TREND Spring 2017 | Page 29

Brain-Bridging Across Gaps: Our Approach to Meeting the Needs of High-Poverty and EL Students at Jere Whitson Elementary All teachers and students have two very important elements in common: they all have brains, and they all have hearts. Though each individual has an unique condition of both of these essential organs, we recognize the mutual importance of both in effective education and also recognize that some physiological and demographic differences among teachers and students potentially contribute to gaps between the heart and brain. Neither the heart nor the brain functions in isolation, and the more that we bridge gaps by understanding the relationship between the two, both physically and figuratively, the more our students living in poverty and facing other considerable challenges will benefit. Learn through a colorful depiction of the multiple layers of partnerships, passion, purpose, perseverance, and priorities that are all playing critical roles in brain-bridging across gaps for traditionally underserved students at Jere Whitson Elementary. All of these reinforce how teaching and learning is an art and not a science, but also how such an art can be largely enhanced by attention to the science of brain and heart connections. This session won’t dig deeply into neuroscience but will reveal how our awareness of students’ neuroplasticity and our intentionality in providing rich experiences can lead to considerable growth and development. Thomas Fuhrman t & B re a kf a f s a t s k a e ed r d i B v o r P h c n Lu h $40 c n u L & d e d i v o r P 0 $6 s: Non-Member Members N B on r - e M a e k m f b a e s rs t : $ & 60 L u n c h P ro v id e d $40 Non-Members: $40 Me 6 mb 0 ers $ Members