Guiding Principles in Selection and

Use of Teaching Strategies:

Brain-based
Strategies

1. Involving Students
in real-life or authentic
problem solving.
O Sometimes students ask us

when and where they need

this and that they are
learning in school.
O Implies that students hardly

see the relevance and

practical application of what
theyre taught in school.

Example
O Students in fifth grade

class were challenged by

their teacher to determine
whether public opinion in
their city matched that of
the country in public poll
regarding the selection of a
presidential candidate.

2. Using Projects to
increase meaning and
motivation.
OProjects may not

necessarily be based on
problems.

Example
OProject-based multi-media.
OPresentation of World War II

memories and produce an

extremely poignant recording of
a song from the era and display
collages of photographs and
other memorabilia.

3. Simulations and role play

as meaning makers.
ONot all curriculum topics can be

addressed through authentic

problem solving and projects.
OAt times these activities are not

feasible, so simulations which are

not real events, are our resort.

Example:
OA sari-sari store to give

elementary students
experience in making
budget, stay within
budget and counting
change for bills.

4. Classroom
strategies using visual
processing.
O A

picture is worth ten

thousand words.

OThis being the case we

make it a point to have

visual aids.

Graphic Organizers
Visuals are powerful aids in
retention as well as in
understanding.

For Classification

Categories
Vegetabl
es

Fruits

Sea
foods

Spinach
Carrots
Kelp
Potatoes
Broccoli
Asparagus

Apple
Banana
Orange
Berries
Avocado
Pineapple

Salmon
Tuna
Sword fish
Clams
Squid
Oysters

Grains
Rice
Corn
Oats
Rye
Barley
Wheat

Meat
Chicken
Lamb
Beef
Pork
Turkey

For Analogy

Bridge Map

Hierarchical Topical Organizer

Example:

Topic Organizer
FACT
FACT

TOPIC

FACT

FACT

FAC
T

Web
Topic
Concept
Theme

Episode Pattern Organizer

Duration
Place
Time
EPISODE
Time
Cause

Person

Person

Effect

Person

Concept pattern Organizer

Example
Characteristic
Characteristi
c
Example

Concept

Characteristi
c

Example

Example

Example

Exampl
e

Exampl
e

Time-sequence Pattern in
Arbitration
Step 1: A dispute between two parties .
Step 2: Both parties agree to have another person
listen to their arguments and make a decision
for them.
Step 3: The court appoints an arbitrator.
Step 4: In a setting much less formal than a trial,
the arbitrator listens to both sides.
Step 5: The arbitrator makes his or her final
decision, and the parties must abide by it.

5. Songs, jingles and

raps.
O Content can be more easily

learned when they give it a

tune or make it into rhyme
O Adding movement to the

music or rhyme provides an

extra sensory input to the
brain and probably
enhances learning.

6. Mnemonic
strategies
OAssist students in

recalling important
information.

Example:
O StalaCtites - found on the

Ceiling
StalaGmites found on the
Ground

7. Writing strategies.
O Make students write their

own word problems and

make them ask their
classmates to solve them or
by the use of incomplete
statements
Example: I think
calculators Factoring is
easy if I am hard up
in

8. Active Review.
O Instead of the teacher

conducting the review,

students are given their
turn.
O Review days are planned

and organized to give

enough time for students to
prepare for the holding of a
review. It also strengthens
synapses.

9. Hands-on-activities.
OConcrete experience is

one of the best ways to

make long-lasting neural
connections. Aristotle
said: What we have to
learn to do, we learn by
doing.

An integrated
approach is also
interdisciplinary and
multidisciplinary.

Example

INTERDISCIPLINARY
OIf you teach science, you

interrelate and connect the

topic care for environment
with the kinds of pollution
and global climatic changes
within the science subject
itself.

Example

MULTIDISCIPLINARY
OIf your content in

science is used to
teach grammar and
values in the
languages, this is
multidisciplinary.

10. There is no such thing

such as best teaching
method. The best method is
the one that yields results.

The best method is one

that works.

Factors to consider in the

choice of a teaching method.

1. The instructional
objective.
2. The nature of the subject
matter.
3. The learners.
4. The teacher.
5. School policies.

1. The instructional objective.

OWhen our lesson is

focused on the mastery of

a skill like writing a
paragraph we will need a
strategy different from
that which we employ
when we intent to teach
an appreciation lesson.

2. The nature of the

subject matter.
OWhen subject matter is

quite difficult, it is
necessary that we employ
the deductive method. We
might end up more
inefficient and ineffective
when we proceed

3. The learners.
OThe learners level of readiness

is a factor we cannot ignore.

Thats why educators talk
about assessing the entry
knowledge and skills of our
pupils/students to determine
their level of readiness.

4. The teacher.
OThe teacher is another

factor to look into in the

choice of strategy.
Beginning teachers do not
feel very confident in the
use of inductive method.

5. School policies.
OHow do school policies come in

the choice of a method?

Educational fieldtrips are
hands-on strategy proven for its
effectiveness for all the years.
But if school policy does not
allow it for one reason or
another, then let us not insist

-End-