The Big Seven

In a previous post, I introduced the Core 4 Principles of WBT as the cornerstones from which the foundation is laid.  They are

1. Class/Yes (the attention getter)
2. Teach / Okay (the engager)
3. Scoreboard (the motivator)
4. Mirror (the unifier).

In addition to these four core principles, the rest of the foundation is made of three additional essential practices, making the foundation known as the Big Seven.  These principles include:

5. Hands & Eyes (the focuser)
6. Switch (equalizer)
7. Five Classroom Rules (expectation setter).

These seven principles should be introduced, and mastered, within close proximity.  There will be another post on the Five Classroom Rules, but for the purpose of this post, we will focus on Rule 1.  After introducing Class/Yes, Teach/Okay, the Scoreboard, and Mirror, the very next things I teach my kids are Hands & Eyes and Rule 1.

Hands & Eyes focuses the brain allowing the prefrontal cortex to control the brain.

Switch allows for equal activation between Broca's area for verbalizing and Wernike's area for listening.  Kids usually tend to fall into the "speaker" or "listener" category. Switch allows the teacher to control the timing to ensure that all students are speaking AND listening during any part of a given lesson.

Finally, the 5 classroom rules are rehearsed.  Frequently is an understatement!!!  Because the rehearsals activate mirror neurons, students begin to buy-in to the rules, whether they want to or not!  Their brains take over and begin to believe that this set of rules governs their thinking.  So, activating the prefrontal cortex before rehearsing the rules trains the prefrontal cortex to use this set of standards to control the limbic system.

Rule 1 is taught first and to MASTERY!  Most of the problems and aggravations I face in my classroom are because students just sluggishly do what they are told, if they do it at all.  It is very frustrating to ask a group of students to complete a simple task, like get into a line... something they have been doing for YEARS in school, and they just mosey around talking.  Rule 1 is my FAVORITE rule (next to Rule 5 of course!) because it establishes an expectation and a TIME FRAME for doing a task.  Other rules are introduced and practiced, but on the first day of school, Rule 1 is what we learn and what the Scoreboard is based on.

By implementing these seven essential foundation techniques in your classroom, you are already elevating yourself toward Teacher Heaven.  If the entirety of WBT scares or overwhelms you, start small.  Begin with these principles and REALLY use them.  They work so well that you will wonder how you never thought of it, and you will be thanking Coach B, Jay, Chris and all the other WBT vets for establishing the words and techniques to describe this mindset!