Fast Llamas,

Today we shift from behavioral strategies to cognitive ones.  When I think of cognitive engagement, I have to recall the four ways in which we basically think with our brains.  

Let's call them the Brain Basics.

1. Firing - 🔥

    Neurons that fire together, wire together.  

2. Attending - 🧠

    Attention is necessary for learning

3. Connecting - 🧩

    We make meaning by connecting to existing knowledge.

4. Imaging 📷

    Mental imaging supports understanding. 
  
While planning my lessons, I am aware of these brain basics  - if my students are talking, moving, collaborating, writing, drawing, summarizing, recalling, organizing, sequencing, explaining (you get the picture) - they are making meaning and they are thinking critically.  They are engaged cognitively.  Everyday students have opportunities to:

    1. Move

    2. Collaborate and 

    3. Engage with media of some sort (think lots of visuals for example)

What's great is the activities do not have to be these grand, big, huge lessons.  They are can small activities, chunked throughout the lesson that get kids doing the learning, and me the teacher guiding and facilitating.  Think about student carrying the cognitive workload and what that would look like.  If I give my students notes on particular topic - WHAT will they be doing with the information? If I give my students a reading activity - HOW will they use that information?  I want to make sure my students have ample opportunities to learn with others and connect what they know with the new information.

I also want to make sure that as I am explicitly teaching that I build opportunities for discussion by asking open ended questions and use Wait Time.  

PAWE is a strategy what is fantastic strategy to use for when you want to build in this type of teaching.

P - Prompt - pique curiosity and get their attention! 

    "we have been talking about the US Constitution" Here we can tap into existing knowledge.  (BB #2 and BB #3)

A - Ask - ask the question - open ended, use visuals to help make meaning (BB #4)

W - WAIT - use wait time, allow students to collaborate and talk, learn from others.  Get those neurons firing. (BB #1)

E - Elicit - pull and stretch out the answers - ask for similarities, more examples, differences, get the students to tell you more! Here the meaning is being made as students connect what they already know to new learning.  (BB 1 - 4 in play here)  celebrate the answers with praise!

When you think about it, isn't this a lot more engaging for you and for the students than just cold calling the same students over and over again?

Next in this series, we tap into our first cognitive strategy - Purposeful Movement. 

 Hey, Fast Llama's,

I was walking in HEB yesterday and realized they have an entire section devoted to organization and cleaning in their "seasonal section". This got me thinking that the new year is for getting organized and do that "Spring Cleaning"! How does that apply to us at school?

So let's talk about your classroom. Let's change that thinking to an "environment". Brain based education studies note that the brain works best when it is not under stress. You release more dopamine and thus retain more information when don't feel fear or anxiety. So, focus on making your classroom aesthetically pleasing. I use table lamp and turn off the fluorescent lights. Once you have taught in a room lit this way, you don't want to go back. It is very easy on the eyes. Doing any spring cleaning at home and are changing out lamps? Bring your old ones to school! When I was teaching at Spillane, I had a huge classroom (I am not bragging, lol). It was windowless, so it took quite a bit of lamps to get it lit the best for my students. It took years of collecting lamps from friends, from discount stores and garage sales. So, let your collecting begin. Also, I got my first period to turn on the lamps for me... they liked it.

Consider adding plants. Plants serve two purposes, one, plants release oxygen and filter out pollutants, second, plants are pleasing and calming. Now for the walls... When I began teaching, I put up every poster I could find. Free posters from NASA, (they will give you any if you ask), posters I purchased and posters I created. They were everywhere. Now this is amazing that I admit this, since I went to college to study education during the heyday of Madeline Hunter. Hunter was the be all, end all of education during this time. She was the guru. And, she was good. I am still referring to her. Anyway, Madeline Hunter, said, your walls should be blank, with bursting and overflowing cabinets. In other words, only put the posters out that you are using at the moment, then put them away when the unit is done. So, be purposeful about your posters.

As the year progresses, add posters, remove posters, but keep what "icon poster and/or anchor charts" of specific info you want to keep on the forefront of the students minds. On these posters are items that I want to continue to recap and review with students.

Another educational strategist that I studied in college, who still speaks to me is Harry Wong. One of his suggestions is to put on a bulletin board a timeline of yourself. Start with a baby picture, definitely one of the age of the kids you teach, a high school or college, husband, etc. A story of your life. Kids love it and you will see them looking at them. It's just another way to make a connection with them. And that's what "setting the stage" is all about, making the kids feel invited into your learning environment, establishing a relationship with them. Then, once you have captured them, then the learning can begin.