Are You Afraid to Use This with Your Students?
I must admit my huge bias up front. I have been writing about, training, and pushing this type of learning for decades. I am biased that kids can learn, remember, think, and achieve much more in less time than we believe.
Unfortunately, the “bar” has been set low for so long that some educators have started to believe student proficiency is a fool’s game. That’s a lie some tell themselves. Lean in and lock in. You’re about to learn how to do what seems impossible.
Did you ever wonder if kids could possibly learn more in the same length of time? Ever wonder if we could make them “smarter” than before? If you’ve had those thoughts, keep reading. This type of learning is known as “Accelerated Learning.” It is a method of practice that helps the learner to encode, recall, and then USE information or skills more efficiently and in less time than traditional methods.
The Research
Let’s begin with the mystery. We’re discovering that there are some gaps in the experience many kids have at school – too much of this and not enough of that. Over time, that adds up. Today we know accelerated learning demonstrates the powerful interaction among the emotions, mind, and body.
For the sake of brevity, I’ll define accelerated learning as “a method of study that helps the learner to encode, recall, and then USE information (or skills) more easily, efficiently, and quicker than traditional methods.”
What makes it work well? First, it’s almost a “master’s soup” of processes that have been slowly teased out and come to the forefront for instruction. From my point of view, accelerated learning techniques also reduce the friction that’s present in many classrooms. The friction includes sloppy transitions, stressed students or teachers, fuzzy and unclear content, lack of buy-in, and lack of learn-to-learn skills (memory, attention, organizing, retrieval, etc.)
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Accelerated learning uses music, which can be used to encode learning with emotions (Sala & Gobet, 2020; Vilhunen, Chiu, Salmela-Aro, Lavonen & Juuti, 2022). It naturally emphasizes the power of high expectations (Andrews & Gutwein, 2017; Trinidad, 2019) throughout the semester or year. It uses priming, which we know works well (Dobbins, Schnyer, Verfaellie & Schacter, 2004).
Another feature is the use of nonverbals which eases the feel of direct instruction. It can become a back-and-forth dance when both parties are in concert communicating (Carney, Cuddy & Yap, 2015). It uses the body to learn, including movement, energizers (Erwin, Fedewa, Beighle & Ahn, 2012) and gesturing – known to add clarity and long-term memory (Cook, Friedman, Duggan, Cui & Popescu, 2017) when used in the classroom.
Practical Applications
Before you begin using this methodology, know what you’re up against. Be honest with yourself. If you struggle with bringing energy to your workplace daily, start asking new questions. Find a way to get your “mojo” back. Also, go after reducing friction in the classroom. Raise your energy, remove any unnecessary time-wasters, and reduce stress for both you and your students. Why?
In one study, experimenters used induced money worries before a test. The stress forced a drop in cognitive function in those in the study. The drop was comparable to a massive 13-point dip in IQ. Yes, stress impairs clear thinking. The same is true for your students. Use de-stressors daily in class (press & release, slow nasal breathing, tense and release shoulders, etc.). Until you regulate student stress (and your own), your chances for success are low. When stressed, students and educators are in just a survival mentality. I have invested two decades in learning to manage my own stress better. To give you some ideas on stress management, get my complimentary PDF: “15 Ways to Destress” at: jensenlearning.com/equity-resources/ .
Lower the stress in your personal life, reduce the relevance of the situation, or gain control over yourself or the event. Here are some suggestions: Take an action (do something!) or write it down for later • Redirect Your Attention / Move On • Burn off Energy (play / work out) • Reframe experiences as excitement • Mindfulness / Meditation / Self-talk • Talk it over with a Friend / Hugs • Slow nose breathing.
And now, academically…
1. Remember, DNA is not destiny. Build student assets via cognitive skills that have a huge impact on student learning. Where should you focus? Academic vocabulary is a great start. Using graphic organizers can have a strong impact on learning. Finally, teaching short-term and working memory is critical. Yes, I know the research on it, but here’s a real-world example.
Years ago, I ran a contest on our website looking for “extreme schools.” The winner was a small school in central Florida, which ranked 1,501 out of 1,503 schools in the state. That’s extremely bad. I provided this FL school with a free in-person, full-day PD. I focused on accelerated learning tools; memory, relevancy, and movement. The staff locked in and raised student scores at their school from the bottom one percentile in the state to the fiftieth percentile (the middle of the state) in just two years. That’s ridiculously good! Want to find out how to teach working memory skills for free? Go to: Jensenlearning.com/workingmemory.
2. Harder makes you smarter. Grow brains daily. Here are three quick ways: use grade-level curriculum (never dumb it down), increase difficulty with daily rigor, use layering, and teach problem-solving. Use affirmations and encouragement to let students know they can succeed. Examples would be to say, “You got this!” or “You did something like this before and did well.” or “I know you; you’ll figure this out. If not, raise your hand for an assist.” I use priming often to “set the table” for learning, as well as connecting their past to their present.
Can you make kids smarter? Over three years, an experimental (and randomized) group of high school students increased their IQ 10-15 points over the control group (Stankov & Lee, 2020). That’s unheard of; how did it happen? They were taught impossibly hard problem-solving for one hour each week. Yes, brains can change (if you really want it). Make your class safe, and help your kids feel supported. Then, your class motto could be, “Harder makes us smarter.”
3. Raise your expectations. You’ve heard this for years, but here’s a different spin. Your expectations are only predictions. But our predictions are only based on our past experiences and biases. You can only predict in kids what you have either seen before or can do yourself. You’re not a fortune-teller. Here are three ways to raise expectations.
First, raise expectations for yourself. Start a new path this year (better eating, less stress, or more movement). Create a tracking system for your own progress and share it weekly with your kids. They can help you celebrate your journey.
In your students, stop looking for potential; they’ve all got it! Many kids show zero potential in school, yet they are late bloomers. Assume the best anyways! Be explicit. Say to your students, “You can absolutely become anybody or do anything you want in life. I believe in you 100%.”
Influence the students before and during the learning. I have been a big fan of using slower music to calm students down and faster music to rev up their brains. I’ve used instrumentals for the background when they’re thinking or writing. I’ve used pop songs to connect learners to a topic or situation. I’ve used music for affirmations to remind students of who they are and can be. Using music is like having a second asset in the room. After decades of using music in my classes and trainings, I wouldn’t teach without it.
4. Re-think relationships. Here’s what matters most for kids.
The most critical things kids care about are getting the “right” answers from their teacher when they internally ask some important Qs. Here are the questions kids care about: “Is my teacher an ally?” (or an adversary?), “Does my teacher truly believe that I can succeed in class?”, “Will I be respected?”, “Is my voice heard and the class relevant to me?”, “Do I belong in an academically challenging, diverse class?”, “Am I safe?”. In my own life, when certain teachers connected with me by answering those Qs, I became unstoppable in class. That type of connection matters (a lot).
Here’s all you need to know about relationships. Be kind, be supportive, and get the Qs above answered ASAP. The longer you wait, the worse your students will do. Help students feel supported, capable, respected, and safe in the first week of the year (or semester). Start early, and you’ll accelerate the learning.
5. Movement, gesturing, and energizers matter. I have advocated for years about the power of movement in learning. I have written about it extensively, and the evidence continually confirms the role of movement. I use gesturing for math and learning sentence structure. I am well known for movement and fun in my trainings.
My understanding of the brain is that we all have our rhythms of higher and lower energy. Strong teachers help the class “get in synch” over time. Kids can move their faces and hands for fine-motor movements (hands, facial expressions, and energy) every 5-10 minutes. Plus, they need to move their body for gross motor movement every 15-20’ with walks, marching/ jumping steps, dancing, and Follow the Leader activities.
Energizers will raise blood circulation in the body and brain and increase noradrenaline production, which fosters long-term memory and narrowed focus. Movement also fosters dopamine levels (which support effort, working memory, and good mood.) Energizers can raise serotonin when they are rhythmic and slower. In short, you get “upgraded brains” in your class with increased energy. Happy bodies can lead to happy brains.
Just for you… Will this work for you? I don’t know you, so I cannot answer that question. My guess, if you really want to accelerate learning, you’ll find a way. What I can reveal is that in my early thirties, I co-founded an academic accelerated enrichment program that has been held in 14 countries with over 75,000 graduates. We were featured on CNN, Good Morning America, and in 200 newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal. Yes, I do know how to do what works. Do you think I am an exception? Actually, there are thousands of teachers that are exceptions.
Don’t try to be like me; be a better version of you. Find a mentor to believe in who you are and who will challenge you. Your biggest challenge? Your brain may say, “This looks like hard work. I just don’t have the time.” That’s junk mail; your brain is always looking to conserve energy. Delete the pessimism and charge ahead. Success does take hard work. But once you put in the work, it’s just another habit that you do automatically. Be in charge of your own brain. I have faith in you; you, too, can do this.
Email:
Mail:
Phone:
Fax:
