The Brain-Compatible Classroom: A Teacher's Guide

Knowing how the brain takes in, rehearses and stores information is essential to knowing how to best teach students. When instruction is designed to be compatible with the way the brain works, learning is richer and occurs more naturally.

The Brain-Compatible Classroom: A Teachers Guide, by Pat Wolfe, is a concise, practical laminated guide that provides a brief overview of mind, brain and education (MBE), an approach to teaching and learning based on cutting-edge research in multiple disciplines, including neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology/human development, and education. The guide identifies ways teachers can draw from MBE to create brain-compatible classrooms that enhance students’ understanding of what is taught as well as their ability to apply what they have learned outside the classroom. 

Along with describing specific brain-compatible teaching strategies, the guide provdes guidelines teachers can reference to create their own brain-compatible activities and maintain an optimal learning environment. Among key guidelines are the following:

• It is more important for students to learn and understand concepts that to be able to recall individual facts
• Allow students to choose from a selection of tasks
• Maximize experiential learning opportunities to engage multiple modalities for learning and retrieval
• Provide opportunities for practice and rehearsal
• Students learn better in a positive environment that minimizes stress level
• When mistakes are made, take care to provide respectful correction