Optimism = A Healthy Brain The BrainSMART Model For A Happy Classroom Artifact :Using BrainSMART Tools By Emily Thorpe EDU 610 CRN Brain SMART Science, Structure, and Strategies Nova Southeastern University October 4, 2009

Optimism= A Learning Brain Teacher Optimism Student Optimism Optimal Learning

Walking the Walk… Think of the last time you were having a rough day due to pressures outside of school? Share that experience with a partner.

Now think about this… How did your lesson go on that day? Were they…Or were they… On TaskOff Task EngagedFrustrated Displaying high levels of learning Displaying high levels of confusion Easy to directDifficult to focus Adaptable and resilientInflexible and contrary

Now let’s reverse the equation… Your student is worried about: Where they’ll sleep tonight A fight with a parent A detention in another class A sick friend A bully on the bus And a thousand other things…

How quickly did you pick-up on your student’s negative state? How much learning happens when the student is in this state? VERY LITTLE!!

“The truth is that eliciting and sustaining healthy positive learning states are the first steps to boosting student achievement. In today’s classrooms this may be difficult.” (Conyers, p. 31) BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE…

So how do we do that? Luckily… The BrainSMART philosophy has tools tested with success in my classroom!

Tool #1: “I Feel Good!” Start your day or give your students a break with this exercise. Try it with me: Rub your hands together until you can feel the heat. Now throw your hands up in the air and yell, “I feel good!!!”

Just try to frown when saying those words! As this student told me… “Mrs. Thorpe, I’m smiling… and I don’t like smiling.”

Tool #2: Squishy Toss Review, transition to a new activity, or have students reflect using this exercise. Try it with me: Say one thing that makes you happy. Then throw the squishy to another student of your choosing. That student then repeats the process until all have had a turn.

Dopamine Squish At the end of the “squishy” activity, congratulate everyone with high fives all around and add a “I feel good!” Novelty and Fun release the feel good chemical dopamine in the brain. Just feel that dopamine squish through your brain!

Tool #3: BrainObics: Let’s fire up both sides of the brain! To move my right arm, I fire neurons in my left brain. To move my left arm, I fire neurons in my right brain.

So let’s fire up our students’ whole brains

Ready???? This is a great opener to your day, or pick me up when learning slows down. Try it with me: Touch your right shoulder with your left hand. Then touch your left shoulder with your right hand. Alternate back and forth, moving faster each time. Now beat the desk with alternating hands, right, left, right, left…faster, faster, faster. Now stomp your feet with alternating feet, right, left, right, left…faster, faster, faster.

The keys to creating an optimistic classroom with healthy brains are: Lowering stress Clear expectations And making learning fun and meaningful! But HOLD it…

Remember the equation? Teacher Optimism Student Optimism Optimal Learning

Teacher Tool: Taking Care of Yourself How you take care of yourself is personal, but an important opportunity that must be taken before we walk in the classroom. Try it with me: Write down on a piece of paper how you can take care of yourself, so you are better able to care for others? Pass the squishy ball to each person and share some ideas.

Hungry for more? These are only some of the many tools you can use to lower stress and increase optimism in your students. Come by my teacher library to check out the book by Marcus Conyers and Donna Wilson: BrainSMART: 60 strategies for Boosting Test Scores