper books are better! Reading ability in children is related to
the growth of the brain’s white matter tracts.
Harvard Medical School. Blavatnik Institute Neurobiology
Play
Promote free play, pretend play, and games in the
classroom! Playing enhances creativity, attention,
and independence. It requires imagination, self-
control, self-discovery, and decision making. It
improves children’s language, behavior, physical
development, and social and emotional stability.
Center on the Developing Child. Harvard University.
Give
Giving and volunteering build character and values, bring learning beyond
the classroom while experiencing deep learning, and promote personal and
social skills development. Students gain increased knowledge of academic
materials, their communities, and themselves. Volunteering increases self-
confidence and provides a healthy boost to self-confidence, self-esteem,
and life satisfaction. It develops skills in critical thinking, problem solving,
leadership, decision making, collaboration and communication. It builds
positive relationships with community members and develops a deeper
understanding of themselves and empathy and respect for others.
From PepScholar
Wait
Although it may seem silent, awkward, uncomfortable, and
challenging, we need to WAIT for our students to respond! On
average, we teachers only wait 0.7 and 1.4 seconds after
asking a question. We need to be intentional about “wait time.”
Most students will take anywhere from 1 to 10 seconds to
process a question and find link the correct information to
it. When we teachers wait longer, failure to respond
decreases and student confidence increases.
"wait-time" by Mary Budd Rowe (1972)
Periods of silence are VITAL for our brains. In a loud and

distracting world, and the ceaseless attentional demands of
modern life put a significant burden on the prefrontal cortex of
the brain, which is involved in high-order thinking,
decision-making and problem-solving.
In silence, the brain is idle and disengaged from external stimuli.
We can finally tap into our inner stream of thoughts, emotions,
memories, inspiration, and ideas.
Huffingtonpost.com
Doodling is the art of THINKING! Doodlers create

symbols in their brains and make ideas tangibles.
Doodling is essential to expressing spontaneous
concepts and emotions Doodling promotes
attention, memory, enjoyment, and relaxation.
www.theatlantic.com/doodling-for-cognitive-benefits
Walls teach! Walls should reflect and celebrate student

learning and diversity. Walls need to invite students to
be creative, curious, and take risks. Find balance
between bright and calm wall colors. Brain likes
patterns, even on walls. De-clutter your walls as much
as possible! Walls affect memory, focus, emotions,
mood, mental clarity, and energy levels.
Thougth.co, Edutopia & The Responsive Classroom
Classroom light levels and colors are important to

students’ concentration, productivity, relaxation, mood,
and overall health.
Screen light used more than 2 hours a day affects the
structural and functional brain regions involving
emotional processing, executive attention, decision
making, and cognitive control.
Psychology Today. Health Line. Huffpost.
Children naturally LOVE ART in all its forms.

Art engages all the senses and wires the brain for
successful learning.
Creating art relieves stress, encourages creative
thinking, and increases brain plasticity. Viewing Art
increases Empathy, Tolerance, and Feelings of Love.
BeBrainFit.com
Words of affirmation increase feelings of self-worth,

perseverance, self-reflection, positivity. Praise improves academic
performance, and the ability to solve problems.
Words of affirmation affect the physical and emotional well-being
of our students.
Positive words that are absorbed by the mind create our students’
belief system. Affirmation words can come from the teacher
and from the student as a self-talk!
KirstensKaboodle.com, Self-Grow & The Responsive Classroom
Since our brain is mostly water, drinking it

improves concentration and cognition,
helps to balance our mood and emotions,
maintains memory function,
increases blood flow and oxygen to our brain,
prevents and relieves headaches & reduces stress.
BrainMDHealth.com
Every function of the body is affected by sleep.

Sleep affects cognition, concentration,
productivity and performance. It reenergizes
the body's cells and clears waste from the brain.
Sleep deprivation affects cognitive functions, brain
structure, and emotional health.
Scientific American. Neuroscience.
Students learn better when they teach.

Teaching another person is what leads to long-term
retention and deeper learning. When students prepare to
teach, they tend to seek out key points and organize
information into a coherent structure. They also develop
a deeper and longer-lasting understanding of the
material. Students better monitor their understanding &
misunderstandings.
www.wabisabilearning.com/blog/letting-students-teach
As a teacher: Talk less. Plan less. Put less on walls.

Display less in the classroom. Schedule less.
Entertain less and your students will innovate more.
Referee less and your children will problem-solve more.
Less toys. Less screen time. Less stuff. Less busy.
LESS leads to creativity and mental clarity.
Prioritize and eliminate. Less multi-tasking. Less is MORE!
Psychology Today. Teach Thought. Less in the Classroom.
. QUESTIONS show how our learners THINK,

more than their ANSWERS!
Students need to be invited to ASK MORE QUESTIONS!
Give the time and space for students to ask/write down
as many questions as they have, not only WHY questions,
but any kind of questions they may have.
For students the WHY is more important than the lesson!
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/
Take HUMOR more SERIOUSLY!!!

. Be funny at times! Add humorous items to tests,
homework or class assignments. Display humor quotes.
Keep a cartoon file. Have Joke Days! Ask students to
add humor into writing assignments and to bring in
books they think are funny. Humor reduces stress &
boredom, connects learners & increases attention. Avoid
“hurt” humor & sarcasm. Only healthy humor!
EDUTOPIA. Using Humor in the Classroom by Maurice J. Elias.
. We started enjoying audio stories as babies when our

parents read to us. Why not continuing this powerful
experience at school & as adults? Our brain create more
imagery when we listen to stories, audiobooks & podcasts.
Listening to a story can put our whole brain to work while
engaging the senses more fully than watching a film!
Imagination comes in full force when listening to a story!
Science Direct Journal. Verbal Learning and Learning Behavior
Strengthen memory because we need to remember all the

.
shapes and color of puzzle pieces.
Problem-solving skills due to the amount of trial-and-error!
Mood-booster: puzzles help the production of dopamine.
This neurotransmitter helps make us feel happier and can
impact our memory, motivation and concentration.
Personal productivity: taking some time to solve a puzzle
can help reset our brain!
Ryan Miller. Puzzles Boost our Brains!
A makerspace is a place in the classroom where learners get

. together to share resources and knowledge, work on projects,
network, and make/build serving a specific standard or
purpose. Makerspaces are not about the tools; they're about
enabling making that can serve ALL subjects. A makerspace is
not just a lab, a craft area, a STEM center, a tech room, or an
art station. Makerspaces promote critical thinking, innovation,
problem-solving, curiosity, and the connection between the
lesson and the real world.
www.makerspaceforeducation.com
The curiosity classroom is co-created. We, as teachers, need to

be co-learners. Supporting curious children is best achieved when
teachers themselves are curious, when they are excited and
involved! Experts in the subject or not, we need to be co-learners
with our students! At the time of starting a lesson, we can say,
“We are going to learn about…” instead of “I will teach… and You
will learn…” When we say WE, we are implying that we are going
to experience learning TOGETHER and that helps students realize
that the lesson is relevant for their lives!!!
The Curiosity Classroom by Wendy L. Ostroff
The tendency to daydream is a normal brain activity.

Daydreaming helps us explore new ideas, promotes
creativity, improves working memory, gives the brain a
break, which improves performance and productivity.
Daydreamers are better problem solvers. Daydreaming, like
nighttime dreaming, consolidates learning. As teachers, we
need to provide a few minutes to daydreaming so learners
don’t do it when they to make use of sustained attention!
The Scientific Benefits of Daydreaming
LTP happens in the hippocampus, an important organ for learning and

LONG-TERM memory. Learning happens when information is transferred
from the working memory to the long-term memory. Can we help students
in this area? YES! In a process scientists call long-term potentiation, some
memories are encoded and strengthened (and others weakened) each and
every time the repetition of a new experience causes neural firing across
synapses between nerve cells. This means for EDUCATORS that…
DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE, and not cramming, is what transfers information
into the long-term memory. In other words, LEARNING happens when we
VISIT a concept and/or skill frequently.
The New Science of Learning by Doyle & Zakrajsek. 2019
What kind of attention do we need when we say, “Attention, please!” or any

other kind of attention getters? Do we need sustained, selective,
alternating, or divided attention from our students?
Sustained attention is the ability to focus and concentrate. This
can last just a few minutes depending the age and brain!
Selective attention is the ability to select what you want to
pay attention to.
Alternating attention is the ability to switch your attention to
more than one thing.
Divided attention is the ability to multi-task.
http://thepeakperformancecenter.com
Highlighting text, summarizing, use of images, and re-reading may

be the most popular study skills, but they are not proven to be as
effective as the following:
Elaborative interrogation — responding to our whys and hows
Self-explanation— providing own explanations for concepts
Practice testing — Self-testing or taking practice tests
Distributed practice — practicing over time, not cramming!
Interleaved practice — mixing different kinds of problems,
ideas or skills.
From Examined Existence & Psychology Today
Our brains crave for feedback, especially quick feedback while

we are still working on something. This is known in the
classroom as FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT. Feedback is an
essential part of the learning process. Students need to
receive feedback as clear & specific as possible. Feedback is
most effective when it is given immediately, or the sooner the
better! Feedback should help learners make progress toward
their goals. Use your words wisely at the time of giving
feedback. Learners should be involved in this frequent process.
Edutopia. Formative Assessment.
“I do, you WATCH”

I do, you HELP”
You DO, I help”
You DO, I watch”
by teachers AND learners!

Why? Why not? When? How?

…involves so many cognitive factors!

…verbally go through your thoughts as you work on a

task or solve a math problem for your students!
This cognitive practice helps learners be aware

of their learning process, notice where they are stuck,
and celebrate their understanding.
thinking about our “thinking”

NO more:
in classroom design AND instruction

are powerful for transfer and retention

The art of bringing it home!

… and eye contact!

Brain Tips for teachers
Home to our personality & decision-making abilities.

is where the sensory information,

such as temperature, touch & taste, is processed.
Speech. Hearing. Comprehension.

“Dialogue in the Classroom”
Visual Processing Center

“Dos and don’ts of visuals in the classroom”
Fine motor skills are important

for ALL students!
Breath and move your body to help your heart!

Thinking and processing information

from the five senses.
Where the long-term memory takes place!

Emotions play a critical role in cognition & memory

We have billions of neurons in our brain. The physical

connections between neurons is called synapses and this is
where learning and memory occur!
Find something that your class enjoys as a group and

use it in your meetings & instruction!
lasting retention of information & skills

We have the opportunity to make memories now for a lifetime,

since what’s happening now is very emotional charged.
declarative and
non-declarative memory
bit.ly/FreeBrainTips
bit.ly/FreeBrainTips
If you liked
these tips,
you will LOVE
the COMPLETE guide!!!
bit.ly/braintipsguide
Each tip is extended
so you can apply them easily
and right away!
IN this guide, I also include a brain
anatomy/functions workbook for your
students!
WHEN STUDENTS UNDERSTAND

HOW THEY LEARN, they learn better!
And picture book recommendations!

• Masterpiece
• Toolbox
• Noticed a huge difference in me
and my students
• Peace of mind that my students
are really learning
• Gem
• Saved me time
• I feel effective and efficient
• Constant PD
• I worry less. I have more time!
Get the sticker here: bit.ly/brainsticker

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Brain Tips for the classroom!

for your classroom!

Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuky at TED Talks 2017

Periods of silence are VITAL for our brains. In a loud and

Doodling is the art of THINKING! Doodlers create

Walls teach! Walls should reflect and celebrate student

Classroom light levels and colors are important to

Children naturally LOVE ART in all its forms.

Words of affirmation increase feelings of self-worth,

Since our brain is mostly water, drinking it

Every function of the body is affected by sleep.

Students learn better when they teach.

As a teacher: Talk less. Plan less. Put less on walls.

. QUESTIONS show how our learners THINK,

Take HUMOR more SERIOUSLY!!!

. We started enjoying audio stories as babies when our

Strengthen memory because we need to remember all the

A makerspace is a place in the classroom where learners get

The curiosity classroom is co-created. We, as teachers, need to

The tendency to daydream is a normal brain activity.

LTP happens in the hippocampus, an important organ for learning and

What kind of attention do we need when we say, “Attention, please!” or any

Highlighting text, summarizing, use of images, and re-reading may

Our brains crave for feedback, especially quick feedback while

“I do, you WATCH”

by teachers AND learners!

Why? Why not? When? How?

…involves so many cognitive factors!

…verbally go through your thoughts as you work on a

This cognitive practice helps learners be aware

thinking about our “thinking”

in classroom design AND instruction

are powerful for transfer and retention

The art of bringing it home!

… and eye contact!

Home to our personality & decision-making abilities.

is where the sensory information,

Speech. Hearing. Comprehension.

Visual Processing Center

Fine motor skills are important

Breath and move your body to help your heart!

Thinking and processing information

Where the long-term memory takes place!

Emotions play a critical role in cognition & memory

We have billions of neurons in our brain. The physical

Find something that your class enjoys as a group and

lasting retention of information & skills

We have the opportunity to make memories now for a lifetime,

WHEN STUDENTS UNDERSTAND

And picture book recommendations!

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