Brain Muscles

A few years ago I read an article that radically changed my teaching practice. According to this article, research shows that, contrary to what we have assumed in the past, praise can have a negative effect on student achievement. For example, being identified as gifted can cause some students to go into an academic tailspin and refuse to even try any activity that looks challenging. I had seen this in my classroom, and it puzzled me. Some of my highest achievers would usually sail through math with ease, but if they were confronted with a problem they couldn't solve immediately, they would shut down. The problem is that when children are praised for being smart, their self image gets caught up with the idea of being intelligent. They would rather fail because they didn't even try than to make an effort and feel like they're not smart. Fortunately there is a solution for this problem. Researchers have found that when students are taught that the brain is like a muscle and if they work hard they can become smarter, this makes a huge difference.

I took this idea into my classroom, and I was amazed at how well it worked. Now I do this every year, and the results are fabulous. I explain that the brain is like a muscle so that if you work your brain, it will get stronger. Then I ask, "If you only lift light things like a pencil or a piece of paper, will that make your muscles strong?" The children are so serious as they shake their heads. "Did the Broncos (I live in Colorado where it's pretty much mandatory to be a Broncos fan) get to be a great team by just sitting around and doing easy things? No way! They train hard every day. If I just ask you easy questions that you can answer right away, you are not going to get a strong brain. I am going to ask you hard questions. You are going to need to really think hard to get the answer, and you might get it wrong the first time. But if you keep trying, you will get it right and your brain will be so strong!" Then I teach them the "strong brain" cheer where they flex their muscles to show that their brains are getting stronger.

Of course, this means that I need to hold up my end of the bargain. I have to ask challenging questions and give the students problems that they may not be able to answer on the first try. They need to see that effort pays off. Sometimes after my students have been working on something really challenging, I'll wipe my hand across my brow, and say, "Wow, that was really hard. Can you feel how much stronger your brain has gotten?" I knew I was on the right track when a little boy told me, "Mrs. Tefft, if I keep reading chapter books, my brain will be a strong as a dinosaur!"