Nermin Fialkowski
7 October, 2018
Chapter Two powerful ideas from Your reflection on the concepts
this chapter own students
Chapter 1: Meet your 1. The brain is constantly
amazing brain changing and adapting to our
life and experiences. These
adaptations can modify our
genetic material.
2. “Learning” is a physical
process, Long-Term
Potentiation (LTP). Neurons
“learn” how to respond to each
other. Neurons move closer
together and recall information
faster, when accessed
frequently.
Chapter 2: Preparing the 1. Parents have the most
brain for school influence over brain
development, which prepares
students for learning.
Although sometimes students
come to school unprepared to
learn, it is our (teachers) duty
to help them get there.
2. Getting the brain ready for
school has three categories: 1-
academics, 2- emotional and
social skills, and 3- nutrition
and health. These skills are
usually reinforced during the
ages of 2-5. These skills can
still be addressed at an older
age, but have a lasting effect if
nurtured earlier.
Week One Assignment
The brain has the ability to change and
grow based on environment. Because of
this, we can teach our students new
skills. Improvement is always possible!
Aside from teaching content, we can
expose our students to new experiences
and structure. For example, teaching
study skills. Once neurons have
connected to each other, to demonstrate
the learning, recall can be strengthen by
repeated/constant exposure.
Students come to class with various
readiness levels. In addition to various
levels of development in the areas of:
emotions, sensory motor development,
auditory development and vision. It is
our job as teachers to meet all students’
needs and help them reach the next
development and readiness milestone.
Students’ readiness levels vary by subject
and specific skill. In order to help
students achieve the next milestone in
their readiness level, they must be well
prepared. This preparation happens in
three categories: academics, emotional
and social skills, and nutrition and health.
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How you might use these ideas with your
Every student has the ability to change.
Because of this, they can always improve.
Instead of becoming discouraged with
students when they lack an expected skill,
know that they still have the opportunity to
learn that skill. Through new experiences
and modeling, student can meet your
expectations. One thing I have noticed with
my students is that they do not know how to
prepare for their math assessments. So I
need to provide them with the structure of
how to appropriately study for their
assessments. Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)
is reinforced with constant exposure. In my
class, assessments are spiraled. This
provides constant exposure to the content
material, to reinforce content knowledge.
The brain development for getting students
ready for school is between the ages of 2-5.
Currently I teach 16-18 year olds, so I need
to focus on nurturing the teenage brain,
which is at a very fragile stage. This will be
done by modeling, being understanding and
supportive, repeating directions and
expectations, and having open and honest
discussions about life. Nurturing the teenage
brain will help me advance students to the
next development and readiness milestone.
Chapter 4: Movement 1. Learning and movement is
and learning processed in the same part of
the brain.
2. Physical education is key
for supporting brain function,
but a large number of students
go through the school day
without any physical
education program.
Chapter 5: Emotional 1. Emotions help students
states remember things better and
form more concrete memories.
2. Students need to be in an
appropriate emotional state
ready to learn.
Chapter 6: Physical 1. Physical environments have
environments for learning an effect on the brain and
academic success.
2. Student seating for optimal
learning goes beyond seating
students next to supportive
peers.
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Because learning and movement happen
in the same part of the brain, movement
heavily influences learning. There are
relationships between movement and
vision, language, and memory. These
relationships strengthen the brain’s
ability to predict, sequence, order, and
practice. An increase in exercise,
produces an increase of oxygen to the
brain, which increases brain function.
But unfortunately, more than 60% of
students in the U.S. do not participate in
any physical education program.
All of the emotions in the human brain
produce chemical reactions to the human
body. Emotions help produce an
overstimulated brain which releases more
chemical signals, which helps students
recall information better. As well as,
build more concrete memories. Before a
student can learn, they must be ready and
well prepared to learn. Otherwise, the
students will not learn. This includes
being in an appropriate emotional state.
The good thing about students’ emotional
states is that they are influential. As a
teacher, we can influence students’
emotional states, so that they can be
ready to learn.
There are five main physical variables
that contribute to academic success:
seating, temperature, lighting, noise, and
building design. Seating deals with the
arrangement of desks and chairs.
Temperature should be between 68-72 to
make learning more manageable.
Students need to be exposed to natural
With the increase of exercise and oxygen to
the brain, brain function increases in addition
to the number of neuron connections.
Exercise also improves social skills.
Exercise has nothing but positive effects on
the brain and learning. Because of these
benefits, I will include more movement into
my classroom. My high school students
have 6/7 class periods, each day, for 1 hour.
I can only imagine that students are sitting at
their desk for at least 5 hours a day, Monday-
Friday. I plan on incorporating movement
into my class at least three times a day. To
give students the opportunity to get up and
move around the classroom to increase blood
flow to the brain.
Students’ brains need to be emotionally
stimulated to help with learning, recall, and
retention. It is helpful to remember that
students’ emotional states can always be
changed. My goal is to get students more
emotionally involved with the content. This
will be done by hooking and engaging
students with the material. Additional
strategies that I will use include role-
modeling, physical activity, and getting
personal. Currently, my school has a focus
on personal relationships with students
through Restorative Practices.
To create the best learning environment that
I can for my students, I need to do the best
that I can with what I have, and have the
ability to change. Although I have no say in
the actual design of my classroom building, I
can use the large windows in my room to
provide plenty of natural light into my
classroom. I have no control over the

Chapter 7: Managing the 1. Social environments and
social brain experiences shape and change
the human brain.
2. Students come with various
social cognitive skills, and it
slowly matures until students
reach their teen years and even
until their 20s.
Chapter 9: Critical 1. Students need to be taught
thinking skills how to solve problems.
Students need to be taught
how to be students.
2. Students emotions effect
their learning
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light, to have a positive effect on their
learning. Noise must be manageable to
provide students with the opportunity to
hear and learn the content. And the
building design (classroom) should also
include appropriate colors, space to
move, and even smell to help promote
learning.
Seating arrangements for optimal
learning has more factors than just who
students sit next too. It includes the type
of desk and chairs in the classroom
(attached/detached), set up in rows or
groups, and space between desks.
Social environments, experiences, and
interactions alter students’ brains. And
since schools are social places, also they
change students’ brains. Because of this,
we as teachers, need to take responsibly
about how we are shaping students’
brains. Social cognitive skills vary from
student to student. And often times these
social skills need to be taught. One of
the best ways to foster these social skills
are to place students in groups during
learning opportunities.
Students have the ability and capacity to
solve problems. Our brains were
designed to do so. But these skills need
to be developed. Essentially, students
need to learn how to be students. It takes
time to learn and cultivate these skills.
Students’ ability to think critically, is
depended on their emotional state. In
order to think critically, students must be
able to manage their emotional states.
And students HAVE the ability to
manage their emotional states.
thermostat, but I can open and close the
windows and door as needed. Additionally,
the furniture in my classroom is already set,
but I am able to place students in rows with
their desks and attached chairs, which can
easily be moved into groups of 4. This
movement between rows and groups calls for
a balance of goals between collaboration and
individual work.
Students spend a considerable amount of
their time in school, which has the ability to
change their brains. Because of this major
influence, it is important to provide students
with positive social interactions.
Additionally, students can develop their
social skills through positive social
interactions. For me to nurture these positive
social interactions, I will have students work
in groups for cooperative learning. At times
these social skills need to be taught, and that
will be done through Restorative Practices,
which apart of my school’s culture.
For students to solve problems, they need
critical thinking skills. And these skills need
to be developed. I will cultivate these skills
by: modeling, processing time, time to
develop skill, motivation, encouragement,
and probing questions.
For students to be able to participate and
benefit from these activities used to build
critical thinking skills, they must be in the
appropriate emotional state. Students will
learn how to be cognitively aware of their
emotional states. So that they can manage
their own emotional states. These will be
 done through open communication about
their feelings and experiences through
Restorative Practices.
Chapter 11: Brain-based 1. Brain-based teaching should When teaching with the brain in mind, it One thing that I need to incorporate more
teaching be happening at all times, is a conscience effort that happens at all into my curriculum is preparing a physical
during class, in every part of times of the curriculum. Before, during, environment that promotes a positive
the curriculum. and after teaching. Before teaching we learning environment. To do this, I will be
2. Even though students have must plan on how to present the material up-to-date on my Word Walls, display more
learned the content, and the to students for optimal learning. Also, student work, and include more vibrant and
connections have been made, preparing a physical environment that motivating posters. I am constantly
those connections are promotes a positive learning reviewing material in my class, to help
constantly changing. So, it is environment. During teaching we must solidify the material. Every day when
important to review every day. engage, frame, build, elaborate, and students walk into my class they have a
connect the content. After instruction, Warm-Up to work on during the first 5-7
we must provide students the opportunity minutes of class. These Warm-Up questions
to rest and process the information. vary in review type. Some of them include
Additionally, students need constant concepts from the previous day, chapter, and
exposure and review to past material to even class. It is a great way to practice
solidify learning. After student have previous skills/knowledge needed for a new
learned the material it is important that content. Additionally, my assessments are
they learn it again, and again. Over time spiraled with previous content, so that
students will forget things. Connections students always have the opportunity to
are lost as time goes on and students demonstrate their learning.
learn new things. Because of this, it is
important to include some type of review
every day.
Conclusion: Write a one I learned a lot in these eight chapters of Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen. The most valuable things I learned
paragraph summary on were: 1- brain-based teaching should be happening at all times, during class, in every part of the curriculum, 2- the brain is
what you learned and constantly changing and adapting to our life and experiences. These adaptations can modify our genetic material, 3- students
how you will use this need to be in an appropriate emotional state so that they can learn, and 4- students need to be taught how to solve problems.
knowledge with your Students need to be taught how to be students. Moving forward, I will be more conscience about having my entire curriculum
own students. focus on brain-base teaching. It is something that needs to be done before, during, and after instruction. Not just during
instructional time. Since the brain is constantly changing and adapting to our life and experiences, it reinforces the fact that
students have the ability to change. Because of this, they can always improve. Instead of becoming discouraged when
students lack an expected skill, I know that they still have the opportunity to learn that skill. Through new experiences and
modeling, student can meet my expectations. Students also have the ability to change their emotional state. Which is an
important factor of learning, because if students are not in an appropriate emotional learning state, they will not be receptive to
the content. My goal is to get students more emotionally involved with the content. This will be done by hooking and
engaging students with the material. Additional strategies that I will use include role-modeling, physical activity, and getting
personal. Currently, my school has a focus on personal relationships with students through Restorative Practices. Lastly,
4
 aside from teaching the content material, students need to be taught critical thinking skills. But these skills need to be
developed. Essentially, students need to learn how to be students. It takes time to learn and cultivate these skills. I will
cultivate these skills by: modeling, processing time, time to develop skill, motivation, encouragement, and probing questions.