THINK KRISTIN SIMMERS

An International Experience with the CTTL’s Summer Academy

KRISTIN SIMMERS

“Being an MBE-aligned teacher means being able to sit with the discomfort of change.” - Christine Lewis, St. Andrew’s Epsicopal School

“Keep it simple, stupid” - Dr. Pedro de Bruyckere, Arteveldehogeschool, Ghent

When I began the Center for Transformative Teach- ing and Learning’s (CTTL) Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy, my motiva- tion was 40% learning new content and 60% seeing what other schools were doing with it. I have been studying neuroscience in education, formally and informally, for nearly 20 years, teaching in four different countries and currently working at one of the most innovative schools that I know… literally halfway around the world from St. Andrew’s! I wanted to see, hear, discuss and question other experts’ Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) journeys, looking for ways to connect and support one another.

It is uncommon to find an educational conference where private, public, interna- tional and local schools intertwine as seam- lessly as they did at the Academy and, as Glenn Whittman, Director of the CTTL said in his closing remarks, we are not that dis- parate - and it is the students that unite us. Throughout the five days, we were able to engage with a range of experts and educa- tors speaking to how MBE Science applies to optimal teaching and learning now. To- day. With the educators right here in front of us. For the benefit of all learners. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “When any real progress is made, we unlearn and learn anew what we thought we knew before.”

The first step toward achieving a com- mon understanding of what MBE is seems to be addressing what MBE is not. So let’s start with some myth-busting. MBE is not a specific, discrete list of strategies to be immediately applied to each and every possible learning environment without purposeful modification and intentional unpacking. MBE is also not a panacea, nor a magic wand, nor an immediate quick fix for all your educational needs. It is inac- curate to assume that MBE is so deeply rooted in neuroscience that it lacks the practical “But what do I do now?” tips and tricks that motivated yet frustrated teach- ers are often looking for. “I see your brain scan, but can you please tell me how this will get Johnny to stop running around the classroom and interrupting all the other kids’ learning, please?!”

Also, as covered in the very first chapter of “Neuroteach,” 1 there is a prevalent mis- conception that MBE exists primarily to help the struggling or exceptional learners, rather than being a framework to enhance

teaching and learning for all students.

So let’s set things straight. MBE, as summarized by Dr. Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa at the International Delphi Panel on Mind, Brain, and Education Science, 2 is an applied science that relies heavily on data analysis to develop future-focused projections about new areas of potential application, while also aiming to research and produce “usable knowledge” or ways to improve education through science. Informally summarized by Professor David B. Daniel 3 over lunch at the CTTL: “If it works, and it’s backed by research, it’s MBE.”

So what does that mean for a school who wants to “be more MBE?” What does that look like?

One key emphasis throughout the Academy was that MBE at a school can be an umbrella under which existing initiatives are housed, rather than being a stand-alone or additional initiative. In practical terms, I believe the foundational principles and tenets of MBE, as listed at the Delphi Panel or as enumerated throughout the CTTL learning materials, provide a lens through which any institution’s existing initiatives, practices, and policies can be viewed and reviewed. Through this framework, we can systematically ensure that we are doing our best to provide all students with the best possible learning opportunities, according to current, high-quality research.

Likewise, I think an ideal place to start is by enlisting the staff’s help in identifying the myriad of ways in which they are already using MBE strategies effectively, albeit without a direct “MBE” intention or label. Much of good-teaching practice is

And what happens when a practice does not appear to be supported by MBE research? One possibility is that there just isn’t research on that yet. If we as teachers can get evidence that a practice is effective in real classrooms but there is no MBE research to back that up, that is interesting. This is why MBE was created to be a two-way field, where the professional insights of teachers could inform the direction of researchers.

somewhere backed by quality research and thus, supported by MBE. Some of the initial work we did at the CTTL’s Academy was to examine our own teaching experience and see what practices aligned with MBE research. What if a whole school did this?

And what happens when a practice does not appear to be supported by MBE research? One possibility is that there just isn’t research on that yet. If we as teachers can get evidence that a practice is effective in real classrooms but there is no MBE research to back that up, that is interesting. This is why MBE was created to be a twoway field, where the professional insights of teachers could inform the direction of researchers.

But there is another possibility. What happens when research suggests that a teaching method that experienced educators have been relying on for years is no longer the best way for today’s students to access learning?

Christine Lewis of St. Andrew’s, a lead presenter at the CTTL’s Academy, provided a powerful summary: “Being an MBE-aligned teacher means being able to sit with the discomfort of change.” Julie Wilson, the Founder of the Institute for the Future of Learning, also a presenter at the Academy, suggested creating an origin story as a way to honor and validate previous iterations while helping a team to transition to a new way of doing things. Change in an institution can be hard, so how do we help change happen? She also provided several frameworks for leaders to guide effective, systemic change throughout an organization as change is aided by both top-down and bottom-up scaffolds. Dr. Daisy Pellant, Director of the Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education at the Breck School referenced one of my favorite Maya Angelou quotes: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Wherever your school or district may be in its journey with MBE, it is clear that teaching is equal parts science and art, and we can never lose sight of the fact that these amazing, dynamic and ever-changing brains we discuss are inextricably linked to these amazing, dynamic and ever-changing humans who shape them. Lead with the heart, be a critical consumer of research and embrace the inevitable shifts and changes in your practice. As one CTTL participant summarized when she found many of her current teaching practices affirmed by MBE: “I mean, it might be neuroscience, but it’s not rocket science!” Go ahead. You’ve got this.

Kristin Simmers (ksimmers@nist.ac.th; @ KristinASimmers) is an Elementary Teacher and EAL team leader at NIST International School located in Bangkok, Thailand. Kristin was a participant in the CTTL’s Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy during the summer of 2019.