Positive classrooms They help students learn more effectively

Successful schools have non-threatening classroom environments that are free of sarcasm and put-downs, more than 250 educators were told at an April WEAC/WFT conference.

Students who are intimidated, fearful, or stressed out are far less likely to learn, said Dr. Judy Stevens, superintendent of the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas.

Students should never be afraid to make a mistake or ask simple questions, she said.

A 'brain-compatible classroom Intelligence is a function of experience. We have more than seven intelligences, not just one! The process of learning involves the extraction of meaning from confusion. Once meaning is detected, the learner must be helped to build a program for an action of behavior. Academic learning can only take place in an environment that is free of threat, provides content that is meaningful to the student in an enriched environment, and allows time, choice and feedback for the learner.

Stevens was the sole presenter at the Instruction and Professional Development / QuEST Conference at the Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc. She is an expert on brain research and its application to the classroom setting.

Our knowledge of the brain and its functioning, she said, is about where the medical profession was when it first realized that germs can be dangerous. Nonetheless, Stevens said, we do have a basic understanding of the factors which are compatible with the “brain’s rules” for meaningful teaching and learning.

Current instructional practices, she emphasized, effectively reach only 10% to 20% of students. A positive classroom environment is essential to raising those numbers.

Stevens also reminded educators there is no guarantee that what is taught is actually learned and that the student really “controls” the learning process.

Teachers who take on the role of “sage on the stage” are less likely to effectively reach students, she said. Such teachers seek to maintain complete control and dominate the classroom by lecturing and feeding information to students. That approach is contrary to what we know about how the brain functions best and how students learn, she said. And, she added, that is the case at all levels of education, from kindergarten through college.

“This doesn’t mean that education becomes a ‘free for all’ or that classrooms become chaotic,” Stevens said.

Rather, she urged educators to adopt “brain compatible” instruction. That means covering less content, but doing so in greater depth, while using a variety of instructional strategies to reinforce the learning process.

She also urged educators to adopt authentic instruction and assessment practices, and to limit the practice of having students memorize subject matter content. She made the point that memorization, although necessary at times, is not a very effective teaching strategy.

Educators should employ instructional strategies that require students to use their knowledge in performing, creating and problem-solving.

She also urged educators not to ignore the life experiences that students bring to class, the students’ levels of prior knowledge, or the important effect that feelings and emotions have on learning.

An analysis of evaluation forms for the conference showed that Stevens received “high” marks from nearly all those who attended.

- Written by Russ Allen, WEAC IPD consultant

Posted May 4, 1998