The Brain Power Classroom 10 Essentials for Focus, Mindfulness, and Emotional Wellness

Praise for Brain Power Programs “As a principal who has successfully turned a struggling school from a “D” to an “A,” I have found the Brain Power program to be a truly transformational system for my staff and students. At times, it has been difficult to encourage different groups within the school to work together. The Brain Power program has facilitated a sense of collaborative teamwork, which has improved relationships and promoted the family atmosphere essential to teacher and student success. It is creating a supportive community of caring. With this positive environment, group decision making becomes easier as people are more open to new ideas. We recently celebrated this culture of health, happiness, and peace with our schoolwide “HSP Day” event. We look forward to implementing Brain Power programs at PS 1X as we continue to make great gains in our academic and social progress.” Jorge Perdomo Principal, PS 1X “The Brain Power program is helping my teachers and students to manage their stress, increase concentration, and develop the internal efficacy to create peaceful ways to interact with themselves and others.” Reva Gluck Schneider Principal, PS 144Q “The Brain Power program is a necessary tool to align positive energy in daily life. It fosters building healthy minds, bodies, and citizens of the earth for a better tomorrow. Brain Power rocks!” Harriet Diaz Principal, IS 192Q “The Brain Power program assists me as a leader to create a school environment that is positive and collaborative. The dynamic activities that this program teaches can transform the way leaders, teachers, and students interact with each other to build trust and meaningful relationships so that the magic of teaching and learning can happen effectively.” Deborah Sanabria Principal, JHS 162X “The most direct impact I see is the change in the attitude of our teachers. We are more collaborative and use Brain Power language to support each other. We are also able to support ourselves. When we make a mistake, we keep a more positive frame of mind. This positive, confident mindset is transferring to the students, who thoroughly enjoy and look forward to all our Brain Power activities.” Bernice Acevedo Principal, Lenox Elementary Baldwin, NY “The Brain Power program provides great tools in which students can exercise their ability to feel confident, positive, and healthy. Our schools are grateful for taking part in the Brain Power program and working alongside such an amazing group of leaders.” Wendy Soto Guidance Counselor, MS 29 The Brain Power Classroom 10 Essentials for Focus, Mindfulness, and Emotional Wellness Dave Beal 459 N. Gilbert Rd, Suite C-210 Gilbert, AZ 85234 www.bestlifemedia.com (480) 926-2480 Copyright © 2016 by BR Consulting All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Please understand that this book is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. The information in this book is intended for educational purposes only, not as medical advice. Always check with your health professional before changing your diet, eating, or health program. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use and application of any of the book’s contents. First paperback edition: November 2016 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016955586 ISBN-13: 978-1-935127-93-2 Cover and interior design by Kiryl Lysenka. FOREWORD This Book Will Inspire and Equip You to Empower Your Students What can teachers do to inspire students to learn—to make them want to learn? Dave Beal’s book, The Brain Power Classroom, addresses this issue by presenting a teaching program suitable for all grade levels. In the Introduction, the author explains that he began a career in teaching because he wanted to make a difference; he wanted to empower young people to reach their full potential. Instead, he found himself ill-equipped to navigate the challenges he faced when working with students. Essentially, this book is the story of how Dave turned negatives into positives through the use of mindfulness techniques. I worked with this fine educator during his presentations at Molloy College’s Phi Delta Kappa International workshops. His presentation drew over 150 participants who wanted to learn about having a “Power Brain.” Later, when I gave a keynote address at a conference he had arranged, I was able to see his dedication. As he shared his experiences, he assisted others in creating classrooms where learning is observable and palpable. But, his work doesn’t just serve classroom educators—it’s for parents, students —anyone interested in improving their concentration, material retention, cooperation, and learning ability. The classroom practices he describes engage the learner and create a welcoming classroom atmosphere. In Part 1 of the book, there are seven chapters, starting with a definition of the Brain Power Classroom and concluding with tips for managing the classroom through collaboration. Part 2 explains the ten “essentials” of the Brain Power Classroom. Basically, Dave helps teachers to instill the skills of self-reliance and self- empowerment. These practices include establishing high levels of student engagement, developing passion and motivation in teachers, and nurturing students’ intrinsic motivation to learn. The book includes examples of peer teaching and other activities to engage teachers and student learners. Everything is made clear through numerous tables, illustrations, comments from student learners, and quotes from educational experts. WHEN WE FEEL GOOD, WE DO GOOD While reading Dave’s book, I found an underlying premise with which I definitely concur. This point of agreement appears in the book’s first section, and I would interpret and synthsize this message as being: “Ultimately, if you enjoy the environment you’re in . then you’re open to learning.” The Brain Power Classroom offers means to make the learning environment enjoyable, agreeable, comfortable, and equitable for all those present. A portion of the book’s content also covers the neuroscience related to the Power Brain. It examines how emotions, memory, physical health, creativity, and cognition all play into the learning process. It also describes the theories behind attention and multiple intelligences. Scientific information about the brain, such as the explanation of neuroplasticity, is presented simply and directly, so as to be easily digested and put into practice. Illustrations are also an enjoyable and engaging part of this book, which helps make information about the brain easy to understand. At one point, the book quotes Haim Ginott’s statement about the teacher being the decisive element in the classroom. The Brain Power Classroom takes that idea a step further, however, by insisting that students are also a decisive factor, not just the teacher. As students learn about mindfulness and about being a Power Brain, they learn to take on more responsibility for their own learning process. As the book’s author explains, “When we feel good, we do good.” To help educators create a positive atmosphere, the book gives advice for managing student and/or personal stress and for maintaining peace when conflicting emotions arise. One of my favorite chapters is titled “Classroom Management: From Control to Collaboration.” As Dave states in the beginning of the book, the idea of teacher control is a serious issue these days. In this chapter, he explains that less control is actually necessary to create happy classroom students. The goal is to create an educational setting that is harmonious for all present, and teacher modeling of this is important, too, according to Beal. Part 2 of this book presents specific activities, as well as extensions and modifications of them. Dave explains the goals and benefits of practicing them, and provides clear objectives for each exercise and for each portion of the book. The chapters are configured to bring forth an “I can do this” attitude in the reader. Finally, the book encourages readers to realize the important mission of education: “to help student learners realize their own potential and to help them identify the reasons why they are doing classroom work.” Close to the end of this “tour de force” book, there are two more concepts I found important. The first is Ilchi Lee’s concept of being “Earth Citizens,” a philosophy that encourages us to live united as one people. As Earth Citizens, we must learn to live harmoniously with ourselves and others. This is a book that gives people real hope that that goal is both achievable and practical. The second concept is summed up by a quote from Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” In my opinion, this book has an abundance of both imagination and knowledge, both in the way it is presented and in the educational activities it presents! I hope you will enjoy reading it, and that it inspires you to be the best you can be, both for those you teach in the classroom and for those you encounter on your life’s journey. Marjorie S. Schiering, Ph.D. Professor of Education at Molloy College, NY Author of Teaching Creative and Critical Thinking and Learning and Teaching Creative Cognition INTRODUCTION How Brain Education Changed My Classroom and My Life In May 2004, I was wrapping up my second year of teaching fifth grade at Public School 375 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. At that time, the school was the fifth lowest performing school in New York City. I had come to the school in 2002 as a Teaching Fellow, eager to make a difference. Through the Teaching Fellows program, I received an outstanding graduate degree in education from Pace University; however, I didn’t know how ill- equipped I was to navigate the challenges of having my own classroom.

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