1. Applied Neuroscience in the Classroom
Through the Eyes of a First Year

4. School Stats Title One school (600 students) 90% minority enrollment
Bottom 50% in state of MS (MS is ranked 49th in the U.S. in public education)
100% eligible for free lunch
F rating per state of MS
This School
State Level (MS)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
15%
31%
Reading / Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
14%
33%

5. A glimpse into my classroom…
self contained classroom with eight students and one, full time instructional assistant
Wide range of ages, grade levels, and capabilities
Variety of disabilities: AU, DD, ED, TBI
Many students coming from poverty, broken homes, high risk environments, and a variety of traumatic experiences

7. Before emotional regulation
After emotional regulation

8. Let’s Melt!

9. Strategies used
Kindness Meter – earning kindness points that led to mystery prizes
Incentive system as a positive reinforcer
Sticker chart
Reward Bucks! (Buy the paper dollars online – they look and feel like the real thing! Let them accumulate with your students and never take them away. At the end of the week, I always let my kids shop in my self created store!)
Implementing a morning and afternoon meeting to start and end our day
Include a greeting and a game
Make eye contact, say each other’s names, compliment each other, build each other up!!
Frequent and differentiated brain intervals (centered around movement, breath, and rhythm)
Engaging games! (The Shadow Game, Still as a Rock, Chief)
Reflective daily goal charts
Build these goals along side your students – let them reflect on how they think their day went with you!! Model this reflection for them – talk about how you think your day went too

11. Brain interval Games explained
Still as a Rock – have students carefully walk, skip, hop, jump, moon walk, etc. around the room [clear expectations and guidelines will need to be set before getting creative with our movements beyond walking! Learn from my mistakes (: ] Have a bell, chime, or other sound readily available. When the students hear that sound, they must freeze and be still as a rock! They cannot move until you give the next movement and tell them to do so.
Chief – Everyone sits in a circle/group. Designate one person to be the ”guesser”. That individual will leave the room. Designate another individual to be the “chief”. The chief will then lead the rest of the group in a rhythmic beat (i.e. drumming on legs, snapping, clapping and then patting head, etc.) The other members of the group must follow the chief and do the same movements! The chief will constantly change up the rhythmic pattern. Invite the guesser back into the room. The guesser has three chances to guess who the chief is. The chief then becomes the guesser and a new chief is selected.
Shadow game – Designate one person to be the leader. That person will lead the group through a series of gross motor movements. Everyone in the group must copy the movements exactly - the group members are the leader’s shadow!! Pass on the leadership role as you go around the circle.

13. Prompts used
“I bet that was so frustrating.” “I’m feeling frustrated because I just saw/heard ________, but I know we know how to _________.” “I can see how that made you feel so angry/sad/hurt.” “I noticed how you…” “You just did _________. I am so proud of you.” “I know you will make the right choice.” “What can I do to help you?” “What do you need from me?” “How can we fix this together?” “What can we do differently together next time?”
Validating feelings
Being honest and vulnerable, modeling appropriate expression
Specific, purpose driven praise/noticing
Instilling confidence and trust
Building relationships
Demonstrating a team effort, a partnership

15. Parent regulation Prompts used with parents:
“I respect you and appreciate you.”
I am so appreciative of your readiness and willingness to be here and advocate for your child.”
”No one knows your child better than you, and I’m excited to learn all that I can about him/her from you.”
“Thank you for helping me to understand how your child learns and listens best.”
“How may I serve you and your child in these weeks to come?”
“What do you need from me as your child’s teacher?”

16. Reset Station

19. Teacher regulation

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“Regulate, then relate, then reason.” – Bruce Perry