Entries by Eric Jensen

Musical Arts As An Educational Tool

“Musical arts” or “music-making” means much more than playing music or listening to it. Singing, rap and musicals are also part of the musical arts. In addition, the musical arts include composing music, reading music, analyzing, arranging, notating and creating music. Neurobiologist Mark Jude Tramo of Harvard Medical School says, “Music is biologically part of […]

The Science Behind Why Arts Should Be In Every Kid’s School Experience

So many who work in the arts have asked me if the arts are good for learning and the brain. It is common knowledge that arts can arouse passions. The brain-based approach is to check out how it interfaces with the brain. Some believe that arts should be in school simply because many students thoroughly […]

Teaching Kids In Poverty.

Host a staff development workshop on your own, using Jensen Learning’s workshop to go. It’s a program that you can deliver school-wide with positive, practical, research-based methods that can skyrocket student achievement scores. Click here to find out how your school can overcome the challenges of teaching kids in poverty.

Student Engagement Tips: Music As A Tool

Music for Call-backs. A musical deadline can create anticipation. Use a
 set-up song; otherwise known as a cue-signal or “call-back” song to get 
attention for a beginning or start time. This song should have the following
 criteria: 1) it’s short—under 3 minutes 2) it’s has either positive lyrics or no
lyrics, 3) it ends with a […]

Help Your Students Score Higher on Your Upcoming BIG Tests

Can Relevant Research Help Your Students Score Higher on Your Upcoming BIG Tests? Let’s focus on something I ordinarily NEVER focus on: testing. As much as I dislike the types, timing, policies, content and uses of existing state and national tests (is there anything I left out?), the reality is, we’d rather our students get […]

Student Engagement Tips: Getting Attention

Better Attentional Sets. Create some anticipation for students or yourself before speaking. Use a train whistle, gong or party noisemaker. It just has to be fun, short and consistent. Rotate each week to avoid habituation by your students. Or, whenever someone is ready to speak to your group or class, he or she will use […]

Poverty and Its Effects on Learning: Why it Matters

A huge base of literature shows the inverse relationships between poverty or low socioeconomic status and health, but very few understand the connections with poverty. You can get help teaching kids in poverty. How? Start by learning about poverty and its effect on learning and behavior. Multiple studies have examined longitudinal relations between duration of […]

Student Engagement Tips to Try

Each week we’ll publish tips on Sunday to hep jump start and stimulate your classroom. The tips will also demonstrate how simple engagement strategies can pay big dividends in the classroom… Stop reading information to students. Give them a role. Every day, multiple students can have the roles of morning announcements, previews of coming attractions […]

Teachers: How Much Testing is Too Much?

You May Be Surprised at What the Research Says Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear an educator grumble about “the evils of testing.” You know what I mean: the evil empire of state and national tests that drive staff and kids into stressful zombies who learn only test-taking skills and to dislike […]

Working Memory: Time for a Research Update

“Could you remind me, what did you just say? Part 1: Research Have you ever been in one room of the house and started walking towards another room with a goal in mind… Usually, you’re thinking of a task such as, “Ive got to get that file or book from the bedroom.” Halfway to the […]