Benefiting Students Through A Brain-Based Learning Environment Essay

The question of nature versus nurture as it pertains to sympathetic development has been a debate among psychologists for years. And after decades of research, there is still no definitive answer as to whether nature (genes) or nurture ( surround and upbringing) atomic number 18 responsible for certain characteristics of an individual. However, m all researchers now believe that purlieual factors command a more signifi potfult role than genetic factors. The acceptance of this thought has m any implications for teachers, because it directly affects the teaching strategies they will use in the school path.In addition, recent findings in reason-based research atomic number 18 providing educators with an understanding of how the brain learns, and how it learns best. As a result, in order to optimize schoolchild want, social occasion, and retention, teachers buttocks no longer ignore the importance of brain-based reading in the educational environment (Wilmes, Harrington, Ko hler-Evans, Sumpter, 2008). In the text, Brain- ground accomplishment The parvenu Paradigm of Teaching, Eric Jensen emphasizes the correlation between learners ruttish states and their tuition potential. Adjacently, of the various stirred up states a assimilator experiences at any given time, sufferinged is the most detrimental.A brain in di variant results in a long list of negative impacts on development, including the outlet of the ability to correctly interpret subtle clues from the environment, the loss of the ability to top executive and access information, diminished long-term memory, loss of the ability to perceived relationships, and a lessened capacity for high-order thinking (Jensen, 44). Therefore, managing schoolroom stress through brain-based strategies is an wonderful advantage for students. Childhood stress butt be caused by any situation that requires a person to adapt or change (Larzelere, 2010). These changes endure be positive much(prenominal) as a new cognate or a new pet, or negative such as poverty, abuse, and separation. It is understand sufficient that the negative stressors atomic number 18 the most harmful to a infants development. One of the greatest challenges for teachers that aim to alleviate students stress is that non all stress-related symptoms are directly measurable or obvious to others (e.g., worry, headache), therefrom unrecognized symptoms are likely to go untreated (Shah, 2011). Still, there are umpteen brain-based strategies that teachers outhouse incorporate to help foreshorten the amount of stress a student experiences in the classroom.First of all, educators can increment a students sense of security at school by opening a dialogue with them about their fears. In fact, some clock just the chance to address about these issues helps reduce the burden (Jensen, 49). In addition, by incorporating small host activities and the use of teamwork among students, a teacher can strengthen a students ab ility to communicate and problem solve. Another suit of how a teacher can encourage positive relationships among their students is to offer as much choice and autonomy as possible. query has shown that creating a classroom environment where student expression and choice are solicited provides a welcoming aviation for children to grow at independent rates (Rushton, 2008). There are many managements in which a teacher can afford their students the opportunity to express themselves. Incorporating art, dance, poetry, singing, journal reflection, sports, and debate into a students classroom experience are all productive ways of giving students choice. They are besides great ways to introduce rituals of positive affirmation.For example, by creating traditions of clapping and team cheers, teachers can help bolster a students confidence and modify their self-esteem. Another type of negative stress that some students feel is carrying into action anxiety. Performance anxiety is a fea r of not world able to complete a task to the best of ones ability. As a result, students often experience a mental block, or an inability to retrieve stored information or think creatively. It is very third estate for students to have performance anxiety before test taking, often times negatively affecting their test scores. Studies show that emotional self-efficacy appears useful in managing negative numbers of anxiety (Galla, Wood, 2012). Teachers can help to lessen the situation of performance anxiety in their students by regularly activating prior learning. For instance, reviewing previous lessons, offering generous feedback, and establishing mechanisms for self-evaluation and peer review, are all strategies a teacher can use to reduce learner stress and increase confidence immediately (Jensen, 50). While stress management is an important panorama of supporting a brain-compatible learning environment, stress is not the merely emotional state that students cope with.There is a myriad of emotions that a student can feel from one time to another, and a myriad of international stimuli that can trigger those emotions as good. The childs brain receives stimuli from the learning environment via each of their senses as the stimuli are transformed into a chemic electrical reaction that is the beginning of all learning (Rushton, 2008). One example of such stimuli is classroom acoustics. Poorly designed classrooms that fail to address and reduce ambient noise, echo effect, reverberation, and other acoustical problems cause a cliff in student attention and an increase in off-task behaviors (Jensen, 73). Students whose learning sprint is predominantly auditory are at the biggest disadvantage. As a result, plain problems increase and student learning is negatively affected. Such problems are an con perspectiverable issue for schools today.For example, many schools across the country have classrooms that exceed the uttermost background noise level of 30 t o 35 decibels recommended by the acoustic Society of America (Harris, Lambert, 2011).Therefore it is important for teachers to put through brain-based strategies to counter-act the negative effect of a poor acoustical learning environment. This can be through with(p) patently by moving around the classroom duration speaking. Also, changing the location of students around the classroom can help those at a disadvantage. Using euphony appropriately in the classroom is another brain-compatible way to positively affect students emotional state throughout the learning process. In fact, recent research suggests that music may be a herculean tool in building reasoning power, memory, and intelligence (Jensen, 76). A teacher can change a negative emotional state simply by playing upbeat music in the background periodically throughout the day. Lesson plans can also be enriched through the use of music to pull certain emotions relevant to the subject matter. Such emotional involvement g reatly helps the student comprehend and retain the lesson.Music not only affects students emotionally, but physiologically as well. Musics potential do on the body include, increase muscular energy, increased heartrate, reduction of throe and stress, relief of fatigue, and stimulation of creativity, sensitivity, and thinking (Jensen, 75). Another example of away stimuli that can affect learning is classroom aroma. Aromas are especially important because they determine one of the most direct pathways to the brain (Jensen, 72). The sense of smell affects brain chemistry and has the ability to change moods in powerful ways. Certain types of smelling stimulation like food can disrupt the accelerated learning functions of our brain, and chemical smells from air fresheners, perfume, and even some essential oils can be distracting and block learning (Rogers, 2010). However, certain aromas, such as peppermint, basil, and lemon, sharpen motivation, attention, and creativity. And aromas such as chamomile, lavender, orange, and rose calm nerves and encourage relaxation (Jensen, 72). By using aromas appropriately in the classroom, and keeping aware of aromas that are roily or distracting, a teacher can optimize their students learning environment. agility in the environment is an additional example of external stimuli that can resist a students learning potential. Lighting strongly influences vision, which strongly influences learning, thus anything we can do to make our eyes more comfortable in the classroom contributes to optimal learning (Jensen, 57). Classrooms that receive a lot of natural fair weather are the most advantageous for students. Natural sunlight helps students mood and motivation by delivering vitamin D through uptake by the skin, and in acetify raising mood-elevating serotonin. In fact, studies have shown that students with the most sunlight in their classrooms progressed 20 percent scurrying on math tests and 26 percent faster on reading tes ts compared to students with the least lighting (Jensen, 58). However, on the other side of the coin, too much morning sunlight can have an contrary effect. Thus, it is important for educators to have an awareness of the effect classroom lighting has on their students learning and strategize accordingly. By providing a variety of lighting types in the classroom and giving learners a choice in determining where they sit can help with student comfort in the classroom (Jensen, 58).Color also plays an enormous role in creating a productive and secure learning environment. Color is an important factor in the physical learning environment and is a major element in interior design that impacts student achievement, as well as teacher effectiveness and staff efficiency. Research has demonstrated that specific colourise and patterns directly influence the health, morale, emotions, behavior, and performance of learners, depending on the individuals culture, age, gender, and developmental lev el, the subject being studied, and the activity being conducted (Harrington, Kohler-Evans, Sumpter, 2008). Therefore, educators wanting to take advantage of the benefit of brain-based environment can implement classroom color schemes that maximize student involvement. For instance, like aromas, some colors elicit feelings of alertness and inspiration, while others elicit feelings of relaxation. Teacher can enhance student participation and motivation by use of color in hand-outs and power point presentation. In addition, teachers can use colors to elicit appropriate emotion in regard to subject matter in lessons.Such as sullen blues or vibrant reds, depending on the subject matter. Again, this greatly helps to emotionally bond the student to the lesson.Another external comment that greatly affects a students classroom environment is room temperature. Take for example, a student coming back to a ready classroom after eating a good lunch. A classroom environment that is too warm can makes students feel lethargic and unmotivated. Classrooms that are too warm are often the culprit for students falling sleepy-eyed in class. On the other hand, a classroom that is too refrigerating can make students feel distracted due to feeling uncomfortable. Based on a survey given to teachers, it was concluded that classroom conditions alter by air conditioning included reduced annoyances, improved optical display and flexibility, and comfortable conditions (Gallo, Wood, 2012).In final, teachers who understand the affect of stress and external stimuli in the learning environment and the advantages of brain-compatible learning strategies, visualize a developmentally appropriate brain- researched learning environment which allows an educational focus to preside while student autonomy prevails. Effective teachers support brain development by encouraging children to make discoveries in well-planned environments that support student autonomy (Rushton, 2008). With the benefits well outweighing the required teacher effortt and iniitiative, brain-compatible learning strategies offer far more advantages than hindrances. Students can only win in the long run when teachers utilize these strategies.ReferencesGalla, B. M., & Wood, J. J. (2012). excited self-efficacy moderates anxiety-related impairments in math performance in elementary school-age youth. Personality & item-by-item Differences, 52(2), 118-122. doi10.1016/j.paid.2011.09.012 Harris, B., & Lambert, C.. (2011, May). Impacting Learning. School Planning & Management, 50(5), 44. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID 2382182351). Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-Based Learning The New Paradigm of Teaching. (2 ed.). Thousand Oaks Corwin Press. Larzelere MM, Jones GN. essay and Health. Primary Care Clinics in say-so Practice. December 200835(4). Rogers, D. (2010). Mmmmmm . . . Peppermint and rustling leaves. Times Educational Supplement, (4887), 3. Rushton, S., & Juola-Rushton , A. (2008). Classroom Learning Environment, Brain Research and The No Child Left Behind orifice 6 years Later. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(1), 87-92. doi10.1007/s10643-008-0244-5 SHAH, N. (2011). Students Stress Linked To Class Environments. Education Week, 30(24), 5. Wilmes, B., Harrington, L., Kohler-Evans, P., & Sumpter, D. (2008). COMING TO OUR SENSES INCORPORATING BRAIN RESEARCH FINDINGS INTO schoolroom INSTRUCTION. Education, 128(4), 659-666.