Teaching With the Brain in Mind

location (context) changes. To enhance recall and
better codify or “mark” the learning, learn concepts
in different places so each location is a key clue to
the content. Take the class outside for an introduction
to something new.
Help students match learning and testing
states. Studies tell us that the only matching states
with low recall were neutral moods. Apparently
learn-sad and test-sad or learn-happy and testhappy
are far better than learn with no emotion,
test with no emotion. The discrepancy between
learning states and testing states is widely known
among researchers as a source of performance loss
(Bower 1981 and Overton 1984). There are two
ways to affect this phenomenon. First, teach students
how to better manage their own states at test
time (for example, through relaxation methods or
positive self-talk). Second, rehearse the learning in
a variety of states to promote “recall resiliency.”
This strategy means that students can recall learning
during a test because they’ve learned in a variety
of states.
Many savvy teachers use reviews in a variety of
states so that students can become acclimated to
the range of emotions they’ll likely feel at test time.
That means use of timed quizzes, public quizzes,
small group presentations, and structured practice
taking timed mock tests. This will give students
practice in many states, one of which may match
the testing one. Remember to test in the same
room in which students learned the material. This
will better simulate the assessment conditions, and
studies suggest students are more likely to test
“up” to their learning levels.
Make stronger event-type memories by bringing
in a guest speaker for special emphasis (maybe
someone from your own school). Change where
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the class is taught from one side of the room to
another. Create theme days (skeptical day, repeat
day, brain day, opposite day) or theme weeks (fall,
orange, sports) to add color to learning. On “skeptical
day,” students are asked to challenge their
assumptions about nearly everything they know.
During a theme week, there is one more set of
“hooks” or associations for the students. For example,
if the class is studying anatomy during “sports
week,” the extra connections of sports and the
human body bring the topic to life. Real life studies
of thematic classroom learning suggest it is
common for the amount of learning to be doubled
(Bower 1973).
Procedural Strategies
Memory and Recall
Nearly everything can be done with movement. If
you have three points to make, ask students to
rise. Ask them to take three steps in any direction.
Introduce the first of the three points briefly as a
preview. Include an action to help link it with the
topic. Ask students to walk three more steps.
Repeat this step. After you’ve introduced all three
points, they have a seat. That’s a simple example of
body learning, as is the use of dance, sculpture,
industrial arts, and total physical response for
learning.
Embed emotions in the learning. Add a small
daily celebration to heighten emotions. Because the
first and last few minutes of a class will make the
strongest impressions, invest more time on affecting
emotions in the middle of class. Create role
plays, improv theater, or reenactments. Have students
make presentations to the class. Let them
pair up or team up and debate what they’ve
learned. Create or redo a song. Rewrite the lyrics
of an old favorite, making a rap out of the key