Starting the year off with the brain in mind
I am planning for the coming year and as I am doing so the impact of my learning about the brain is evident in the choices I am making… The brain grows and develops from the bottom up, the brain stem first, followed by the limbic system and then the cerebral cortex, with the prefrontal cortex doing it’s major work during puberty. It occurred to me today that my planning reflects this process using Glenn Capelli's Magic Brain model, along with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. ( For more about the Magic Brain model check out this link ) I start with addressing the basic needs first. Belonging: It is said that belonging is an innate human need and so it is the first thing that we work on together. Learning chant: Room 5 has a name, it is called The Place to Stretch and Grow. We start with a class learning chant which encapsulates how we will work as a class together and our school values. This is now a tradition in Room 5, so the poem is passed to each new group of students that j...