All of Whole Brain Teaching’s instructional techniques (see the “First Steps” menu) are validated by contemporary brain research.

Class-Yes: Our primary attention-getter activates the prefrontal cortex, often called the CEO of the brain. The prefrontal cortex controls, among other functions, decision making, planning and focus of attention. Little if any learning can take place if the prefrontal cortex is not engaged. We think of the Class-Yes as a brain switch that readies students for instruction.

The Scoreboard: The limbic system, deep inside the brain, is the source of our emotions. When an instructor marks a Smiley or a Frowny on the Scoreboard, students feel a small, positive or negative, emotional jolt. By enlivening the marking routine with a “mighty oh yeah” or a “mighty groan” the reward circuitry in the limbic system is activated.

Teach-Okay: Brain and learning research indicates that students learn the most when they are engaged in teaching each other. By emphasizing energetic, instructional gesturing, we engage, during teach-okay sessions, five of students' most powerful brain areas: visual cortex (seeing gestures), motor cortex (making gestures), Broca’s area (verbalizing a lesson), Wernicke’s area (hearing a lesson), and the limbic system, (giving emotional content to a lesson.)

Hands and Eyes: When we are making an important point, we want students to focus intensely on what we are saying. In the hands of a practiced WBT instructor, Hands and Eyes creates instant silence, eliminating all learning distractions; the prefrontal cortex takes control of brain activity focusing the visual cortex and the auditory cortex on the lesson at hand.

Switch: Some students talk easily, often too easily! Other students fall into the role of passive listeners. In terms of brain structure, classes are often divided between those who are Brocaians (speakers) and Wernikites (listeners). By using Switch, an instructor can easily teach listening skills to the speakers and speaking skills to the listeners.

Mirror: Many brain scientists believe that we learn by mirroring the gestures and activities of others. They have identified mirror neurons scattered throughout the brain that are activated by mimicking the behavior we observe. Our own experience in WBT classroom indicates that when a class mirrors our gestures and, when appropriate, repeats our words, a powerful learning bond is created between students and teachers.

All of WBT’s instructional strategies have been rigorously classroom tested, many for over 10 years. Based on feedback that we receive at conferences, on our website and via emails from hundreds of teachers across the country, we are constantly refining our techniques.  
Our initial, and primary, research goal was to create a system that instructors would willingly adopt. We believe there is a direct correlation between the effectiveness of a classroom management system and an instructor's enthusiastic implementation of the system. Over the last five years, we have asked instructors at the end of our seminars to answer one question:

Compared to other teaching systems that you are familiar with, Whole Brain Teaching is: 
a. much better 
b. better 
c. about the same 
d. worse 
e. much worse

In one of the largest surveys of its kind, we have polled over 2,000 K-12 educators in California, Arizona, Texas, Montana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama. The results have been astounding. Seventy percent of instructors rated our system “much better” and 28% rated it “better.” The results are close to unanimous; 98% of educators believe WBT is superior to every other teaching system.  We believe no other instructional strategy can match these numbers.

Our research continues. In poverty level schools in San Jacinto, California in a district that is 98% free and reduced lunch and 80% Hispanic, students' reading scores in WBT classrooms showed a 12% increase, in three months, over students in non-WBT settings.  At San Jacinto Elementary, a team of fourth grade teachers achieved significant results using Whole Brain Teaching  with over 120 students.  As compared with the previous year, math scores on state tests advanced a remarkable 28%.

Individual WBT instructors across the country report their state test scores exceed those of traditional teachers by 20-30%. Three schools in Hemet, California who have adopted WBT have seen decreases in office referrals and suspensions by as much as 50% in a two year period.

In an intriguing new study from Detroit, Michigan, "Integrating Whole Brain Teaching Strategies to Create a More Engaged Learning Environment," Jesame Torres Palasigue evaluated 9 types of student negative behaviors.  The behaviors included head on hand or desk, complaining, staring into space, engaging in off task activities, being out of the proper seat.  Palasigue measured the frequency of these behaviors with fifth graders before and after the students were introduced to Whole Brain Teaching.  Palasigue reports, "Overall, there was a 50% decrease in student negative behaviors from the pre-observation to the post-observation.  The frequency of the nine listed behaviors during the pre-observation markedly decreased in the post-observation."  Palasigue's study is published online in Education Resources Information Center, the world's largest digital library of education literature.

Linda Mikels, a strong supporter of WBT and principal of 6th Street Prep in Victorville, one of the top ranked elementary schools in California, reports a remarkable increase in API ratings.  Scores soared from  632 in 2002 to 938 in 2009.  Mikels attributes a substantial portion of her school's success to her staff's implementation of Whole Brain Teaching.

Despite these successes, we are most proud of the remarkable teacher support we have received since 1999. As of February 2010, over 18,000 teachers have registered on our web site, WholeBrainTeaching.com and have downloaded over 10 million pages of our free ebooks. Our videos on YouTube and TeacherTube average 1,000+ views per day and total over 1,000,000 views.

Yes, Whole Brain Teaching is hiring!  While the rest of the economy goes into the dumpster, there’s always a booming market in challenging kids!

WBT videos have received over 1,500,000 views on the Internet. Educators have downloaded more than 10,000,000 pages of our free ebooks.  We’re growing like spring weeds!

We are looking for Whole Brain Teaching Interns who we will train to make one day presentations to schools and conferences about our methods.  If selected, you will join our jolly, high energy staff of trainers to infuse Whole Brain Teaching into our nation’s classrooms.

Requirements

You must have one year of classroom experience in using WBT techniques including: Class-Yes, the Scoreboard, Teach-Okay, Mirror, Hands and Eyes, Switch, Practice Cards, Guff Counter and Independents. Applicants should have classroom experience with WBT’s reading, math and state standards ebooks (see “Free Downloads” for a complete selection).

Application

Please email a letter of application describing your education and teaching background, with special focus on your experience with Whole Brain Teaching, to Chris Rekstad at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The application process is open throughout the year; there is no deadline for applying.  If accepted, you will be assigned a WBT mentor to guide you through the free, one year training process.

Your apprenticeship will include a minimum of three posts weekly on the forum at WholeBrainTeaching.com, weekly updates to a blog describing your WBT experience and the production of three short videos (5-7 minutes) demonstrating your WBT classroom skills.  In addition, you will be required to attend, at your own cost, two WBT conferences.

Salary

Whole Brain Teaching trainers are in high demand around the U.S. Typical assignments are for one day presentations and include all travel expenses and a generous hourly salary.