Brain Based

5 Ways to a Better Life and Better Brain in 2018

Still deciding what to add to your list of New Year’s resolutions? If you are like many, you might have set a goal that has something to do with health, weight, or fitness. As you wonder whether you really want to spend the next 12 months staring at a Fitbit, a scale, or health goals list, may I suggest you flip that scale upside down and set a new goal to bring your numbers WAY up?

Up?? Seriously??? That’s right!

I’m suggesting you work this year to increase one of the most important numbers in your body and brain that researchers have ever discovered. Before you think I completely lost my mind over the holiday season, hear me out… Read more

Brian Based

How to Improve Brain Function and Reverse Poverty’s Impact on Student Learning

Poverty is everyone’s problem. The “new normal” in U.S. public schools is that 51 percent of all students come from low-income families. This has far-reaching consequences because of poverty’s effect on a child’s brain. Read more

5 Things Every Educator Should Know About Cognitive Capacity

Now, it seems like everybody wants to boost their student’s cognitive skills these days, so let’s explore what every educator should know about the topic.

Read more
Brain Based Teaching

How to Boost Engagement and Effort in 3 Simple Steps (Part 3 of 4)

Starting up after the holidays can be a bit of a challenge. But this month’s newsletter has answers for you. This will be the 3rd of a four-part series on the real “how to” for student engagement and effort. Read more

Boost Student Engagement and Effort in 6 Simple Steps

student engagement brain-based

You may not have big challenges getting your students to work hard in school, but many of your colleagues DO have a tough time. At least that’s what they tell me! This is the first of a 4-part series on the real “how to” for student engagement and effort.

The first six steps you should know about are… Read more

You Can Be Running Your Own Brain Even Better…

Brain Based Teaching 

Discover the Hidden “Map” of Your Emotions

You may not know this man’s name, yet you see the results of his work all the time. His work shows up when you go through a TSA security line at the airport. His work shows up in the movie you loved watching (“Inside Out” by Disney/Pixar) and his work shows up in the classroom where you can get an insight into student behaviors. He has influenced the Dali Lama and met with him many times.

The one researcher you should know about is…

The Research

The one researcher you should know about is Dr. Paul Ekman. Why?

In the classroom, teachers often get upset with a student’s behavior. Inappropriate behaviors will likely puzzle, frustrate, or irritate teachers who have less experience teaching students raised differently than themselves. Still, it’s important to avoid labeling, demeaning, or blaming students. Truth is, many students simply do NOT know HOW to behave. Read more

Facilitating change within schools

WALKERTOWN, N.C. — School isn’t in session yet, but hundreds of educators with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System are already hard at work. Everyone gathered at Walkertown High School is participating in the 2nd Annual Collaborative Learning Conference.

Keynote Speaker Eric Jensen’s message focused on facilitating change within schools and helping the most vulnerable population-students living in poverty- succeed. “My message to teachers is you have far more influence than you think you do, and working with students from poverty can actually be meaningful and even joyful once you have the skillset that can make it all happen,” Jensen said.

“Kids really learn when you bring it to life for them,” Craps said. “We spend so much time teaching the outside world from the inside and being immersed in it for 9 days really helped me realize that I need to take my students outside into the natural world to let them learn about what`s out there, and to explore and let them be curious.”

1,200 staff members attended the conference over a two-day period in early August.

PD Transfer

Professional Development for Teachers

Sometimes readers like you (or I) TRY SO HARD to make changes, then, something simple comes along that seems to make it appear to be so much easier.

Whether you attended my June or July sessions this summer, or ANY other professional development in the last two months, this article is for you. This issue speaks to the power of one or two persons who can make an amazing difference in a school. Yes, that’s all it took to start good things at this high poverty school.

You want to know WHAT they did and HOW they did it? Read more

Dicover How Poverty Changes a Child’s Brain and Ability to Learn

poverty-new-realityPoverty’s Effect on Working Memory

Article from Scientific Learning

If you have a student who simply doesn’t respond well to your directions, listen up.

The student may have weak working memory, a skill that cognition experts say we should be increasingly concerned about because it’s a leading predictor of poor academic success. Eric Jensen, Ph.D., an educator, author and human development specialist who studies brain cognition, says students who appear not to be trying hard enough may see dramatic improvement when we focus on cognitive skills.

Educators, he says, can actually improve cognitive capacity, specifically, working memory and even IQ by using relevant teaching strategies. “DNA is not your destiny”, he adds, saying that students from poverty do not need to repeat their parents’ lack of educational success.  Read more

Adopt Mindsets That Break Through the Poverty Barrier

PSRT Vol 1 CvrIn Eric Jensen’s latest book, you’ll discover practical and research-based strategies to ensure all students, regardless of circumstance, are college and career ready. This thorough resource details the necessary but difficult work that teachers must do to establish the foundational changes essential to positively impact students in poverty. Organized tools and resources are provided to help teachers effectively implement these essential changes.

  • Understand the urgency of poverty in the United States.
  • Adopt four powerful mindsets to bring change.
  • Build effective relationships with students, and help them see achievement as a reachable target.
  • Create a welcoming classroom climate where all students love to learn and are engaged for success.

In teaching, you have to believe that every single student can improve a great deal and that you’re willing and able to make it happen. You have to believe that you are the biggest difference maker in each student’s life.” —Poor Students, Rich Teaching

Order it today!