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From the Principal

Whole Brain Teaching is an approach designed toward maximizing student engagement, and focusing on the way the brain is really designed to learn. Whole Brain Teaching can, and is being used at every level of instruction, kindergarten through college, with tremendous positive results. To learn more about Whole Brain Teaching, visit www.wholebrainteaching.com

Whole Brain Basics
Super Improvers
Students are rewarded for their improvement, not their ability in Whole Brain Teaching. Students are praised for excellent effort more than excellent work. They are praised for growth rather than innate talent, which allows for every child, special education students to gifted students, to be equally successful. In traditional education, rewards for ability result in the same students winning recognition year after year. Too often, the brightest kids skate by with minimum effort while less talented pupils bail out of a race that the system as taught them they can't win. Visit www.wholebrainteaching.com/intermediate/super-improvers-team/ to learn more about Super Improvers and how you can use Family Super Improvers at home.
Character Education
The highest goal for teachers is not academic instruction, but raising our students to be virtuous young adults. The philosophy of Whole Brain Teaching is that Character Education can be taught as a unit, a subject among other subjects, but must be infused into daily life. Character education is the golden thread woven throughout Whole Brain Teaching. Check out the basics below.

  • Please-Okay: When students hear "please", they should respond with "okay"
  • Thank You-You're Welcome: When students hear "thank you," they should respond with "you're welcome." Likewise, when someone does something kind, we encourage our students to say "thank you" and we reply with "you're welcome."
  • Alphahawks: Alphahawks are virtuous role models, people who help shape our lives. Talk with your child about how they can live a life that would make their Alphahawks proud. Alphahawks don't need to be people that students know - they can be anyone who lives a virtuous life and students can have more than one Alphahawk.


The are 5 key virtues that make Character Education successful. See the virtues below with examples of how they can be woven into your child's day. 

  • Glorious Kindness: hold the door for someone, let someone go in front of you, use manners, clean up after someone, do something for others for no personal gain
  • Positive Leadership: use manners, give a deep and sincere compliment, be a positive influence to others, stand up for others when needed, encourage others, lead by example
  • Selfless Courage: include others even if they aren't in your circle of friends, give deep and sincere compliments, choose the smart choice even if it's the hard choice, teach others who struggle
  • Invincible Grit: do what you need to do without complaining, help someone who is struggling, when you get stuck say "I'll get there, I just need help," ask questions when needed
  • Brainy Creativity: solve a problem in a positive and creative way, do more than the minimum on school work, use new academic vocabulary words, find new ways to show kindness