Whole Brain Teaching Tips

2. • Thank you!

3. Whole Brain Teaching
• What is it?
• Let’s try it! 
• What do you
think?

4. Today we are:
So that we can:
I’ll know I’ve got it:
Learning Whole Brain
Teaching and Imagine’s 6
measures of excellence.
Use this fabulous strategy
in the classroom and
know Imagine’s 6
measures of excellence.
When I can go through
the WBT together and
then name the 6
measures of excellence.

Agenda/Objectives:

5. • Let’s watch my inspiration and expectations of what we
will look like after this PD. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSQOnd5
x1RA
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6. There are 7 simple
steps, but I I don’t use
all of them. Tisk tisk
for me!  You can
adjust to your own
style.
I will give them to you in
pieces so we can learn it
together.
We can do this!
Class – Yes
Teach –Ok
Scoreboard game
Hands and Eyes
Mirror
Switch
Classroom rules

7. • What is all the fuss?
• Research “best teaching practices”. Suggests that the historical
approach to learning, right brain and left brain, is no longer applicable.
• Teaching to the whole brain requires establishing rituals and routines,
stimulating emotions and allowing students to become active learners.
It combines direct instruction, sharing and immediate feedback.
• Whole-brain teaching centers on the use of active learning and rituals
in the classroom where students become the teachers and teachers
become merely "facilitators of learning.“ It breaks learning down into
small segments with direct instruction leading to cooperative learning
and instant feedback.
Whole Brain What??

8. Step 1: Class-Yes
The teacher of a whole brain classroom uses
this attention getter before beginning every
class. The teacher begins class by saying
"class" any way he/she likes, and in turn the
class is responsible for mimicking the teachers
voice by responding yes. Therefore, if the
teacher says, "class, class, class, classy class!"
The class must respond: "yes, yes, yes, yessy,
yes!" Once this step has been accomplished,
the teacher moves on to step 2.
I have fun with this
one! 

9. Let’s practice….

10. Step 2: Teach - OK
This is the informative part of the lesson. (I usually tell
the students to teach to their right, left or eye partner
depending how the classroom is setup)
• Then the teacher begins to teach small sections of
information, while incorporating gestures, songs,
movements and chants. When the teacher has
finished a small portion of information he/she says to
the class "Teach" and the class responds "OK!" In turn
the students turn to teach each other, mimicking the
"lesson" taught by the teacher.
• During this time the teacher observes the
students' comprehension, if the teacher is
not convinced the students understand the
lesson, repeat this process.Otherwise, move
to "class-yes" and begin another short
lesson.

11. Let’s practice….

12. Step 2: Score Board
Depending on the age of the students there
are several different scoreboard games.
I have fun with this
one!
On the attached paper, there are
different ways you can use this
depending on the grade level.
I used it for when I said class and they
said “yes” quickly and stopped what
they were doing and all were focusing
on me. I would give them a point. I
would use the points for a class prize at
the end of the week.
Give me a
mighty OH
YEAH!
When they
did it
correctly
and a Oh
Nooooo
when they
didn’t.

13. Step 5: Hands and Eyes
This step is used at any point during the
lesson when you want students to pay
"extra attention" to what you are
saying/doing. To begin this process the
teacher says, "Hands and Eyes!," and the
students respond by mimicking the words
and movements of the teacher.
Step 6: Mirror
Similar to "Hands and Eyes," mirror allows
the teacher to gain control of the classroom
as well as have students mimic the motions
and speech of the teacher. This is the main
part of the lesson where teachers are
expected to contribute their own "silliness"
and movements into the lesson. Teachers
will incorporate their own gestures, songs
or chants in this portion of the lesson and
the students are expected to "mirror" the
teacher after the teacher says "Teach" and
the class responds "OK.
These are the two that I merge
with “Class, Class” and “teach”

14. Step 7: Switch!
This step is to be used with the "Teach-OK"
step, while students are teaching it is
imperative that the same student not
teacher every time. Therefore, in order to
get every student involved in the lesson,
the teacher will direct the students to
"Switch!," the students will respond by
saying "switch" and the "teacher" of the
group will rotate.

15. Let’s practice…. With switch.

16. Step 1: Classroom Rules
1. Follow directions quickly. (the gesture: make your hand
shoot forward like a fish)
2. Raise your hand and ask for permission to speak. (the
gesture: raise your hand, then pull it down next to your
head and make a talking motion.)
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. (the
gesture: raise your and, and then make a little walking
figure with your index and middle finger.)
4. Make smart choices. (the gesture: tap one finger to
your temple as you say each word.)
5. Keep your dear teacher happy. (the gesture: hold up
each thumb and index finger out like an “L” framing your
face; bob your head back and forth with each word and
smile really big!)
Teach…

17. Now we will learn Imagines' Measures of Excellence
Teach…