“Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.” -- Ancient Chinese Proverb. This quote is the core of what Whole Brain Teaching is all about and what traditional education is not. WBT compels the student to ACTIVITY, to INVOLVE themselves in their own learning! Through WBT prompting, students are compelled to ENTER the conversation with WBT techniques – to THINK CRITICALLY about what they are doing! Students are INVESTED in their education! Students are VALUED as they engage in their own learning as well as COLLABORATING with others.
As I focused in on our WBT class tonight, one of Chris’ opening lines intrigued me: “The more you complain, the steeper the mountain becomes.” As is the case when a person literally climbs a mountain, someone has probably climbed that mountain before you, and left marks to make your journey easier. A person needs to look for those places to hang a rope, trails that have been made, branches broken along the way. Yes, this climb is MY responsibility – but I will also look to the experiences and wisdom of others to make my own journey easier.
During our orientation, I was an ENGAGED learner. Chris was a MODEL of what he expects of us. He ENGAGED me through his gestures and eye contact. Through the online ticker, I was encouraged to PARTICIPATE in the conversation. I was CHALLENGED to THINK CRITICALLY about my own teaching style – about what I do well already, as well as areas for growth. I was ENCOURAGED to explore our topic of WBT and then SHARE with others.
I look forward to climbing this mountain with the Whole Brain Teaching community! To learn more about Whole Brain Teaching, check out their website. The online certification class begins June 21!
