Laura Erlauer-Myrah (2006) Entitled \"Applying

¶ … Laura Erlauer-Myrah (2006) entitled "Applying brain-friendly instructional practices: one principal's advice: start with a group of motivated teachers to plant the seeds of climate change," the various approaches of successfully implementing a successful learning experience to the students are highlighted. This article has specifically stated that the method of "brain-friendly instructional practice" that will be facilitated by the highly motivated teachers will provide higher educational results.

It is further highlighted in this article that the teachers are not the only ones who should facilitate better instructional practices because the principal can also play a significant role. Individual students and their learning matter the most in schools. To effect change in students, every member of the educational institution must work through each teacher. Since principals will have been learning about brain-compatible instructional strategies alongside some teachers, they have a wonderful opportunity to share advice. The principal should be in the best position to determine the most effective way to accomplish this sharing among faculty. Principals can promote the most substantive change through their supervision discussions with each teacher. To promote risk-taking, new ideas should be shared in a positive, helpful manner, not in a punitive fashion. Principals should also accommodate for the differing needs of each teacher as it relates to learning new instructional practices. For instance, one teacher may view the principal as an instructional leader with a wealth of knowledge to share and may frequently ask for advice. With this teacher, the principal may readily give suggestions based on ideas learned from her or his own reading.

However, another teacher may feel threatened by that same treatment from the principal. She or he may view this as the boss mandating new practices. As such, it might be wise for the principal to share ideas in terms of what has been learned and tried by colleagues who participate in the district's study/discussion group. In this way, the principal is not judging the teacher but simply passing along an idea heard from another. In either case, the principal should watch for the teacher to attempt a new strategy and then recognize and support the effort.

Other suggestions offered in the article which are hoped to enhance the brain-compatible practices within a school include:

Maintaining an emotionally safe environment

To fully inspire students' minds to learn the academics, teachers and the rest of the school administrators must first capture the students' hearts. Every day should begin for each student with a warm smile and/or a handshake from staff members in the hallways. Staff members are not tucked away in their offices or behind their desks.

Another idea to maintain an emotionally safe environment is by enforcing common rules throughout the school so students feel secure in the behavioral expectations regardless of where they happen to be working or playing. This may include stressing that each classroom meets with a buddy classroom of a different grade level regularly to promote respect and collaboration amongst all ages of students. Another possible approach is by requiring that each homeroom teacher guide his or her class to craft a social contract in which students decide and commit to how they will treat each other during the school year.

With these ideas, it can be guaranteed that the staff -teachers and other educational facilitators - are fully on board with consistently pursuing these initiatives because it makes their work environment pleasurable and, most importantly, they see the positive impact on the students.

Promoting good and proper body and brain movements

Teachers need not sit behind the teacher's table nor be kept standing on one side of the classroom, either writing on the board or pointing something at the board. The teacher is actually suggested to move around, talk with the students and be with the students. He can initiate some classroom activities where students can also walk, talk and perform with or for their classmates.

Maintaining a balanced program is not an easy task. The educator or learning facilitator will always have to think for the successful learning outcome while managing to have a fun and exciting learning undertaking for the students. It must be noted that the students should not only learn from the subject, but they must also enjoy while doing it. Thus, it is strongly recommended for any educators to use a variety of instructional materials that would enhance the quality of teaching. The use of visual aids, over head projectors, power point presentations and even video presentations are some of the most effective instructional materials. These materials are proven able to enhance the students' interest to the subject matter and at the same time proven effective in getting the message across to the students.

Another challenge for the educators is making a right choice on what kind of teaching approach to use: decide theory first, application first, or a mixture. As a teacher, he/she must know how to be flexible in the way he/she teaches. The teacher must know how to adapt with the various qualities and attributes of the students as well as with the kind subject he/she is to teach. By maintaining an objective analysis with and every student coupled with the full understanding of the subject matter, decision on whether to use the mixture of theory and application or just the theory or application can be managed easily.

Games are good breather for the students. This does not only enhances successful learning outcome, but this also offers an opportunity for the teacher and the students to get really bonded. Indeed, games reinforce learning and are proven useful activities that ensure better instructional practices. Some of the good games that can be used at school are word games, treasure hunt and puzzles.

The article concluded that instructional practices are integral part in the facilitation of learning.

Effective facilitation of instructional practices coupled with the other aspects of teaching must be ensured consecutively so as to maintain successful learning undertaking for both the teachers and the students.

It is a common knowledge that teachers play a very important role to the development of every student. Because of this, it is indeed a very important attribute for every teacher to know, not only the basics of teaching, not only the knowledge or information they are to provide with their students, but also the very process of effective teaching. Needless to say, to be an effective teacher, it is not enough that the teacher knows how to teach the subject tasked to him/her, but also he/she must learn to keep and maintain the power of enhancing the students' ability and skills through motivation. he/she must be well aware on how to be objective in his/her treatment keeping up with his ultimate goal, which is to teach and help develop the students in the best and proper way possible.