Uncommon Sense Teaching

1. The Brain's Two Learning Pathways: Declarative and Procedural

"Learning involves connecting, strengthening, and extending sets of neural links in long-term memory in the neocortex. We refer to this process as learn it, link it."

Declarative learning is conscious and involves working memory and the hippocampus. It's fast to learn but slower to use. This pathway is great for learning facts, events, and explicit knowledge.

Procedural learning is largely nonconscious and involves the basal ganglia. It's slower to learn but faster to use once mastered. This pathway is ideal for learning skills, habits, and implicit knowledge.

Both pathways are crucial for effective learning:

• Declarative: Good for initial understanding and flexible application
• Procedural: Enables automaticity and quick recall
• Best learning occurs when both pathways are engaged

2. Working Memory: The Brain's Juggling Act

"An average working memory can hold up to four 'balls' of information before ideas begin slipping from the mind."

Working memory capacity varies among individuals and affects learning ability. It's like a mental juggling act, where some students can juggle more "balls" of information than others.

Key points about working memory:

• Limited capacity: Most people can hold 3-4 items at once
• Affects learning speed: Larger capacity often means faster learning
• Not fixed: Can be enhanced through strategies and practice

Teachers can support students with varied working memory capacities by:

• Chunking information into manageable pieces
• Providing visual aids and graphic organizers
• Using retrieval practice to move information to long-term memory
• Offering scaffolded instruction for complex tasks

3. Active Learning: Engaging the Brain for Better Retention

"Active learning engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert."

Engage multiple senses to enhance learning. Active learning strategies involve students in the learning process, leading to better retention and understanding.

Effective active learning strategies include:

• Think-pair-share discussions
• Hands-on experiments and demonstrations
• Problem-solving exercises
• Student-led presentations
• Collaborative group projects

Benefits of active learning:

• Increases student engagement and motivation
• Promotes deeper understanding of concepts
• Develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Enhances retention of information
• Fosters peer learning and communication skills

4. The Power of Retrieval Practice in Solidifying Knowledge

"Retrieval practice is one of the best techniques for strengthening new information in long-term memory."

Test yourself frequently. Retrieval practice involves actively recalling information from memory, which strengthens neural connections and improves long-term retention.

Effective retrieval practice methods:

• Flashcards
• Practice quizzes
• Summarizing without looking at notes
• Teaching concepts to others
• Applying knowledge to new situations

Benefits of retrieval practice:

• Identifies knowledge gaps
• Strengthens memory recall
• Improves transfer of knowledge to new contexts
• Reduces test anxiety by building confidence
• More effective than passive re-reading or highlighting

5. Interleaving and Spaced Repetition: Strategies for Long-Term Retention

"Interleaving helps students learn virtually any subject, including sports, math, music, art, and language."

Mix it up and space it out. Interleaving involves mixing different topics or types of problems within a study session, while spaced repetition spreads review sessions over time.

Implementing interleaving and spaced repetition:

• Alternate between related topics (e.g., different math concepts)
• Revisit material at increasing intervals (e.g., 1 day, 1 week, 1 month)
• Use varied practice formats (e.g., multiple-choice, short answer, application)
• Incorporate review of previous material in new lessons

Benefits:

• Enhances discrimination between similar concepts
• Improves long-term retention and recall
• Develops flexible thinking and problem-solving skills
• Mimics real-world application of knowledge

6. Stress and Learning: Finding the Sweet Spot

"Moderate transient stress, on the other hand, releases glucocorticoids and other chemicals that improve the ability to learn and can improve cognition, working memory, and physical strength."

Optimal stress enhances learning. While chronic stress hinders learning, moderate, short-term stress can actually improve cognitive function and memory formation.

The stress-learning relationship:

• Too little stress: Boredom and lack of engagement
• Optimal stress: Enhanced focus and memory formation
• Too much stress: Impaired cognitive function and retention

Strategies for managing stress in the classroom:

• Create a supportive, yet challenging learning environment
• Use timed activities to create mild, productive pressure
• Teach stress-management techniques (e.g., deep breathing, mindfulness)
• Provide clear expectations and scaffolding for difficult tasks
• Celebrate small victories to build confidence

7. Building Effective Classroom Procedures and Habits

"Procedures need to be taught from the first day, then reinforced and retaught as necessary. Consistency is paramount."

Establish routines early. Well-designed classroom procedures create a structured environment that supports learning and reduces cognitive load for students.

Key areas for establishing procedures:

• Entering and exiting the classroom
• Transitioning between activities
• Distributing and collecting materials
• Asking for help or using the restroom
• Participating in discussions

Steps for implementing effective procedures:

1. Explicitly teach and model the procedure
2. Practice the procedure with students
3. Reinforce and praise correct implementation
4. Consistently enforce procedures
5. Periodically review and adjust as needed

8. Collaborative Learning: Harnessing the Power of Peer Interaction

"Collaborative learning groups are those with a common goal, an equal distribution of workload, and close contact within the group while they work toward the goal."

Learn together, achieve more. Collaborative learning leverages social interaction to enhance understanding, develop communication skills, and build a sense of community in the classroom.

Effective collaborative learning strategies:

• Jigsaw method: Students become experts on a subtopic and teach others
• Think-pair-share: Individual reflection followed by partner discussion
• Group projects with defined roles
• Peer teaching and tutoring
• Collaborative problem-solving sessions

Benefits of collaborative learning:

• Promotes active engagement with material
• Develops critical thinking and communication skills
• Exposes students to diverse perspectives
• Builds social and emotional skills
• Prepares students for real-world teamwork

9. Online Teaching: Leveraging Technology for Effective Learning

"Well-done active learning includes retrieval practice. It makes students think and forces them to check whether they've begun to make links in long-term memory, in the neocortex."

Engage virtually, learn actively. Effective online teaching combines synchronous and asynchronous elements to create an engaging, interactive learning experience.

Key strategies for successful online teaching:

• Use multimedia: Combine visual and auditory elements
• Chunk content: Break lessons into short, focused segments
• Incorporate interactive elements: Quizzes, discussions, collaborative tasks
• Provide clear structure and expectations
• Maintain a strong teacher presence through regular communication

Balancing synchronous and asynchronous learning:

• Synchronous: Live sessions for discussions, Q&A, and collaborative work
• Asynchronous: Pre-recorded lectures, readings, and self-paced activities
• Blend both approaches to cater to different learning styles and schedules

10. Lesson Planning: Charting the Course for Student Success

"Master teachers are among the best planners. They start by plotting a map—that is, a lesson plan."

Plan with purpose. Effective lesson planning ensures clear learning objectives, engaging activities, and meaningful assessment to guide student learning.

Essential elements of a strong lesson plan:

1. Clear, measurable learning objectives
2. Activation of prior knowledge
3. Direct instruction and modeling
4. Guided practice and active learning activities
5. Independent practice
6. Formative assessment and feedback
7. Closure and reflection

Best practices for lesson planning:

• Align activities with learning objectives
• Incorporate a variety of teaching strategies
• Plan for differentiation to meet diverse student needs
• Include opportunities for retrieval practice and interleaving
• Build in time for student questions and discussion
• Prepare backup activities or extensions for flexibility

Last updated: January 22, 2025