Lesson 1

After watching the videos on brain architecture, plasticity, and understanding the impact of the environment on a child, how does this information impact you as a teacher?


As a high school teacher I will see a wide variety of students come through my classroom.  Each student will come with their own unique experiences and thus their own unique brain structure.  Fortunately their brains are still developing and I can influence that development.  Some students will come experiencing stress of poverty, poor nutrition and even abuse.  These experiences will influence their behavior in the classroom and especially their ability to learn.  The challenge is finding ways to engage all the students on their own level to facilitate and nurture the desire to learn.  Being flexible will be a key component in effective teaching.  Will there be some students I can't reach? That is a reality of teaching. But as a teacher I have to try my very best to find ways to connect with and encourage each student to want to learn.  Once that individual spark of learning ignites in a student then the student will be able to learn anything! I heard a quote once that education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire and I believe that is true.  Understanding how the brain works and the impact of the environment on brain development will help me find ways to build and ignite that fire of learning and it is my hope that if I can just do my very best that all students will go away from my classroom with positive experiences.