Let’s talk more about neuroscience and psychological tools. And we will talk about this first.

Lessons for Teachers: General Principles

What can we learn from neuroscience? One overarching idea is that teachers and students should
transform the notion of learning from “using your brain” to “changing your brain”—embrace the amazing
plasticity of the brain (Dubinsky et al., 2013). Here are some general teaching implications drawn from
Driscoll (2005), Dubinsky and colleagues (2013), Murphy and Benton (2010), Sprenger (2010), and
Wolfe (2010):
1.Human capabilities—intelligence, communication, problem solving, and so on—emerge from each
person’s unique synaptic activity overlaid on his or her genetically endowed brain anatomy; nature and
nurture are in constant activity together. The brain can place some limits on learning in the form of
genetic brain anomalies in neural wiring or structure, but learning can occur through alternate pathways
in the brain (as Nico and Brooke demonstrate). So, there are multiple ways both to teach and to learn
a skill, depending on the student.
****An important idea in education is that individual students have different learning styles that are
associated with the way that a student prefers to learn. Every child has different learning preferences.
Some prefer to learn by seeing or hearing, others by doing, some by reading, and others by asking
questions. One thing all students have in common is that they all learn best when they incorporate items
and topics that interest them into their studies.
2. Many cognitive functions are differentiated; they are associated with different parts of the brain.
So, learners are likely to have preferred modes of processing (e.g., visual or verbal) as well as varying
capabilities in these modes. Using a range of modalities for instruction and activities that draw on
different senses may support learning—for example, using maps and songs to teach geography.
Assessment should be differentiated, too. So when we talk about differentiated, it talks about the process
of developing and providing various strategies, options, and opportunities for students to learn and
express learning. And when we differentiate assessment we always need to consider the students
background, needs, prior knowledge, strengths and weaknesses, also with higher cognitive skills,
creativity and expectations. So that we can give the best assessment fit for them.

3.The brain is relatively plastic, so enriched, active environments and flexible instructional strategies are
likely to support cognitive development in young children and learning in adults.

*** It is a brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience. It also allows our brain to adapt
and change, which helps promote:

 The ability to learn new things

 The ability to enhance our existing cognitive capabilities
 Strengthening areas if some functions are lost or decline
 Improvements that can promote brain fitness 

4.Some learning disorders may have a neurological basis; neurological testing may assist in diagnosing
and treating these disorders, as well as in evaluating the effects of various treatments.
*** Learning disability (LD) is a permanent neurological disorder that may be subtle to severe. It limits
the brain’s ability to store, process, and produce information and affects a person’s ability to speak, listen,
read, write, or do math. Learning disabilities are expected to be lifelong. Still, many children are able to
overcome the limitations of a learning disability through specialized academic programs, tutoring, and
other remediation.  It takes time, hard work, and lots of repetition. 
5.The brain can change, but it takes time, so teachers must be consistent, patient, and compassionate in
teaching and reteaching in different ways.

*** why it is important to be consistent, patient, and compassionate as teacher inside the
classroom?

So Being Consistent as teacher results in students being treated equitably, It also helps
help us to be more organized and less stressed. It also helps students feel more relaxed and
comfortable in our classroom, which increases participation and engagement. And the
more consistent we are, the more trust and respect students and their parents have for us.

It’s truly that patience is a virtue. The most important quality that a teacher should have is patience. A
great teacher is very patient with their students and their parents to deal with the same questions and
problems over and over again.  You never give up on your students and would try out new ways to help
them succeed in school.

one qualities of a teacher is being compassionate. A compassionate teacher teaches from the heart. The
heart knows what it is like to have a passion for the subject. It teaches, guiding, and allowing students to
explore to discover errors and revelations.

6.Learning from real-life problems and concrete experiences helps students construct knowledge
and also gives them multiple pathways for learning and retrieving information.
*** As educators, we have all known for a long time that learning is best done through experience -
learning by doing rather than learning by listening or observing. Authentic learning is taught in school to
real-world issues, problems, and applications; learning experiences should mirror the complexities and
ambiguities of real life. Making learning meaningful is important to children’s understanding of the
learning concepts and the world around them. Teachers make learning meaningful when they, link new
learning to children’s previous experience, relate concepts to children’s lives and provide children with
hands-on learning.
7.The brain seeks meaningful patterns and connections with existing networks, so teachers should
tie new information to what students already understand and help them form new connections.
*** Information that is not linked to existing knowledge will be easily forgotten. Experiences that do not
encourage the children to make meaning from their learning will quickly be forgotten. Any learning
experience should aim to instill authenticity into every task, lesson and unit to ensure that ‘students are
[able] to develop problem solving skills and confidence in their own learning abilities’. It is only with this
confidence that children are then able to use the skills and knowledge learned beyond the classroom
walls. To prepare students for life outside school, we need to develop children who can make meaning of
their learning; this is done by making links between previous learning and new learning, from one subject
to another.
8.It takes a long time to build and consolidate knowledge. Numerous visits in different contexts over time
(not all at once) help to form strong, multiple connections.
*** The construction of knowledge is an active process that happens through individual or social
engagement. This implies that we teachers, should provide learners opportunities to socially and
individually engage in the process of making meaning by using participatory methods. Learners are not
passive receptors; they should be engaged in active learning and supported in the construction of
meaning, beyond the classic repertoire of listening, reading, and memorizing. In addition, teachers should
create contexts where learners can engage in dialogue in order to construct a shared meaning and
understanding of the topic addressed.

The construction of knowledge is also fostered by authentic and real-world environments. Teachers
should include relevant problems and experiences that can be linked to the real world within the learning
process. At the same time, we should capitalize on the learning that is happening outside of our classroom
context, in the life of our participants, in their individual and social environments, in spontaneous or
planned experiences, and on the richness of their cultural background.
9.Large, general concepts should be emphasized over small specific facts so students can build enduring,
useful knowledge categories and associations that are not constantly changing.
*** Concepts help a child to understand about direction, location, position, number, quantity, sequence, attributes,
dimension, size and similarities and differences. It is important for learner to have a good understanding of different
concepts as it assists in their ability to follow instructions and be specific in what they are talking about.

10.Stories should be used in teaching. Stories engage many areas of the brain—memories, experiences,
feelings, and beliefs. Stories also are organized and have a sequence—beginning, middle, end—so they
are easier to remember than unrelated or unorganized information.
*** We often give stories to our students, but how often do we tell them a story? Children have an innate
love of stories. Stories create magic and a sense of wonder at the world. Stories teach us about life, about
ourselves and about others. Storytelling is a unique way for students to develop an understanding, respect
and appreciation for other cultures, and can promote a positive attitude to people from different lands,
races and religions. Young Learners share a remarkable variety of personal experiences, values and ways
of understanding. The language they learn in the classroom is the tool they use to shape their thoughts and
feelings. It is more than a way of exchanging information and extending ideas, it is their means of
reaching out and connecting with other people. Stories can link not only between the world of classroom
and home but also between the classroom and beyond. Stories provide a common thread that can help
unite cultures and provide a bridge across the cultural gap.
11.Helping students understand how activity (practice, problem solving, making connections,
inquiry, etc.) changes their brain and how emotions and stress affect attention and memory can be
motivating, leading to greater self-efficacy and self-regulated learning (we talk more about this in
Chapter 11).
*** Students have the right to learn and to be free to express their opinions, feelings and ideas. One
important message to students is that they are responsible for doing what it takes to change their own
brains; you have to work to learn, to do their best, to complete class task and to respect others’ opinions,
feelings and ideas.