Lab 3 Pre-Work: Understanding the Brain States

This workshop we will explore classroom management tools through the lens of the three brain states. Having a basic understanding of the brain states provides us with insight into how we can set ourselves up for success in managing our classrooms more efficiently and effectively. 

Watch: TEDx- Wiring the Brain for Success

Reflect: As you take time to reflect, please try to put your own judgment aside and answer honestly. These may not be comfortable things to reflect on. I am asking you to reflect on these things so that we can try to put ourselves back in the shoes of a child to relate to how they might feel. 

 If you feel like you have not experienced some of these things personally, please try to think outside of yourself. Did you see this happen to a family member, friend, student, on a tv show or movie?

Reflection Questions

1. Have you ever experienced the survival state? How did you feel when you were in that state? What happened physically, mentally, and emotionally? If people were around you what did they do? Did it help you or make it worse? What helped you to come out of it? How did you feel afterwards? 

2. Have you ever experienced the emotional state? How did you feel when you were in that state? What happened physically, mentally, and emotionally? If people were around you what did they do? Did it help you or make it worse? What helped you to come out of it? How did you feel afterwards? 

3. Have you ever experienced the executive state? How did you feel when you were in that state? What happened physically, mentally, and emotionally? What allowed you to be in that state of mind? How did you feel afterwards? 

4. Have you ever seen any of your students experience survival or emotional state? How did it feel to you as a teacher? How did you react to your student, what did you say, do etc? How did the other students react? How did the situation resolve?

Lesson Plan and Template: 

Lesson Plan: Examine your lesson plan through the lens of this month’s lecture, and add at least one teaching strategy that will support classroom management and student engagement in your classroom. 

Template: Use the above reflection and frame to add a reflective question to your lesson plan template. Ask yourself: What question or prompt would remind me to think through student engagement and set up the classroom with intentional procedures?  

Implementation of strategies and video check 

Over the next few weeks, focus on:

1.  Using the credible and approachable stance paired with vocal inflection.

2. Disrupting the disruptor that we worked on the session.

Before December 15th (your discussion session), take a 30 minute video of yourself teaching and watch back to check in on the two strategies above. 

Notice how the implementation of the two strategies are going. Notice how the students react to your use of them.

Procedure Implementation

Create an outline of a procedure that you want to implement in the upcoming year. It can be about setting up a learning space, or how to use the breathing techniques or anything else that you feel would be helpful for you and your students in your classroom. 

For the discussion session, bring your procedure outline and be ready to share about how your implementation strategies and video went. 

As we conclude Lab 3, you're encouraged to journal and reflect on some or all of the following prompts:

1. How has it been implementing the strategies into your classrooms? Have you seen any changes?

2. How have you seen the brain state models come into play inside or outside the classroom?

3. Do you feel like you struggle with being credible or approachable? If so, which one is your stronger one and weaker one? How are you working to make your weaker one stronger?

4. When do most of your management issues arise during classes? What strategies or procedures could you implement to help curtail some of these moments?