Whole Brain Teaching Basics

I have decided to give in and check out Whole Brain Teaching.  I have started with watching the Whole Brain Teaching Basics videos.  I absolutely LOVE how engaged the students are and how involved they are.

I first started with the Six Power Teaching techniques.  They are:

1. Class- Yes

This is used to get everyone's attention.  The teacher says class and the students say yes.  However the teacher says class the students have to say yes the same way.  For example, if the teachers sings class in an opera voice, the class  sings yes in an opera voice.  

I think this is a fun way to get the students attention.  I think my kindergarteners would love this, especially using the different ways of saying it.

2.  Teach- Okay

 After the teacher teaches something, the teacher then says teach and the class says okay and the class partners up with someone beside them and teaches them what they just learned.  

I love this!! It just reinforces what is being taught and helps them remember it.

3.  The Scoreboard

 The scoreboard is used to collect tallies.  There is a happy side and a frown side.  The students can earn rewards for having more on the happy side.  A reward may be an extra recess or lunch in the classroom, etc

4.  Micro-lecture

 Using gestures the teacher teaches in small bits.  The students mirrow the gestures the teacher is doing while lecturing.

5.  Hands and Eyes

Another way to get the students to pay attention and focus.  The teacher says hands and eyes and the students repeat but clap their hands together and puts them on their lap and their eyes are on the teacher.  This one is to be used before a big point.

6.  Comprehension Check 

 During the Teach-Okay the teacher walks around to the groups of students an makes sure they understand what has been taught.

I can see how beneficial these techniques can be.  I can't wait to try them in my classroom next year.  Do you use any of these?