With the change of seasons, I was reminded of the importance of brain rhythms for learning. Every brain's energy varies throughout the day, month and year. If we can be aware of our own special rhythms and cycles, and our peak moments of efficiency, we can improve our performance.The brain does not turn on or off. It cannot work at high throttle endlessly either. Here are some facts about one of our biorhythms: Circadian rhythms. These rhythms happen once a day and are related to the sun and … [Read more...]
Mindfulness in the 4th Grade Classroom
Contributed by Kate Clark. Kate is an elementary school principal on the North Shore of Massachusetts, and has used mindfulness practice in a variety of classroom situations over the course of her 30-year career as an educator. Kate will be a speaker at INSPIRE 2014, and her session is titled Theory into Practice: Preventative Strategies for Students with Anxiety.Fifteen quiet minutes...time for our fourth grade students to breathe, to hold off on all thoughts of the future or the past. … [Read more...]
The Impact of Nutrition on Learning and Behavior: A No Brainer
This post focuses on the impact of good nutrition on behavior and learning. After spending only an hour researching the topic I found hundreds of studies and articles focused on the positive connections between well-fed students and their abilities to focus, self regulate and succeed in school. Given the volumes of evidence, it is astounding to me that most students are still given foods that are high in simple carbohydrates and filled with chemicals.Well, maybe not astounding. It makes sense. … [Read more...]
