So Whole Brain Teaching is obviously a great way to engage your students, manage your classroom, and much more. I'm curious though to see what a Whole Brain Teaching classroom looks like during times of silent work. I mean the videos all do a great job of showing what the classroom atmosphere is like when teachers are physically using the methods, but what happens in the downtimes when students are queitly working at their desks? I guess it should look like any other classroom, but I'm just curious what you real Whole Brain Teachers have to say about it.

Do the Whole Brain Teaching methods have an effect on the times when students are reading, testing, doing small group work, individual work, or any other time when the Teacher is not Whole Brain Teaching?

Pretty much the only Whole Brain Teaching strategies that I use during independent work time are Scoreboard if there is misbehavior and Class-Yes to get the class's attention. However, Whole Brain Teaching definitely improves this time. For one thing, I usually only have maybe 30% of the time as "down time," since WBT allows me to extend my whole group direct instruction time. Because of the constant rhythm between me talking, individual students talking, and partner sharing, the students (and I) don't get as bored with whole-group instruction. Also, WB-Taught students are much more willing to work quietly, since they have gotten their wigglies out through talking and gesturing animatedly during lessons.

I'd have to go with Jhicks on this one.."Whole Brain Teaching" doesn't end at Direct Instruction...much of the classroom management carries over throughout the entire day, and much of what you use during DI is what helps the students during independent work and testing, etc....
However...if your question was, essentially, is there any specific thing in Whole Brain Teaching that addresses independent work, testing, group work, etc... I would say no...nothing specific. Your goal is simply to integrate the strategies as much as possible so that it becomes a natural part of your whole class, whether you're up there teaching or not.

In math a lot of times I need them to take the information I have given them and work a practice problem. Especially at my grade level, they have to get in some application time. I built this into our scoreboard - my kids call it SFT (silent, foused, thinking).

Let's say I just taught the gesture and procedure for finding the mean of a set of data. So I taught the gesture, they taught each other, I taught them how to use the gesture, they teach each other.. and now I need them to practice. I don't need them to do 30 practice problems, I only need 1 or 2. I will set the timer for 2 minutes and say, "SFT in 10, 9, 8,..." while I am counting down, they go crazy talking to their neighbor, as soon as I say one, they hit the desk (one time) and get to work. No one can talk (not even me!) during this time, they devote all of their thoughts to these one or two problems. Its like "hands and eyes" for math practice...

If everyone is on task, when the timer goes off its a point for them. If even one person is off task its a point for me (amazingly, this has not happened yet).. I don't use this everyday, and when I do use it I make sure it is after I really hyped up the energy in the room, they need the couple of minutes to rest and cool down anyway.

I think the problem with math classes is sometimes we throw all this information at them and then tell them to practice for 20 minutes, while I gripe at everyone to get to work.. Whole Brain Teaching and using SFT has elinmiated that process for me.

SReevesTX wrote:


That's a great routine. I'm curious, what do you do during that time? Envisioning it, I would be circulating the room, and would likely give a nudge to students that needed it, but with the no teacher talking rule, that wouldn't work...

I circulate the room looking at who understands and who doesn't. If someone is not on the right track, I will tap them and re-show the gesture. This helps me to know if I just need to ask for answers, and move on to the next topic, or if I actually need to
reteach and explain the problem step-by-step.

The problem in my classes is everyone wants me to hold their hand while they work problems, they are afraid to get the answer wrong. When really it is better to work it wrong, reflect and then correct their mistake. So this silent, focused time forces them to put something down and use their brains (miracle!!!)

You can get into a really effective routine.

Class-Yes! to get them focused. (1 minute or so, with Party or Groan points)

Calibrate the Volume-o-meter (1 minute or so, more points for me or them)

Hands and Eyes to explain what your goals are, and what they should have learned by the end of the class. (2-3 minutes)

New Power Vocabulary, or a review of what they have learned. (5-7 minutes)

If you are going into a new section a few minutes of micro-lecture. (5-10 minutes)

Have them do some written work- foldables, thinking maps, demonstrate in writing they understand a particularly important concept, or that sort of thing. Limit the time carefully here to keep them on task. (7 minutes, usually no more unless they are working)

Introduce new Power Vocabulary terms, call two or three students up to help teach the terms. I like to use kids who I know are either not paying attention to the term you are teaching, or who are having a hard time with that term. I can give them one on one tips right away, the "It's Cool!" makes it okay not to know the term, but when they have performed it under a little pressure, they rarely forget it again. They get to sit down to the good feelings of ten fingered woos, or cheers to a job well done, and they have taught the term to others. (5-10 minutes)

A short segment of a video, or PowerPoint. (same length of time as the age of the kids, roughly 13 minutes or so for my 8th graders)

Brainstorm with a partner and make a list on what the three most important points were. Class discussion on these points, invite disagreement, and adding to the ideas of the most important things you have learned. (3 min)

Discuss and Teach-OK, or Teach-OK with a Switch these important ideas. (5-10 Minutes)

Chris, I do something called P.R.E.P. time for math which means Prepare Your Representatives. During this time (or down time) my students are working hard to complete a handful of problems together. Every group must work cooperatively to complete the problems and explain how each problem is solved to one another. During the activity I circulate and use the Scoreboard. At the conclusion I radomly select students from each group to explain problems (usually my weaker students with some higher students mixed in). If everyone can effectively describe how problems are solved I award points to the scoreboard. Incorrect explanations, I get points. By the way, incorrect responses are also followed by the whole class shouting "That's O.k." to the student who has made the mistake.

rhopple wrote:


I love the P.R.E.P time idea... I think I may steal this!! Hope that's okay

Sara, I liked your SFT-idea and copied it with my 10th-graders on Friday - It was like a miracle. The students were absolutely silent and worked so hard and intensively it was real fun to see. The second time I tried SFT with them I gave them five minutes and it was just the same - they even asked for more! Never before had these students shown much interest in silent work.
Thanks!!! - Michael

Michael,

SFT has really helped me, but for me I only get quality SFT time if I realy hype op the energy in the room an then go straight to SFT. They need that cool down, and a chance to collect their thoughts. Then after that couple of minutes - we brng the energy right back up again. Its a big Whole Brain Teaching Math Roller Coaster!!

Good info everyone. Thanks!

I absolutely love the SFT time in math. I am new to fifth grade and I have several kids that complain they "don't get it", but it is because often either a neighbor or the student herself is talking. This sounds like a great way to practice those difficult math problems before releasing responsiblity to the students.

I use the Whole Brain Teaching strategies to help establish/explain goals for the independent work time. Telling the students what their goal is and having them restate the goal with the partner, gives you a chance to check for understanding. The Class-Yes signal allows you to bring them back for further instruction. I also use Hands and Eyes if I realize there's a mistake on the assignment or something I need to explain further. Then students can get right back to work.